History

How Fishermen's Bragging Rights Gave Birth To Fine Art

5:10pm September 02, 2015

by Tove Danovich

In 19th-century Japan, fishermen found a foolproof way to record trophy catches: a "fish rubbing" inked onto paper, creating a permanent record of their size. Gyotaku soon evolved into fine art.

The Mob Museum's new exhibit highlights the "rampant corruption that plagues" the world soccer governing body, FIFA. It opened Tuesday.

Mob Museum Unveils FIFA Corruption Exhibit

7:58pm September 01, 2015

by Laura Wagner

A new exhibit about FIFA's recent corruption is on display at the Las Vegas museum of contemporary organized crime.

World News

U.N. Confirms ISIS Destroyed Temple Of Bel In Palmyra, Syria

6:25pm September 01, 2015

Following initial reports of explosions at the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, the United Nations has confirmed through satellite imagery that ISIS has destroyed one of the most visited and recognized examples of pre-Islamic architecture in the Middle East.

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World News

Archaeologist Works To Track The Islamic State's War On Culture

5:11pm September 01, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel talks to archaeologist Michael Danti, who is tracking the cultural heritage sites and artifacts in Palmyra, Syria, that may soon be lost forever at the hands of ISIS.

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On Canadian tasseomancer Amy Taylor's vintage tea-leaf reading cups, your reading is determined by where your leaves fall on the preprinted symbols on the cups.

Arts

For Centuries, People Have Searched For Answers In The Bottom Of A Tea Cup

4:51pm September 01, 2015

by Laurel Dalrymple

The practice of reading tea leaves had its heyday during Victorian times, when fascination with the occult and self-analysis thrived. It was safer than other forms of divination and persists today.

By the time archaeologists uncovered this statue of the Buddha at Mes Aynak, its head was gone — likely broken off by looters.

What's Better For Afghanistan's Future: Buddha Tours Or A Copper Mine?

2:48pm August 31, 2015

by NPR Staff

A vast archaeological site sits atop one of the world's biggest untapped copper deposits. Afghanistan must decide which resource will be a greater boon.

National

For High Court's First Black Justice, Road To Confirmation Wasn't Simple

5:28pm August 30, 2015

It's been 48 years since Thurgood Marshall was confirmed as the first black Supreme Court justice. Author Wil Haygood talks about the fight for that confirmation and how it shaped American history.

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Marie Jalowicz Simon survived the Holocaust by hiding with friends and strangers in Berlin.

A Young Woman Goes 'Underground In Berlin' To Escape The Holocaust

3:54pm August 30, 2015

by NPR Staff

Hermann Simon's mother lived as a Jew in Berlin during World War II. Through cunning and disguise, Marie Jalowicz Simon managed to evade the Nazis right under their noses.

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Louise and Michael Toscano, mother and father of Brooklyn Public Library patron Vera Toscano, on their wedding day. The reception was at the Grand Paradise Ballroom in the Williamsburg neighborhood on May 9, 1926. The photo is now part of the "Culture in

National

Holding On Tight To Old New York

3:39pm August 28, 2015

by Linton Weeks

Using contemporary technology, the "Culture in Transit" project documents and shares photos and memorabilia that might otherwise be lost forever.

National

Civil Rights Activist Amelia Boynton Robinson Dies At 104

1:34pm August 28, 2015

by Kyle Gassiott

Civil rights activist Amelia Boynton Robinson has died. Her brutal beating during the 1965 Bloody Sunday march was depicted in the movie Selma.

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