All Historical Themes
Making Peace with Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a holiday fraught with American history. Let's get it right.
Water, Water Nowhere
The historic drought has thrown the Colorado River and its water system into crisis, with federal officials warning that serious conservation is the only way out.
Santa Fe’s Indian Market
The Santa Fe Indian Market, started a century ago to save Native American culture and art, is the largest Native American event in North America.
Heavenly Stone Masons
Medieval masons created almost magical architecture with their magnificent mastery of stone and geometry.
The World’s Glaciers
Glaciers, one of the world's priceless natural resources, are melting rapidly because of global warming.
The Earth’s Massive Wrinkle
Capitol Reef National Park encompasses a 100-mile-long fold in the Earth in which 270 million years of history is captured.
The Troubling Legacy of North America’s Oldest Brick House
Bacon's Castle in Virginia is a microcosm of major trends in U.S. history and culture.
The Psychology of Strongmen
We are seeing a global rise of strongmen leaders. We take a look at what make strongmen tick and why they gain followers.
Let It Snow (Blizzard, Flurry, Squall)!
Snow is a deep subject. It cools our atmosphere, is a critical source of water in many regions, and creates winter travel challenges.
How Mountains Move
Mountains grow, shrink and change shape both slowly and suddenly, and human behavior is changing them in alarming ways.
The Style that Went Around the World
Most Gothic architecture was built in the 19th and 20th centuries when the medieval style underwent a global revival. Now, Gothic is trending again.
Tracking Dinosaurs in the Wild
With a pandemic raging and snarled air traffic, it's a perfect time to head into the past and the wild to track dinosaurs.
How to Read Stained Glass Windows
Stained glass windows, one of the most durable types of art, have long imparted both powerful religious and secular messages.
Saint Sulpice Church - Paris’s Temporary Cathedral
Saint Sulpice Church in Paris has a turbulent history dating to the 7th century. Today, it is Paris's temporary cathedral amidst the pandemic.
Dawning of a New Era of Diversity?
Despite dismal headlines about the racial divisiveness of the United States, several long-term trends point to a future more mature culture of diversity and cooperation.
Tweaking Traditional Thanksgiving Foods
What if you love Thanksgiving as a holiday, but aren't crazy about some traditional Thanksgiving foods? These recipes might help.
The Rosetta Stone
The Rosetta Stone, which revolutionized the study of Egypt and ancient languages, continues to court controversy today.
Going On A Mammoth Hunt
Scientists are stitching together a DNA sequence to produce a living mammoth as well as learning more about the chubby long-haired giant.
Comeback of the Courtyard House
The pandemic, soaring cost of housing and environmental concerns are renewing interest in courtyard houses, albeit on a miniature scale.
Central Coast Chillin’
When you need a break and relaxing activities that are relatively safe in the pandemic, try California's Central Coast.
Rebuilding after 9/11
Remembering September 11th has been a national opportunity to evaluate the past and move on with the long messy process of rebuilding.
Reinventing Civil War Reenactment
Civil War reenacting has taken a hit from the pandemic and controversy over the Confederate flag's association with racism.
Versailles’ Checkered Legacy
Versailles has an image of lavish opulence under the Sun King, Louis XIV, but the palace also has a history of revolution and American ties.
Tradition in a Teapot
Unglazed clay Yixing teapots hold within them hundreds of years of tradition and craftsmanship.
Gothic Architecture - Imagining Infinity
Gothic architecture has been called both magnificent and monstrous. We examine why.
Confucius Conundrum
Chinese-sponsored Confucius Institutes have taken an international hit because of broader controversial China policies.
Smoke and Haze
Western wildfires have blanketed normally pristine landscapes with smoke. What's a photographer to do?
The Booming and Broiling Southwest
The American Southwest is the fastest growing region in the United States, but also the hottest and most arid.
For the Love of Arches
Arches National Park in southeastern Utah is being loved to death, and the park service is scrambling to manage the attention.
Japan’s Golden Pavilion
The Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, Japan, is evidence of Japan's aesthetic balance of restrained simplicity and bursts of opulent grandeur.
Why is Washington, D.C. so Roman?
The U.S. capital has more Roman-style architecture than almost any major city. We explore why.
Seagrove’s Marvelous Pottery
For beautiful handmade pottery, there is no better place in the United States than Seagrove, North Carolina.
Yellowstone Roars Back To Life
As the pandemic wanes in the United States, the crowds have returned to Yellowstone National Park.
The Panthéon of Paris
The Panthéon in Paris, France's national mausoleum, embraces the contradictory themes of the nation's turbulent history.
Seeing the Big Picture
We are living in the Great Age of Panoramas, with super wide angle photography permeating our everyday lives.
Mining Towns of the Old West
Colorful Western mining towns where the ancestors of many Americans once flocked to seek their fortunes have become upscale tourist meccas for outdoor adventure.
Saving the Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake, along with other saline lakes worldwide, is drying out. Preserving and restoring won't come cheap.
A Classical Chinese Garden
Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Ore., was built by artisans from the garden city of Suzhou, China, to demonstrate the basic elements of Chinese gardens.
Duke’s Beautiful Campus, Academic Excellence and Mixed Legacy
Duke University's Gothic architecture and academic excellence alongside its mixed historical legacy makes it a microcosm of the American South's historical dilemmas.
Making Your Own Family Museum
Making a family museum is a perfect way to teach your family about your heritage in a fun way.
Qing Ming Painting Resonates Over Centuries
China's most famous painting captured traditional life, the traces of which have survived into modern times.
Making a Box for a Chinese Painting
We built a wooden box for a treasured hand-painted copy of China's most famous painting - Along the River During the Qingming Festival.
La Purisima Mission
The history of La Purisima Mission in Lompoc, California, is a cautionary tale about the consequences of environmental damage, epidemics and racial inequality.
Peace Village
We take a look back at a remote Chinese village that is now a crowded tourist destination.
Whither the GOP?
The U.S. Capitol attack has opened up a debate on the future direction of the Republican Party and what it means for democracy.
Translating the Bible
Millions of Christians will turn to the Bible this week to read the Christmas story in hundreds of languages.
The Real Cost of COVID
Exit polls showed that many voters saw boosting the economy and controlling the pandemic as competing goals, but experts say they need to happen in tandem.
Election Perspective
On a day that included both voting and getting tested for COVID-19, we look to the past for perspective on elections.
Apocalyptic Outing
We take a (semi)-humorous look at what a Saturday afternoon outing is like in the fall of 2020.
China’s Stone Scriptures
Thousands of Buddhist scriptures carved in stone and buried for centuries are among China's greatest cultural treasures.
Resting Place of Kings
France's dazzling royal necropolis, the Basilica of Saint Denis, is also the birthplace of Gothic architecture.
Renovating a Western Landmark
The Salt Lake Temple and Temple Square, among America's most popular tourist destinations, are undergoing a major renovation.
Inside a Chinese Painting
Take a quick break and enjoy spectacular scenery on a boat trip down the Li River near Guilin, China.
The History of Race in America
The racial history of the United States belongs to us all, with the responsibility to resolve the accompanying outstanding problems.
The Racism of Confederate Statues
The racist past associated with the Confederacy and Confederate monuments has a complex history.
Getting A Vaccine against Racism
A mother of non-white children compares her fears for her children because of COVID-19 and her fears for them because of racism.
Springtime in the Rockies
It's springtime in Utah's Rockies. Photographer Forrest Anderson captured the stunning scenery.
Home is a Destination, Too
Need a five-minute stress reliever while sheltering at home? See these photos of my beautiful mountain village of Mapleton, Utah.
Signs of the Times in Stores
During the pandemic, here are signs of the times at stores with shortages that also are trying to maintain social distancing.
Marie Antoinette and Barbie
Since she was guillotined in the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette has become one of the most popular icons worldwide.
Ancient Silk Road Meets High Tech
The International Dunhuang Project digitizes old documents, caves and artifacts to enable global study of Central Asian history.
A Tale of Two Roman Cities
The amphitheaters, military garrisons, forums, trade and craft shops of two Roman colonial cities have emerged from the dust.
The Tower of London
The Tower of London, enduring symbol of the British monarchy, combines royal pageantry with warfare, court intrigue and executions.
Paris’s Oldest Food Market
Rue Montorgueil in Paris began as a village street with a medieval church and food market. It has retained that character.
Lighthouse, Tide Pools and Seals
Yaquina Head, Ore., has one of the Pacific Coast’s premier tide pool observation sites, a lighthouse and seal and seabird colonies.
Meditation and Japan’s Rock Garden
Meditation is the theme of the Ryoanji dry rock garden. Find out why the garden inspires meditation and how to meditate.
Calendars - The Way We Keep Time
Our calendar system evolved over thousands of years and is continuing to do so with electronic calendars and globalization.
Utah’s Rock Stars
Utah's spectacular scenery harbors one of the world's most complete and diverse dinosaur fossil records.
Wolf in Ship’s Clothing
The picturesque town of Bristol, Rhode Island, once was a slave port and home of the nation's leading slave traders, the DeWolfs.
Tiananmen Square
China's Oct. 1 celebration of 70 years of Communist rule centers on Tiananmen Square, one of the world’s most controversial places.
Mountain Men and the Fur Trade
The colorful annual mountain men rendezvous at Fort Bridger, Wyoming, commemorates the 19th century global fur trade.
What is the Louvre?
The former palace, the world's largest museum, music video and fashion show venue, and global brand has never been more cool.
Islam in China
Muslims in China are a diverse religious and cultural group with a tumultuous history who take various sides in political disputes.
Britain and Greece’s Parthenon Dispute
What are the chances that two men from one family set off international disputes by carting off treasures from Greece and China?
China’s Export Porcelain
Chinese porcelain is durable and branded with its history, so it is used to trace China’s trade and cultural ties with other nations.
Patriotic New York City
New York City, America's great atypical metropolis, taught me what America means. Here are my favorite patriotic sites in the city.
The Summer Palace
The Summer Palace, the most famous and heartbreaking of China's glorious imperial gardens, highlights dilemmas in the nation’s past.
Giant Buddha, Giant Hall
An emperor built a giant Buddha to unify his struggling country, as the center of a network of Buddhist temples throughout Japan.
The River That Keeps on Giving
The mammoth Colorado River is the lifeblood of the southwest United States, supplying water and power for cities and agriculture.
Thirty Years Since Tiananmen
Thirty years ago, students staged pro-democracy protests on Tiananmen Square that shook China's Communist government.
The World Mourns Notre Dame
Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris, France's national cathedral, was badly damaged in a fire.
Battle of the Samurai
Osaka Castle marks the site of an epic samurai battle and one of the most important turning points in Japanese history.
Memorial to Once-Forgotten People
A moving monument and burial ground in Manhattan comemorates enslaved people who once made up more than a third of New York City.
Scaffolding the World
Finding a historical site shrouded in scaffolding is disappointing, but it is a valuable tool for preserving the world's heritage.
Treasure Room and Two Palaces
In the French palace at Fontainebleau is a treasure room of dazzling artifacts taken by the French army from a palace in Beijing.
Enchanted Land, Part 2
Old stone houses, leather books with swirly handwriting and a village church mark the second part of our journey to the Rhone-Alps.
Enchanted Land, Part 1
A search for ancestral roots in southern France leads to a legendary land with a walled medieval town and tales of a magic sword.
Visit Utah’s National Parks
Utah state and local governments and organizations are chipping in to keep national parks operating during the government shutdown.
How is Utah Changing?
The Utah population boom, fueled by economic growth and an image of a healthy, family-friendly state, is expected to be long-term.
Illuminated Manuscripts
Illuminated medieval manuscripts preserved culture and religious beliefs and set a foundation for book design and art styles.
Fire! Is this the new norm?
Are record wildfires the new norm in the West? As fires threaten homes and communities, here are answers to questions about them.
A Palace to Remember
Visible traces of the Heijō Palace, Japan's palace from which the emperor ruled in splendor, were gone, until the site was restored.
What does it mean to be Hispanic?
What does it mean to be Latino or Hispanic in the United States? This blog explores the ambiguous origins of these two terms.
Favorite Sauces for Latin Dishes
Some of the best Latin foods can be made with easy commercial or homemade sauces that work in a variety of dishes.
Anatomy of an Enchilada
The wide variety of Mexican dishes can obscure their common underlying spice and preparation base.
China’s Walled Cities
Only scattered remnants survive of the many walled cities that once defined the Chinese empire.
Traces of an Ancient Superpower
Traces of an ancient Chinese superpower remain far away in Japan, the eastern end of the Silk Road.
Chinese Moments Published
Chinese Moments, our photo book on China in the turbulent 1980s and 1990s, has been published as an ebook and paperback.
The Wasatch Back
The Wasatch Back is the chief year-round playground for residents of the booming Wasatch Front in Utah.
The Road Less Traveled
There's an alternative to the standard boring I-15 southern and I-80 northern routes across Nevada.