Meet Frances Benjamin Johnston, "The greatest woman photographer in the world" In the 1890s, Frances Benjamin Johnston opened a photography studio on V St., NW, in Washington, DC. Defying gender norms, she established herself as a White House portrait photographer, a photo journalist, and historic preservationist. By the end of her life, some called her "the greatest woman photographer in the world," but her most well-known work gained attention decades after her death. Isabel Bozarth Mon, 11/25/2024 - 11:20 ..read more

Dunbar: The Evolution of America's First Black Public High School Northwest D.C.'s Dunbar High School transcended humble beginnings in the basement of a church to become, as W.E.B. DuBois' The Crisis put it, the "greatest negro high school in the world." It's mission towards black academic excellence made it the alma mater of many prominent African Americans.  Christal Wilson Thu, 11/14/2024 - 11:14 ..read more

Chasing Down George Washington's Chef: Hercules Posey and the Historical Archive Hercules Posey is considered one of America's first celebrity chefs. He was enslaved to George Washington during his presidency but ultimately able to make his escape. The details of his story haven't always been so clear though. Kira Quintin Fri, 11/08/2024 - 12:44 ..read more

Can WWE Trace Its Roots to a Small Garage in Washington D.C.? WWE is globally recognized as a juggernaut in sports and entertainment. However, not many know of the colorful, and often violent, history behind the one of the company's first arenas, Turner's Arena, formerly located at the corner of 14th and W St NW. Jake Seboe Thu, 10/31/2024 - 13:00 ..read more

The Enigmatic Poe Toaster of Baltimore "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes!" Who is the mysterious man who visits Edgar Allan Poe's grave to leave a yearly offering of roses and cognac to the poet Baltimore claims as its own? Isabel Sans Fri, 10/25/2024 - 08:55 ..read more

“A Deafening Roar”: How Washington Celebrated Its First World Series Win in 1924 A century ago Washingtonians partied like they never had before after the unthinkable happened—the Washington Senators became World Series champions. Ethan Ehrenhaft Thu, 10/10/2024 - 20:40 ..read more

A Free Black Preacher from Maryland Wrote a Song That Changed History During the Great Depression, the Federal Writers Project commissioned several initiatives designed to aid thousands of struggling American writers and journalists. But perhaps their most interesting project is also one of their most important: a collection of oral histories known as the “Slave Narratives Project.” And within that collection, one narrative in particular stands out: the story of Rezin Williams. Katherine Brodt Fri, 10/04/2024 - 15:22 ..read more

"Like Water and Oil": The Funk-Punk Spectacular That Rocked D.C. No doubt D.C. music fans were intrigued when they picked up the Washington City Paper on September 23, 1983: "Funk funk funk funk it up at the pick of the picks tonite…a combination of punk and funk that should be the hottest show of the summer." For the first time, Trouble Funk and Minor Threat would be performing together. The show melded D.C.'s dominant homegrown music styles, Go-go and Hardcore Punk, and promised to be a concert like no other. Emily Bussa Fri, 09/20/2024 - 20:49 ..read more

The Mystery of the Antietam Arm Weeks after the bloodiest day of the American Civil War, a remarkably preserved human arm was allegedly discovered near the Antietam Battlefield. After several decades and a series of owners, the arm was anonymously donated to a Frederick, Maryland museum. The identity of the person who lost the arm remains a mystery, but cutting edge research into the arm has a lot to say about the experience of Civil War soldiers. Mary-Kate Wilson Fri, 09/13/2024 - 13:36 ..read more

The Forgotten Story of Washington’s First Race Riot In the mid 1830s, Washington stood on edge as pro and anti-slavery forces battled for influence. Conditions were ripe for D.C.’s first race riot, which erupted in August 1835 when a lynch mob targeted Beverly Snow, a successful free black restaurateur.  Ethan Ehrenhaft Thu, 09/05/2024 - 22:00 ..read more