The Archive

The Nutcracker: From Folk Satire to Christmas Tradition

There is a particular kind of holiday decoration that manages to be cheerful and a little fierce...

The Sears Catalog: America’s Wish Book

Before there were online marketplaces and next day shipping, there was a heavy paper catalog that arrived...

Pyrex Through the Decades: A Kitchen Staple Turned Collectible

Few objects manage to become part of the story of a home. They are not always rare...

Heywood Wakefield American Mid Century Furniture Tradition

There is a particular shade of light, honey colored wood that instantly signals mid-century modern to anyone...

Tupperware: The Party That Changed the American Kitchen

Few household products have had a story quite like Tupperware. What began as a simple idea for...

A History of the Door Knocker in Domestic Life

There is something satisfying about the solid thud of metal against a wooden door, a sound that...

The Revival of Macrame: A Centuries Old Craft

Few home decor trends have looped back around as many times as macrame. The knotted plant hangers...

The Sunburst Mirror in American Interior Design

Some pieces of decor feel like they belong to a single decade, easy to place the moment...

Art Deco and the Birth of Modern Design

Some styles fade quietly into the past. Art Deco did the opposite. Nearly a century after it...

The Rise and Fall of the American Five and Dime

There was a time when nearly every town in America, no matter how small, had one store...

The Tradition of the American Quilting Party

There is something particular about a room full of women bent over the same piece of fabric...

Beyond Decoration: The History and Symbolism of Vintage Brooches

Long before a brooch was something chosen simply for beauty, it was something a person could not...

How the Crock Pot Changed the American Dinner Table

Few kitchen appliances have earned the kind of quiet devotion that the slow cooker inspires. Set it...

The Story of Trifari: When Costume Jewelry Became Collectible Art

Some jewelry is remembered for the diamonds it never actually contained. Trifari built an entire legacy on...

Grief Made Wearable: The History of Mourning Jewelry

There is a particular kind of jewelry that was never meant to catch the light or draw...