Matthew Taub
Atlas Obscura
New York, NY, United States
Contact Matthew
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Past articles by Matthew:
Ken Burns on His Obsession With Ben Franklin, and Admiration for Guy Fieri
The documentary filmmaker talks about a founder's flaws, radical openness, and road tripping for a sandwich. → Read More
Bolivia's Dance of the Devils Is a Party and a Battle Between Good and Evil
Heaven and hell, music and dance at the Carnaval de Oruro. → Read More
The Supernatural Sheep of Slovenia's Door-to-Door Carnival
To bring spring, hundreds of hirsute revelers roam the country's villages. → Read More
For Sale: Ricky Jay's One-of-a-Kind Collection of Magic, Mystery, and Masterpieces
The late, legendary magician and actor always followed his curiosity. → Read More
Found: An 18th-Century Garden Folly Adorned With Teeth and Bones
A bit disturbing, but oddly lovely. → Read More
Found: A Massive Medieval Cathedral From a 'Forgotten' Nubian Kingdom
The discovery adds to our knowledge of Makuria, which ruled a vast region of Africa for six centuries. → Read More
Vaccination Could Easily Have Been Called 'Equination'
A recently sold letter from medical pioneer Edward Jenner provides some insight as to why. → Read More
Why Prehistoric Barrows Are Back in Funerary Fashion
The United Kingdom is experiencing a revival of interest in an ancient burial method. → Read More
For Sale: Papers From the Planning of the 1963 March on Washington
They tell a ground-level story of how peaceful movements lead to social change, and how much remains to be done. → Read More
This Miniature Quran Bears Witness to an Immense History
It is an artifact of devotion, wealth, and empire. → Read More
Trying to Make Sense of the Mystery Monolith Craze of 2020
An expert on Kubrick finds them "fascinating," if "derivative," but they may be this strange year's physical embodiment. → Read More
Happy 100th Birthday to the Theremin, Instrument of the Future
The theremin's mystery endures, and virtuosos are still fighting for its recognition. → Read More
Zooming in on the Microbiome of Some da Vinci Masterpieces
A new study found plenty of bacteria, fungi, and insect remains, but nothing to be alarmed about. → Read More
For Sale: A Hidden Trove of Correspondence With Bob Dylan
The papers of Tony Glover, "musician's musician" and journalist, include many other luminaries as well. → Read More
The Unsettled Legacy of the Bloodiest Election in American History
An exhibit is taking a closer look at the racist Ocoee Massacre in Florida, 100 years after it took place. → Read More
For Sale: The Entire Spycraft Collection of New York's KGB Museum
If you ever needed a lipstick gun or a heartbeat detector, you could be in luck. → Read More
Meet the Man Who Walked from York to Hastings in Medieval Armor
He was fighting not Normans, but the stigma of mental illness. → Read More
Found: An Old Norse 'Godhouse' Fit for Thor and Odin
The site reflects how the rise of Christianity to the south affected the worship of the Norse pantheon. → Read More
Sold: 53 Letters Deciphered by a Groundbreaking English Codebreaker
Cagey about his methods, John Wallis was a bit of a cipher himself. → Read More
The Holocaust-Surviving Violins That Were Quarantined Beneath a California Stage
The pandemic layover and their eventual return home is a new chapter in a long history. → Read More