/food
/offbeat
/sportsTurkish Wrestlers working out in Paris - 1904 (colorized)
I'm researching the history of the Terrible Turks of wrestling for a couple of articles. This image is from BNF and really came to life after colorization.
/offbeat/food/offbeatNouroulah: The 6'6" Terrible Turk of Wrestling
He wasn't the first with that moniker, but he was the biggest of the "Terrible Turks" of the early 1900's. I'm doing research on these monsters of the mat for a future article and found this in the old Boston Post newspaper from 1901.
/music/food/offbeat/offbeat/sportsBastone Siciliano: The Art of Sicilian Stick Fighting
This, and my grandma's meatball recipe are two Sicilian traditions that I wish were handed down to me.
/artLas Descalzas Reales: Madrid’s Monastery of the Rich and Famous
This still active royal convent holds an incredible art collection, literally cloistered away in the heart of Madrid.
/artPlantage Katwijk - Suriname's last coffee plantation
Katwijk is the only plantation in Surname that continues to produce coffee. The plantation system is long gone but in modern Suriname, the former plantation properties still exist. Many have been turned into beautiful resorts, heritage museums and nature parks.
/offbeatKatwijk: The Last Coffee Plantation of Suriname
Katwijk: The Last Coffee Plantation of Suriname The historical connection between Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Suriname centers on the 19th-century trade involving plantations and the slave economy. While plantations have transformed into resorts and museums, the legacy of sla
/entertainment41st Gloucester Schooner Festival this weekend!
Hey Diggers, If you are looking for something to do Labor Day Weekend North of Boston, come see some stunning sailing vessels and learn some cool history. Come to Maritime Gloucester on Saturday for our Heritage Day. If you are on Digg, come by and introduce yourself! Make sure
/artGeorge La Blanche, "The Marine" Pugilist, Allen & Ginter Cigarette Card (1888)
From the Allen & Ginter Cigarette Card boxing series. While “the Marine” may have faded from boxing memory, an infamous banned punch is named after him. This is the “pivot punch” also known as the “LaBlanche swing” and it took place against a famous boxer... Read more here: htt
/artEarly Boxing Legend: Jack Dempsey the "Nonpareil" 1888
Cigarette trading card of the original Jack Dempsey. The later Jack Dempsey is more famous today, but William Harrison Dempsey fought under the name "Jack" in honor of the "Nonpareil" starting in 1914.
/artClipper style Gloucester fishing schooner. Circa 1870's
I colorized this image of an "extreme clipper" mackerel schooner to bring out the details. These schooners were as fast as yachts and carried as much sail. They could also be extremely dangerous in bad weather and hundreds of men went down in vessels like these.
/sports"The Marine" George LaBlanche: Infamous Old-Time Pugilist
Cigarette trading card of George LaBlanche, an infamous boxer of the 1880s. While “the Marine” may have faded from boxing memory, an infamous banned punch is named after him. This is the “pivot punch” also known as the “LaBlanche swing” and it took place against a famous boxer.
/artA Jewel Box Fit For A Thorn: Pisa’s Santa Maria della Spina
Santa Maria della Spina is a tiny, compact jewel box adorned with numerous beautiful statues and carvings. Part of its beauty is the amount of adornment on such a small building. The number and scale of the carvings and statues would be impressive on a much larger church.
/artA Smart Blow by Fitz Henry Lane (1856)
This is how they used to fish for cod on Georges Bank of Massachusetts. Hundreds of men were lost, entire schooners sunk, during the winter storms.
/sportsThe Heart O' Gloucester Leaves on a 700 mile rowing adventure to Nova Scotia
Jimmy Tarantino and Sarah Lewine left yesterday on a 700 miles rowing voyage from Gloucester, Massachusetts to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. They are rowing a custom made Grand Banks Dory named the Heart O' Gloucester along the coast to arrive in time for the Canadian leg of the annual
/offbeatKölner Karneval 1996
I met this friendly bunch of "Mongol" raiders at the Cologne Carnival in 1996. Credit: Historical Vagabond
/offbeatLa Piagnona: The Church Bell with a Criminal Record
Florence is home to an old, banged-up church bell, with an impressive pedigree and a dark history known as the Piagnona. The story of this bell, and its subsequent criminal record is one of the most interesting, and yet obscure stories I’ve heard from the Renaissance.
/artAn old painting that I inherited. Would love to know more.
I'm a maritime historian, but not an art expert. This was my late friend's painting and he said it was of his great grandfather's clipper ship.
/artThe Almost-Forgotten Couvent des Annonciades in Bordeaux
Couvent des Annonciades, Chapel Niche - 16th century. Credit: William Ellison, CC BY-SA 4.0
/artWhen The Joachimsthaler Was The Only Dollar
Detail of Judith with the Head of Holophernes by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1530). The coin in Judith's headdress is a Joachimsthaler, a symbol to not forget King Louis II, who first commissioned the coin. In 1526, the 20-year old King died, along with most of the Hungarian Royal A
/offbeatAncient Sentinels: Sicily’s Legendary Chestnut Trees
They are not as tall or majestic as the redwoods and sequoias, but Sicily's Etna region is home to two of the most massive living trees known anywhere. Check out my article on Sicily's ancient chestnut trees.
/offbeatMacks: How Mackerel Became Slang for Pimp
The term "mack" is an old euphemism for a pimp, originating from the small fast swimming fish known as mackerel.
/foodDining at the Oldest Restaurant in France
In 2001 we were a young traveling couple in Rouen that decided to experience a real French dinner. Little did we know we chose the legendary La Couronne. The establishment has been around since the 14th century, originally as an inn, and today it is the oldest restaurant in Franc
