Explore History on Colossal

a graphic quilt featuring a Black family, possibly inspired by a historical photo, waiting for the Freedom Train

‘Masters of the Stitch: Threaded Stories’ Spotlights Narrative Quilts by Black Americans

June 3, 2026

a model in a brown A-line dress against a blue background

This Wood-Fiber Dress Was Made from a 17th-Century Shipwreck

May 29, 2026

a black and white photo of a man and a car holding protest signs

The Photographs that Shaped the Black Arts Movement in the Mid-20th Century

May 22, 2026

A fine art photograph by Marcus Brunetti of the facade of an ornate black-and-white church in Amalfi, Italy

Markus Brunetti’s Monumental Photos Venerate European Ecclesiastical Landmarks

May 11, 2026

a large-scale steel installation outdoors in the shape of a church, modeled after Herkenrode Abbey

Gijs Van Vaerenbergh Gracefully Reimagines a 16th-Century Belgian Abbey Church in Steel

May 4, 2026

A Victorian-era illustrated transparency of tiny marine creatures

Vibrant Victorian-Era Transparencies Illuminate a Host of Microscopic Creatures

May 4, 2026

Joe Macken Spent 21 Years Hand-Assembling a Vast Model of New York City

April 27, 2026

an installation view of LR Vandy's "Rise"

LR Vandy’s Rope Sculptures Disentangle Histories of Colonialism and Transportation

April 14, 2026

a composite photo of archaeological finds thought to be ancient dice carved from stone and bone, found in the American West and Southwest

12,000 Years Ago, Native Americans Were Playing Games of Chance with Handmade Dice

April 6, 2026

an open porcelain book that appears weathered with an illustrated figure on the left and text on the right

Xiaoze Xie Preserves a Growing Collection of Banned Books in Porcelain

March 30, 2026

A gif from a short film about Silvesterchlausen in Switzerland, featuring a man in a costume with huge bells and a headdress dancing with snowy mountains in the background

A Short Film Joins the Timeless Swiss Masked Tradition of Silvesterchlausen

March 26, 2026

A gif of a hand reaching into a drawer full of tiny books and pulling one out

You’ll Need a Magnifying Glass to Read Some of the World’s Smallest Books at the V&A

March 13, 2026

Architectural columns and arches meticulously carved in miniature in a hunk of marble

Historic Architecture Emerges from Stone in Matthew Simmonds’ Ethereal Sculptures

March 12, 2026

A photo of a Tūī bird with green feathers and white plumage on its chest, in a natural history collection in New Zealand

Spectral Birds Endemic to New Zealand Find New Life in Fiona Pardington’s Portraits

March 11, 2026

a film still of a magician and automaton

Lost for More Than a Century, the First ‘Sci-Fi’ Film Ever Made Resurfaces

March 10, 2026