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A history of… pizza
According to one Victorian reporter "The pizza shops are about the filthiest in Naples, and whoever knows Naples will admit that is saying a good deal."
Jun 13, 2025 • Paul Lenz
A history of… blue jeans
Kids were wearing jeans jackets in the 1680s…
May 16, 2025 • Paul Lenz
A history of… playing cards
There is a good reason that the Ace of Spades is known as the 'death card'…
Jan 10, 2025 • Paul Lenz
A history of… toilet paper
Getting to the bottom of some fascinating history
Jul 12, 2024 • Paul Lenz
A history of… guacamole
No it isn't named after testicles, but it is an aphrodisiac!
Apr 4, 2025 • Paul Lenz
A history of… jokes
Were Abbott and Costello inspired by Homer?
Feb 7, 2025 • Paul Lenz
A history of… shampoo
Eggs, bear fat and rum…
Apr 19, 2024 • Paul Lenz
A history of… pineapples
In 18th-century London there was a thriving pineapple rental market…
Jun 27, 2025 • Paul Lenz
A history of… tattoos (Part 1)
If you bumped into someone with the words "committed licentious acts two times" tattooed on their face you could be pretty sure what they had been up…
Jul 25, 2025 • Paul Lenz
On the road to Canandaigua, 1794, cont'd
Part 2: Who was at Jerusalem?
Mar 12, 2021 • Andrew Chapman
A history of… the typewriter (Part 1)
An early device was "intended for the nervous"…
Sep 19, 2025 • Paul Lenz
A history of… drinking straws
For most of the 19th century they really sucked…
May 3, 2024 • Paul Lenz
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