The Birth of Frankenstein and the Roots of Dracula: The Night Gothic Horror Was Born
On a storm-laden night in June 1816, a small group of English romantics gathered at Villa Diodati on the shores of Lake Geneva. This...
top of page
Search
Mussolini’s Early Arrests: The Fascist Leader’s Tumultuous Path to Power
In the early 20th century, a young Benito Mussolini was far from the iron-fisted dictator he would later become as the head of Fascist...
175 views
That Time Joe Strummer Disappeared For Six Weeks, Later To Be Found Living Rough In Paris
In early 1982, The Clash found themselves in a turbulent period marked by internal friction and brewing tensions. Despite the impending...
629 views
Jayne Mansfield and Anton LaVey: Hollywood’s Glitz Meets the Occult in a Story of Glamour, Drama, and Dark Rumours
The unlikely meeting between Jayne Mansfield and Anton LaVey—the blonde bombshell of Hollywood and the shaven-headed founder of the...
3,831 views
How Bodies Were Judged In The Miss Universe Contest, 1959
A chart published in 1959, which was shared by the LA Times blog , illustrating how women’s bodies were judged in the Miss Universe...
1,256 views
Sylvia Likens: The Harrowing Case of Abuse, Torture, and Murder at the Hands of Gertrude Baniszewski
The horrific torture and murder of Sylvia Likens in 1965 stands as one of the darkest cases of abuse in American history. Sylvia, a...
7,755 views
Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky: The Master of Maritime Paintings
When we think of paintings that evoke the tempestuous and serene nature of the sea, the name Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky often comes...
32 views
Behind the Scenes: Ray Harryhausen Crafting Mythical Creatures for Clash of the Titans
Clash of the Titans (1981) stands as a monumental film in the history of cinema, celebrated not just for its epic storytelling but for...
120 views
Coulrophobia: Why Are People Afraid of Clowns?
Coulrophobia, or the fear of clowns, is something that’s become pretty well-known in recent years. For many, clowns are a source of fun...
228 views
Sada Abe: The Shocking Story of Obsession and Murder in 1936 Tokyo
Sada Abe, one of the most infamous figures in Japanese criminal history, remains a symbol of obsession and tragedy. Born in 1905 into a...
4,624 views
The 1956 Hungarian Uprising: A Long Fight for Freedom
The 1956 Hungarian Uprising marked a significant turning point in the Cold War, as the people of Hungary rose against Soviet oppression...
766 views
The Final Days of Albert Anastasia: The Brutal End of the Lord High Executioner
Albert Anastasia, sometimes known by his nickname "Lord High Executioner," was one of the most feared and powerful figures in organised...
326 views
Thuggee Assassins of India: Real Killers or British Colonial Myth?
The Thuggee assassins of India have captivated imaginations for centuries, portrayed as a secretive, murderous cult carrying out ritual...
261 views
War Relocation Authority Photographs: Japanese American Incarceration During WWII
The photographs taken by the War Relocation Authority (WRA) provide a significant visual record of the experiences of Japanese Americans...
64 views
The Tragic and Disturbing Story of Carl Tanzler and Elena de Hoyos
Carl Tanzler, often remembered for his eerie obsession with Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos, was a figure as strange as he was tragic. His...
19,869 views
“How the Other Half Lives and Dies.”Jacob Riis’ 1890 Photos Of New York’s Other Half
Jacob Riis, the man behind some of the most famous photos of New York’s slums, didn’t start out with a camera in hand. In fact,...
4,731 views
The Last Days of Jack Kerouac: A Life Cut Short by Alcoholism and Disillusionment
On the morning of 21 October 1969, Jack Kerouac, one of the most influential writers of the Beat Generation, died in a Florida hospital....
5,557 views
Dora Ratjen: The Athlete Who Lived a Dual Identity
In the complex world of international athletics, stories of triumph and defeat are commonplace, but few are as remarkable as that of Dora...
1,897 views
The Chaotic Road to Nowhere: The Sex Pistols’ Anarchy Tour of 1976
The Anarchy Tour of 1976, perhaps one of the most infamous tours in rock history, was marked by controversy, cancellations, and moments...
532 views
Weegee: The Lens Behind New York’s Darkest Hours
In the shadows of 1930s and 1940s New York, where crime and chaos thrived after dark, one man was always first on the scene—capturing...
4,815 views
Sean Flynn: The Life and Disappearance of the Young Photojournalist
Sean Flynn, the only child of legendary actor Errol Flynn and French-American actress Lili Damita, lived a life marked by adventure,...
2,438 views
Adolfo Constanzo: Black Magic, White Magic, Murder and Lots of Drugs
The story of Adolfo Constanzo is one that blurs the lines between crime, mysticism, and terror, culminating in one of the most grotesque...
7,836 views
The Fall and Rise and Then Fall Again of Jimmy Swaggart
In 1991, the California Highway Patrol stopped a white Jaguar in Indio for driving on the wrong side of the road. The driver's...
5,823 views
Ormond Gigli And The 'Girls In The Windows'
In 1960, Ormond Gigli was a freelance photographer working in New York City, with a studio on East 68th Street. Across the street from...
2,492 views
bottom of page