Posts by Madeleine Muzdakis

Madeleine Muzdakis

Madeleine Muzdakis is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and a historian of early modern Britain & the Atlantic world. She holds a BA in History and Mathematics from Brown University and an MA in European & Russian Studies from Yale University. Madeleine has worked in archives and museums for years with a particular focus on photography and arts education. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, film photography, and studying law while cuddling with her cat Georgia.
History
June 16, 2023

500-Year-Old Manuscript Contains First Recorded Stand-Up Comedy Routine

One can find fascinating, surprising things in medieval manuscripts. These rich records of history and culture include anything from a list of herbs or religious prayers to innovative dog names and pictures of cute kittens. Time-consuming to create, expensive to buy, and precious to pass on, these books hold a certain fascination today. A new find suggests they may even provide insight into the history of comedy.

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History
June 12, 2023

These Are the World’s Oldest Languages Still Spoken Today

Linguists frequently debate the origins of language, aided by anthropologists and biologists in trying to determine just when, why, and how humans began to communicate verbally—estimates range from 50,000 to 2 million years ago. But no matter when speech evolved, language has become the defining feature of the human condition. While words spoken aloud may vanish into the air of history, words written down last generations and millennia.

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Impressionism
June 3, 2023

Who Was Auguste Rodin? Get To Know the Famous Sculptor of ‘The Thinker’

Sculpture has been around since ancient days, from the carvings of prehistoric humans to the painted marble busts of the Romans. In the late 19th century, Paris was a hub for Impressionists and other pioneering artists of all mediums. While painters such as Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir are widely remembered, their contemporary, sculptor Auguste Rodin, is equally noteworthy.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.