News & Topics

For the past seven years Wales has been host to the Green Man Festival but what exactly is a ‘Green Man?’ Well, a green man is a nature or wood diety who represents the cycle of growth each spring. Think Puck from a Midsummer’s Night Dream, Osiris, Odin or even Peter Pan and Father Christmas. In Wales and other locations ... Read More »

In the mid-1800s, the smallpox vaccine was readily available in New York but despite that, the city continued to suffer outbreaks of the often deadly disease. This continued plague on residents was due to the high amounts of immigrants arriving each day. To try and abate smallpox from spreading throughout the boroughs, a hospital was built on Blackwell’s Island in ... Read More »

The popular filming location Wilton House has won the UK’s top award for Restoration, given out each year by The Historic Houses Association and Sotheby’s. Wilton’s entry into the contest was for its beautifully restored dining room that used both traditional and modern methods of repairs, undertaken by many local craftsmen. Wilton House, situated near Salisbury in Wiltshire, stands on ... Read More »

A visit to Paris is not complete without a day trip to the town of Versailles. Only 10.6 miles outside of Paris, Versailles was once a bustling medieval village, a common stopping place for those on the road into the city. In 1671, the medieval town, with its narrow alleys and winding street pattern was demolished by King Louis XIV ... Read More »

  There is a common misconception surrounding the history of Federal Hall in Lower Manhattan, that is the building in which George Washington was inaugurated. While it is true that the building in which George Washington was inaugurated in once stood in the same location as the current Federal Hall, the Greek-revival style building that now stands on Wall Street ... Read More »

It is not every day that a painter who has been dead for the better of 200 years is involved in an international drug smuggling network but such was the case this weekend when Spanish police busted a crime ring that spanned two continents.   59 people were arrested and police conviscated 16.5 kilos of cocaine, EUR 1,100 in counterfeit ... Read More »

  There are few visual reminders of upper Manhattan’s farming past but in the neighborhood of Inwood stands a lone homestead keeping history alive. The old Dyckman house is the oldest farm still standing on Manhattan Island. Built in 1784 by William Dyckman, the home once stood on over 250 acres of land which originally belonged to William’s grandfather, Jan. ... Read More »

“With fantastic color reproductions and great value for the price, this little gem is as much fun for the armchair traveler as it is for the tourist eager to get a close-up look at Europe’s greatest artists.” – Library Journal: Starred Review Roundup April 2010 for Art + Travel: Europe Read More »