20th Century

A collection of 76 Posts

The Vatican, the War and the Pope's Secret Bank post image

The Vatican, the War and the Pope's Secret Bank

Yvonnick Denoël takes us back to the Second World War and the Vatican's efforts to secure their wealth

1917: Johnny Reynolds, 'Human Fly', Thrills Crowd post image

1917: Johnny Reynolds, 'Human Fly', Thrills Crowd

On Wednesday 5 September 1917, the daredevil climber Johnny Reynolds performed in Washington D.C.

1941: Mill District, Pittsburgh post image

1941: Mill District, Pittsburgh

We search for the source of this classic image by one of twentieth century's great documentary photographers

Martha Dodd: A Yank in the KGB post image

Martha Dodd: A Yank in the KGB

Brendan McNally describes the strange sequence of events that took a girl from Chicago to Nazi Berlin

Lord of the Flies and the Second World War post image

Lord of the Flies and the Second World War

Dr Nicola Presley traces the hope and despair of William Golding's novel back to the years of war

Paris '44: The Shame and the Glory with Patrick Bishop post image

Paris '44: The Shame and the Glory with Patrick Bishop

On the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Paris in August 1944, we talk to Patrick Bishop about a complex episode in French history

The Summer of 69 (Part 2 of 2) post image

The Summer of 69 (Part 2 of 2)

The Moon landings gave the summer of 1969 its defining story. But elsewhere in the world many other events of consequence were playing out

The Summer of 69 (Part 1 of 2) post image

The Summer of 69 (Part 1 of 2)

The Moon landings gave the summer of 1969 its defining story. But elsewhere in the world many other events of consequence were playing out

Entertaining America: the Federal Theatre Project with James Shapiro post image

Entertaining America: the Federal Theatre Project with James Shapiro

The origins of today's Culture Wars can be found in the 1930s, argues James Shapiro

Double Crossing Hitler post image

Double Crossing Hitler

Taylor Downing on the campaign of deception and disinformation that preceded D-Day in 1944

Welcome to the Migrants' Supper Club post image

Welcome to the Migrants' Supper Club

A visit to her ancestral home in Samarkand inspired Or Rosenboim to establish a dining club on her return to London

Is the British Museum Haunted? with Noah Angell post image

Is the British Museum Haunted? with Noah Angell

Writer Noah Angell on the ghosts of the British Museum