In 1770, the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland sought to renovate the drawing room of their large Jacobean townhouse on London’s Strand.  They wanted it to sparkle during their lavish parties.  They commissioned Scottish neoclassical architect and designer Robert Adam for this work.  He created a chamber lined with gilt-edged mirrors, green-glass pilasters, and red-glass… Read More Corning Museum of Glass — celebrating 35 centuries of art, science, and history in New York

Few things intrigue the American imagination like the Old West.  In the story of taming the land, we see the story of our own lives.  The raw earthy impetuousness of youth gives way to the elevated deliberate polish of maturity.  It’s necessary; we can’t go on being brash and infantile forever.  But it does evoke… Read More Rockwell Museum — authentic art, honest history, and the Old West in Corning, New York

Have you ever wondered why the spray of rushing water on your face feels so good?  It might be the negative ions.  Yes, really. Splashing water generates these negatively charged molecules that float in the air.  There’s some solid research–and a lot of anecdote and hypothesis–that says negative ions can have a positive effect on… Read More 3 Ways to Enjoy Niagara Falls in New York

Four months after the War of 1812 began, British troops at Fort George, located on the west bank of the Niagara River, opened cannon fire on U.S.-held Fort Niagara, on the east bank in New York. The Americans fired back with hot-shot–cannonballs heated until they glowed red, intended to set fire to the British buildings. … Read More Old Fort Niagara — honoring 3 centuries of history in Youngstown, New York