atlasobscura
A Quest for the Gros Michel, the Great Banana of Yesteryear
The forgotten, flavorsome Big Mike is elusive, but not impossible to find.
ATLASOBSCURA
How Vladimir Lenin Became a Mushroom
The fake news that took the former Soviet Union by storm.
ATLASOBSCURA
When Gas Masks Were an Inescapable Part of Everyday Life
“It may be a little irksome at first, but you’ll soon get used to it.”
atlasobscura
National Library of Israel's Hidden "Stalag" Collection
Hidden out of public view in the National Library of Israel is a collection of "Stalag's," 1960s Nazi themed porno paperbacks written and consumed by Israelis.
atlasobscura
How Ceiling Fans Helped Slaves Eavesdrop on Plantation Owners
The punkahs of the Antebellum era served many purposes.
atlasobscura
The Forgotten Drink That Caffeinated North America for Centuries
Yaupon tea, a botanical cousin to yerba maté, is now almost unknown.
atlasobscura
The Soviet Children’s Books That Broke the Rules of Propaganda
How folk tales and traditional life snuck into avant-garde kids’ books in the 1930s.
atlasobscura
How Killer Rice Crippled Tokyo and the Japanese Navy
One stubborn doctor pioneered a cure.
AtlasObscura
How a Portuguese-to-English Phrasebook Became a Cult Comedy Sensation
Meet 1883's most absurd language guide.