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.
October 24, 2023

Newly Restored 1,000-Year-Old “Cheddar Brooch” Goes on Display

Jewelry is an ancient concept—from scarab rings to gold torques to bone piercings. This type of decoration spans across cultures, continents, and centuries. Countless examples from different periods have survived and can be found in museums today. Excitingly, a particularly rare piece of ancient jewelry will soon go on display, conserved and ready for inspection by a curious public.

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October 15, 2023

1,600-Year-Old Ancient Egyptian Socks Look Like Modern Fashion Statements

Depending on the style, ancient boots, sandals, or slippers were often made of leather with metal studs or flax laces. Good footwear was critical to protect the soles of ancient humans in an era when simple cuts could have turned deadly. Similarly, warmth and protection from the elements were also important concerns. So, if ancient shoes were critical, what about ancient socks?

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October 4, 2023

Developers of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Technology Win Nobel Prize

Since 1901, Nobel Prizes have honored achievements which change the world. Laureates include Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, George Bernard Shaw, Ernest Hemingway, Niels Bohr, and Malala Yousafzai. These awardees spread their expertise across fields from Medicine to Physics to Peace. Yet relatively few of these Nobel Laureates existed in circumstances where their discovery was as publicly discussed as the mRNA vaccine developed in recent years to combat COVID-19.

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September 25, 2023

Old Photos Bought at Estate Sale for $2K Turn Out To Be Alfred Stieglitz Prints Worth $250K

Estate sales can be amazing places to find treasures. At a 2021 estate sale in Connecticut, photographer Jeff Sedlik discovered a long-lost masterpiece. Purchasing the faded photograph for $2,200 turned out to be a smart investment. The framed print turned out to include two long-lost Alfred Stieglitz prints. These works by the famous turn-of-the-century photographer evince his classic Pictorialism. Now up for auction at Christie's, the prints are expected to sell for up to $250,000.

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