Books

Makenzie Van Eyk (second from right) holds the message in a bottle that she wrote 26 years ago. Roland St. Pierre (far left) was her teacher at the time. Her daughter Scarlet (second from left) and son Huxley (far right) are enrolled in the same school she attended.

A Little Girl Dropped a Message in a Bottle Into a Lake. Her Daughter's Classmate Found It 26 Years Later

Makenzie Van Eyk wrote the letter as part of a class project in 1998, when she was in fourth grade. Recently, the note was discovered by a boy who goes to school with her daughter—who is now in fourth grade herself

The book recently underwent a three-month conservation process.

A Rare Atlas of Astronomy From the Dutch Golden Age Goes on Display in England

The copy of "Harmonia Macrocosmica" dates back to the 17th century and includes ancient theories of the universe

A whale attacks a boat in Frank Goodrich's 1858 novel "Man upon the sea : or, a history of maritime adventure, exploration, and discovery, from the earliest ages to the present time".

Inside the Terrifying True Story of the Sperm Whale That Sank the Whale-Ship ‘Essex’ and Inspired Herman Melville’s ‘Moby-Dick’

Survivors of the whale attack drifted at sea for months, succumbing to starvation, dehydration—and even cannibalism

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The Feminist Who Inspired the Witches of Oz

The untold story of suffragist Matilda Gage, the woman behind the curtain whose life story captivated her son-in-law L. Frank Baum as he wrote his classic novel

Officers display the weapons used in the November 15, 1959, killings of the Clutter family.

Inside the Brutal Murders That Inspired a Foundational Work in the True Crime Genre

Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" documented the killings of a family of four in rural Kansas on this day in 1959

Walfang nach neuster Fangmethode (1885) by Jean Bungartz

Herman Melville's Great American Novel, 'Moby-Dick,' Only Got Mixed Reviews When It First Hit Bookstores

The now-beloved book, which centers on a sailor seeking revenge against a sperm whale, was initially met with lukewarm sales, only achieving iconic status after the author's death

First-edition Jane Austen novels in a special display case at her former home

See Rare First-Edition Copies of Jane Austen's Novels at the Cottage Where She Wrote and Revised Them

A new exhibition at the author's home in Chawton, which has never previously displayed all six first-edition books together, is part of preparations for the author's 250th birthday celebrations

Allosaurus

This Captivating Guide Uncovers the History and Mystery of Dinosaurs in 50 Fossils

A paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in London chronicles the age of the famous and fascinating massive reptiles

If a reader stared at one of Spectropia’s illustrations under a strong light source for about 20 seconds and then gazed at a blank wall in a darkened room, a version of that image in inverted colors appeared.

This 19th-Century 'Toy Book' Used Science to Prove That Ghosts Were Simply an Illusion

"Spectropia" demystified the techniques used by mediums who claimed they could speak to the dead, revealing the "absurd follies of Spiritualism"

Brian Cleary poses with a newly published copy of Bram Stoker's "Gibbet Hill," illustrated by Irish artist Paul McKinley.

Amateur Historian Discovers Lost Story by 'Dracula' Author Bram Stoker Hiding in Plain Sight at a Dublin Library

History forgot about "Gibbet Hill" for more than a century—until a fan of the Gothic horror writer stumbled upon the haunting tale at the National Library of Ireland

Medieval women’s lives were “more vibrant than people expect,” says lead curator Eleanor Jackson, “and [visitors] will be surprised by the sheer variety of roles” that they occupied in the fields of politics, religion and the arts.

These Rare Artifacts Tell Medieval Women's Stories in Their Own Words

A new exhibition at the British Library explores the public, private and spiritual lives of such figures as Joan of Arc, Christine de Pizan and Hildegard of Bingen

With its exquisitely vaulted ceiling and inlaid walnut bookshelves covering three floors, the East Room was designed as a treasury and showroom for Morgan's rare book collection.

This Savvy Librarian Was the True Force Behind New York’s Iconic Morgan Library

It fell to Belle da Costa Greene, a Black woman whose racial identity was kept secret for decades, to catalog J.P. Morgan's immense collection of books and art

Itty-bitty insects have an outsized impact on human culture.

From Silk Moths to Fruit Flies, These Five Insects Have Changed the World

It’s easy to write bugs off as pests, but consider the ways in which they have positively impacted our lives

Thousands of treasure hunters have tried to locate the owl statue.

A Treasure Hunt for an Ornate Golden Owl Buried in France Has Ended After 31 Years

The quest drew thousands of curious participants hoping to solve a series of elaborate riddles—and win a bejeweled statue worth an estimated $165,000

Muhammad Ali

These 17 Pictures Tell the Stories of Black Athletes in America

A new book from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture shows the images and impacts of athletes on and off the playing field

Han Kang has been a celebrated author in South Korea for decades.

Han Kang Becomes the First South Korean Author to Win the Nobel Prize in Literature

Best known for "The Vegetarian," the novelist and poet was praised for her "intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life"

A participant dressed up as a demon brandishes a stick with fireworks during Correfoc in Catalonia.

Halloween Is Spooky. But So Are These Eight Other Celebrations Around the World

From Setsubun in Japan to Fèt Gede in Haiti, these festivals relish in the macabre

A polar bear looks out of a window frame on a deserted Russian island.

See 11 of the Best Wildlife Photographs From Years Past

A new book reveals striking images from six decades of the beloved Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

Julia Child in her kitchen with husband Paul behind her

See the Tools and Gadgets From Julia Child’s Kitchen That Reveal How the Beloved Chef Cooked

From the microwave to the food processor, the book author and television personality tried many appliances and devices to figure out the best ways to use them for her audience

The Lizzy avatar, created by StarPal in collaboration with the University for the Creative Arts

‘Pride and Prejudice’ Gets a New Adaptation: an Interactive A.I. Avatar

Lizzy, the avatar based on the novel’s Elizabeth Bennet, will hold period-accurate conversations with visitors at Jane Austen’s cottage home

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