Category: History
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The History of Iconic Cocktails — And How to Make Them Perfectly
Cocktails are more than recipes—they are cultural artefacts that reflect entire eras. From Gilded Age New York to post-war Venice, from Cuban cafés to Parisian hotel bars, each glass tells a story of style, ritual, and identity. To shop via our Amazon storefront The Mint Julep: The Southern Ritual HistoryThe Mint Julep can trace its…
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Lee Miller at War: The Camera as Witness
When Lee Miller picked up her Rolleiflex and walked into the ruins of Europe, she left behind the world of glossy magazine covers and Surrealist salons. Her photographs of World War II — published in Vogue between 1940 and 1945 — transformed her from a society beauty into one of the most unflinching photojournalists of…
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Lee Miller: Beauty, War, and the Alchemy of Reinvention
Lee Miller (1907–1977) lived many lives, each more improbable than the last. She was first a fashion model of startling beauty, then a Surrealist muse in Paris, then a groundbreaking war photographer who witnessed some of the darkest scenes of the twentieth century. By the end of her life, she had retreated into the quiet…
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In Loving Memory of Dame Jane Goodall (1934–2025)
It is with profound sorrow that we share the passing of Dame Jane Morris Goodall, one of the most beloved and groundbreaking figures in primatology, conservation, and humanitarian advocacy. She died on 1 October 2025, at the age of 91, of natural causes while on a speaking tour in California. Early Life & Call to…
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Peter Marino: The Dark Knight of Design
In the world of architecture and interiors, few figures are as instantly recognizable — or as fiercely debated — as Peter Marino. Dressed head-to-toe in black leather, with biker boots, sculptural chains, and tattooed arms, Marino has cultivated an image as a renegade. Yet behind the theatrical armor is one of the most influential architects…
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The Evolution of the Private Swimming Pool
The swimming pool is more than a reservoir of water: it is an architectural statement, a cultural symbol, and a mirror of shifting ideals of leisure, health, and luxury. Its evolution—from ancient communal baths to mid-century suburban icons, from Riviera resorts to infinity-edge marvels—charts the trajectory of modern life itself. To trace the history of…
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Roman Ristretto: The Ultimate Coffee Tour of the Eternal City
Rome is a city steeped in centuries-old rituals, and coffee is one of its most cherished. Whether you’re drawn to the heritage of storied cafés or the clarity of third-wave single origins, the capital offers a caffeinated journey unlike anywhere else. Icons of Tradition Caffè Sant’EustachioA Roman institution since 1938, famous for its wood-roasted beans…
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A History of Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc
Origins & Literary LegacyIn 1869, Villa Soleil was built by Hippolyte de Villemessant, founder of Le Figaro, as a haven for writers seeking peace and inspiration. By 1870, it opened, Napoleon III–style, as a retreat for figures like Jules Verne and Anatole France. By 1889, under Italian hotelier Antoine Sella, it became the Grand Hôtel…
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Grey Gardens House Tour
On the fiftieth anniversary of the Grey Gardens documentary (released September 27, 1975), we return to one of America’s most mythologized houses — not in ruin, but in radiant renewal. Immortalized by Albert and David Maysles, the storied halls of Grey Gardens once echoed with the eccentric lives of Big and Little Edie Beale, relatives…
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Grey Gardens at 50: The Eccentric American Dream
Today marks fifty years since the premiere of Grey Gardens on September 27, 1975 — the Maysles brothers’ documentary that unveiled the eccentric, crumbling world of Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter “Little Edie.” Half a century later, the film remains as haunting and magnetic as ever: a portrait of decline and resilience that has…
