T-shirts; Clothing and dress; Hip-hop; 1980s; 1990s
The 'hiphop' fashion of the 1980s and 1990s were heavily influenced by the music entertainment industry. Many of these fashions were either designed or promoted by rap artists. Fubu attire was designed by four black designers who wanted to create a...
The sora rail is a small marsh bird that inhabits the low-lying wetlands in North and South America. It can be found in areas of either fresh or brackish water making its home among the taller plants where it can easily hide. The sora is rarely...
Masai (African people); Masai (African people) -- Social life and customs; Masai (African people) -- Rites and ceremonies; Kenya; Cows; Milk; Containers; Gourds
The Maasai peoples live mostly in southwestern Kenya. Cattle are very important to the Maasai and considered sacred. Many ceremonies involve the ritual slaughter of cattle, with meat being distributed among the community according to social rank....
It is easy to identify the eastern screech owl as it is only 8 inches tall with two tiny feather tufts (called ear tuffs) on its head. These owls are highly nocturnal so it's difficult to get a chance to see them hunt, but they are known to catch...
Great Britain; Stoves; Great Britain -- Social life and customs; Tea; Great Britain -- History -- Victoria, 1837-1901
In Victorian times, the teapot was filled with boiling water in the kitchen and then transported to the drawing room. The pot was set on a trivet, a stand used to hold pots of food over heat, above a spirit lamp to keep the water hot. The tea was...
Squids breathe through the use of two gills, and have either an internal shell or none at all. The fossilized remains of the internal shell of a squid are called Belemites. The diet of a prehistoric squid would have been much like squids of today:...
Septarian Nodules are ball-like structures that can be found all over the world in either very fine grained or clay sediments. Often times a shell fragment is at the center. It is composed of sandstone or clay cemented together by calcite or...
Masks; Bamileke (African people); Bamileke (African people)--Rites and ceremonies; Cameroon
This mask represents the elephant and the leopard, royal symbols of the Bamileke king's power and wealth. According to the legend of the Bamileke people of the Western Grasslands of Cameroon, the king can transform himself into either of these...
Hundreds of mechanical washing machines were designed in the first half of the 19th century, but they were hand powered. The earliest models rubbed clothes to clean them; later designs featured mechanisms that moved the clothes through the water....
Medical instruments and apparatus; Surgical instruments and apparatus; Physicians; Surgeons; 19th century
A patient needing medical care during the 1800s faced numerous options for treatment. While many doctors attended medical schools or completed apprenticeships, poorly understood causes of common diseases and functions of the human body lead to...
Suits by Coco Chanel were considered a staple of every well-dressed woman’s wardrobe in the late 1950s and 1960s. They were designed to be comfortable and chic, and the jackets could be worn either closed or open, revealing blouses that often...
Miniature objects; Mexico; Mexico -- Social life and customs
Either spread out on blankets in rural Mexico or in actual storefronts in larger cities, the market, or el mercado, remains the main outlet for buying all types of goods and wares. Markets provide tourists and local residents a selection of food,...
Flea circuses possibly originated in England during the 16th century. However, one of the most famous flea performances occurred during the 1830s in London created by a man named L. Bertolotto. The circus featured fleas’ playing music in an...
During the 1870s, also known as the Victorian era, ladies' hairstyles became much more elaborate, using lots of false hair. Small hats, like this one, rode this sea of curls like ships, tilted either forward or back secured by a ribbon or lace!...
Toys; Dolls; Dollmaking; Jamaica; Jamaica -- Social life and customs; Handicraft -- Jamaica; 1990s
Handmade dolls like this are made by Jamaican women to keep, give as gifts to family and friends, or to sell at market. This doll was made in 1993 by Jamaican artisan Jean Wint, who developed her skill by making many dolls throughout her life....
Cricket; Cricket -- Equipment and supplies; Sports uniforms; Uniforms; Games -- England; Games -- Australia; Games -- New Zealand; Games -- India
Cricket is a sport that is played throughout the world. It is most popular in England, Australia, New Zealand and India. Although it seems similar to baseball, in that it requires a bat and ball, the rules are different and much more complicated....
Indians of North America; Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America; Indian textile fabrics -- North America; Chilkat indians; Tlingit Indians; Chilkat textile fabrics; Hand weaving; Blankets; Indian dance -- North America
Chilkat dancing blankets were made for men and women to wear, or give, at special Northwest Coast occasions. With movement, the soft fringe would give the impression that the blanket was alive and dancing. Other Northwest Coast weavers held the...
In Ancient Greece, men and women wore very simple clothing: linen in the summer and wool in the winter.The wealthy would buy most of their clothing in the marketplace which was expensive. Most families, though, made their own clothing and dyed it...
Greece -- Civilization -- To 146 B.C.; Mythology, Greek; Pottery; Art -- Greece
In ancient Greece pottery making was a highly skilled art form. Each piece was carefully and individually hand-crafted and painted. The style of the vase would determine its specific use. Amphoras were used to carry and store wine or oil and...
Masks; Senufo (African people); Senufo (African people)--Social life and customs; Co^te d'Ivoire; Burkina Faso; Ghana; Mali; Africa, West; Rites and ceremonies
This type of mask, called kpelie, is worn among Senufo peoples of Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Mali in West Africa. It combines a human face with features of different animals. The face is meant to represent the Senufo ideal of female...
