With marble bathtubs, gold plumbing fixtures, cedar closets, and ornate ceiling murals, it’s no wonder the private railcars of America’s richest families were known as “mansions on rails,” as described by American journalist and railroad historian Lucius Beebe

Double-dipped, fudge-laden, sprinkle-strewn, cone-held fun: ice cream is what warm weather is all about. And when you take that first chilly bite of butter pecan or rocky road, your first thought isn’t likely to be whether this delicious treat is cow-friendly

The year was 1959. Buddy Holly had just been killed in a plane crash, and Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba.
A little toy company called Mattel unveiled its future fashion-plate blockbuster, the Barbie doll...

Cal Lane is not afraid to get her hands dirty—which, in her hairdressing days, occasionally led to admonishments from her boss. Twelve years ago the self-described tomboy traded in her shears for a welding torch, and these days she’s more likely to be found cutting lacy patterns out of rusted steel I beams, like so many paper snowflakes. And while there are some surprising similarities, Lane says, between cutting hair and cutting steel, today she regards her former career with bemusement...