History
December 11, 2017

Vintage Photos Reveal the Spirit of the Holiday Season in New York City 100+ Years Ago

Christmas in New York has always been a special time of year. From shoppers bustling about to the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, the city buzzes with activity. And this glimpse of New York City in the early-20th century shows that much of that spirit was alive even in the past. In fact, the nation's first public Christmas tree was installed in 1912 in Madison Square Park, complete with bulbs donated by the Edison Company.

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Cityscape Photography
December 9, 2017

Modern Paris Seen Through Retro Porthole Windows of ‘Tours Aillaud’ High-Rises

Parisian photographer Laurent Kronental’s latest photo series, Les Yeux des Tours, captures life through the porthole windows of the Tours Aillaud—a social housing estate in the Pablo Picasso district of Nanterre. With 18 towers ranging from 7 to 38 stories high, the housing project accounts for a total of 1,600 apartments. It was designed by Emile Aillaud between 1973 and 1981 as a response to the post-war housing shortage.

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Modern Art
December 7, 2017

Bauhaus: How the Avant-Garde Movement Transformed Modern Art

Throughout the 20th century, several styles of avant-garde art helped shape modern art. While many of these genres—including subconscious-based surrealism and energetic abstract expressionism—predominantly favored paintings, the Bauhaus movement encompassed a wide array of mediums, materials, and disciplines. Ranging from paintings and graphics to architecture and interiors, Bauhaus art dominated many outlets of experimental European art throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Though it is most closely associated with Germany, it attracted and inspired artists of all backgrounds.

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DIY
December 6, 2017

People Are Wrapping Gifts with Fabric for the Holidays Instead of Paper

Are you looking to be eco-friendly this holiday season? One easy change to make is how you present your gifts. Wrapping paper, while beautiful, often ends in a crumpled mass that has to be recycled after just one use. If you want to avoid the mess but still have your presents wrapped and under the tree, try using this bundled approach. Known as furoshiki, it's a Japanese wrapping cloth used to cover gifts or other goods.

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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.