History’s Most Unusual Duels

By Nicole Stutt When we envision duels, we often think of knights in shining armor or 18th century gentlemen in a field taking aim with pistols and one man left standing at the end of it. That was often the case, but not always. Some gentlemen were able to settle their disputes before they had […]

A Day at the Circus

By Nicole Stutt, Visitor Services Associate Generally, when someone mentions Rome and sports, the first thing that comes to mind is gladiators. And indeed, the Romans loved gladiatorial games as much as they loved any public spectacle. The most popular of them all were the Ludi Circenses, the chariot races. In fact, the races became […]

Ronald Reagan’s Last Ride

By MiRan Powell It might come as a surprise to learn that before he became number 40, former President Ronald Reagan was an avid outdoorsman and enthusiastic equestrian with a great love of horses. Anyone who has ever been on a horse understands that whether you sit atop a plucky pony or mount a steady steed, […]

Folk Tails: The Japanese Fox

by Nicole Stutt, Visitor Services Associate At the National Sporting Library & Museum, there are over 20,000 books on foxhunting, horse racing, fishing, field sports, and other related topics. In my first few weeks as a Visitor Services Associate, I found what was probably the last thing I thought I’d see on the shelves: a […]

The Queen of Kennebec Morgan Farm: Margaret Gardiner

by MiRan Powell I had to know. Who was this woman that had conjured up one of my favorite actresses, plays, and performing experiences? Her grit, her wit – what would cause her in 1943 to enlist in the department of chemical warfare during World War II, go on to earn an advanced degree in […]

Transcribing Ellen’s Diaries

By Tracy A. Brown Reading other people’s diaries has long been a guilty pleasure of mine. Thanks to the publishing of their private writings, I’ve painted along with Alfred Munnings, peeked at the tortured existences of John Cheever and Virginia Woolf, and ventured into Studio 54 with Andy Warhol—to name just a few. So when NSLM’s […]