by david allan van nostrand | Aug 3, 2026 | Americana, Fads, origin story, The Wayback Machine
Throughout most of the 1880s, men wore hats, suits, and ties every day and everywhere. Called sack suits, they had three pieces. The loose, hanging single-breasted jacket, the matching vest, and trousers. Nearly all the shirt was covered by the jacket and vest, but...
by david allan van nostrand | May 11, 2026 | Americana, Fads, Human Behavior, The Wayback Machine
In 1859, the Great Blondin crossed Niagara Gorge on a tightrope. Then he did it with a wheelbarrow, blindfolded, on stilts, and carrying his manager piggyback. In 1876, Maria Spelterini crossed the same gorge by tightrope, the only woman to do so. And in 1901, Maud...
by david allan van nostrand | Apr 6, 2026 | Fads, Human Behavior, The Wayback Machine
The organistrum (the organ I strum) is a stringed musical instrument from the Middle Ages. It was commonly referred to as the “wheel fiddle” and was so large that it took two people to play it. One person turned the crank while another pressed keys that changed the...
by david allan van nostrand | Feb 23, 2026 | Americana, Fads, The Wayback Machine, The world around us
Rose O’Neill was nineteen years old when she left Nebraska for the Big Apple in search of work as an illustrator and cartoonist. A self-taught artist, she had enjoyed six years of success selling her artwork in Omaha, so she had reason to be hopeful. A Closer Look at...
by david allan van nostrand | Aug 11, 2025 | Fads, The Wayback Machine, The world around us
Note to readers: You’ll find no ads on this site because I want you to enjoy a leisurely scenic drive without all those annoying billboards blocking the view and intruding on their enjoyment. From time to time I provide links in the text so people can see more, hear...
by david allan van nostrand | Dec 16, 2024 | Americana, Fads, Items in the News
Ugly Christmas Sweater Day It is bitterly cold much of the year in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and Denmark, especially for people in the days before electricity and indoor plumbing. They needed to keep warm while working outdoors in the cold, wind, and snow,...
