Progressive Era

A cartoon depicting Anthony Comstock trying to arrest even dogs and cats for obscenity

Sex

Anthony Comstock: Sex, Censorship, and the Power of Policing the Subjective

Today’s episode is part of our sex series 2.0 and a continuation of one of our earliest episodes, Selling Sex: 19th Century New York City Prostitution and Brothels. In that episode, Sarah and I discussed the vibrant sexual culture in New York City during the Gilded Age, roughly 1870 to Read more…

By Elizabeth Garner Masarik, 5 months1 month ago

black and white image of bodies on the pavement during the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

Fashion

The Labor of Fashion: Shirtwaists and the Labor Movement in the Early 20th Century

The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire is one of the most horrendous industrial catastrophes in American history. In all, 146 people, mostly women and children, died in the fire. It shocked New York City and the nation and led to some of the most sweeping labor and safety reforms in history. In Read more…

By Elizabeth Garner Masarik, 1 year1 year ago