matthewtaub's User Profile - Atlas Obscura

matthewtaub

Contributing Writer, formerly Editorial Fellow. Still aspiring Jolly Good Fellow. Say hi: matthewtaubwrites@gmail.com @mjtaub1 (Twitter/Instagram)

https://twitter.com/mjtaub1

2018
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For Sale: Biggie's Crown, and Other Icons of Hip-Hop History

There's lots to intrigue West Coasters, too.

September 9, 2020

Why Jackie Robinson's Hall of Fame Plaque Had to Change

The legendary athlete wanted to be remembered as a great baseball player, regardless of race, but history has its demands.

September 2, 2020

The Unexpected Elegance of Irrigation Systems From Above

Architect Ronald Rael is documenting this aerial perspective.

August 26, 2020

These Protest Photos Document Life in 'Resurrection City'

In 1968, thousands of protesters camped on the National Mall as part of the Poor People's Campaign.

August 18, 2020

The Coronavirus Is Bringing Back Florence's Wine Windows

This isn't the first time they've come in handy during a pandemic.

August 11, 2020

For Sale: Shipwrecked Whisky That Spent Decades Underwater

Winning bidder take note: It is not safe to drink.

For Sale: The Most Haunted Mansion in Ireland

Loftus Hall holds tales of Satan, colonialism, and getting stood up by the Queen.

Sold: An 1891 Patent by Granville T. Woods, Innovative Black Engineer

Woods was prolific, but was largely forgotten for many years after his death.

Do These Tubes Hold the Oldest Known Stereo Recordings?

In 1901, a traveling researcher recorded some Chinese opera, and accidentally made music history.

abraham lincoln

Found: A Letter From Frederick Douglass, About the Need for Better Monuments

It was discovered "forensically," thanks to Douglass's distinctive usage of an unusual word.

For Sale: Proof That Legendary Scientists Were Real People, Too

Letters and trinkets show off the personal sides of Einstein, Hawking, and Schrödinger.

A New Archive Digitizes More Than a Century of Black American Funeral Programs

A chronicle of lives lived from before the Civil War to today.

The 'Boccaccio Project' Is Capturing the Music of Quarantine

The series joins a growing list of real-time archival initiatives.

Three Headstones in American Military Cemeteries Bear Swastikas

But not for much longer.

This Mural in Queens Highlights COVID-19's Impact on People of Color

An image of a brave doctor, large enough to be seen from space.

For Sale: The First Printing of 'The Star-Spangled Banner'

A celebration of freedom, published next to advertisements for the slave trade.

The Museum of Youth Culture Wants Your Teenage Memories

Your awkward, rebellious stage, it turns out, is history.

Tips for Responsible Drinking, From 16th-Century Germany

The writer was concerned about the rise of binge-drinking bros.

'Mail Art' Makes a Comeback During Quarantine

All you need is an idea, an envelope, and a stamp.

The Life and Fiery Death of the World's Biggest Treehouse

Its dedicated, sagelike maker isn't at all upset.

How to Quarantine in a Ghost Town

Cerro Gordo has been abandoned since 1957. Now one man is social distancing there by himself.

For Sale: An Abandoned Cold War Missile Launch Site by the Side of the Road

It's a ghost town, but it's got a pool.

'Extinct' Apple Varieties Are Actually Everywhere

10 were discovered over just the last few months.

For Sale: A Slice of Stunning, Anomalous Moon Rock Meteorite

It waited 1,000 years in the desert, just for you.