Hunting down stolen national treasures with America’s archive detective

The largest rat king, 17 landmark clocks, and London's miniature cathedral. Email not displaying correctly? View in your browser. August 20, 2019 National Treasure Hunt Mitch Yockelson, the investigative archivist for the United States’ National Archives, is dedicated to hunting down missing and stolen items of lost Americana that rightfully belong to the U.S. government. Read More → Video Roadside Art Collection Meet Erika Nelson, the founder and owner of the World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things, a roadside attraction in Lucas, Kansas. Watch now → Atlas Obscura Trips A Georgian Culinary Adventure Join us next May for a mouthwatering eight-day gastronomic adventure through Georgia. We'll explore in and around the capital of Tbilisi, paying homage to Svetitskhovloba, the country's holiest site, before dipping into one of the most underrated wine regions in the world. Learn more → 17 Landmark Clocks In virtually every city in the world, you’re likely to come across a beautiful, unique, and timeless clock. From the giant Ghibli Clock in Tokyo, Japan, to the Astronomical Clock in Strasbourg, France, our readers told us their favorite timeless landmarks they’ve stumbled across. Read more → Indigenous Mapmakers of Mexico When the Spanish ruled Mexico, they distributed surveys to better understand the region. In response, indigenous communities returned written answers—some as long as book-length manuscripts—and remarkable maps highlighting power structures and visual identities. Read more → London, England Miniature Cathedral A tiny replica of London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral hides on the side of the Vauxhall Bridge. Read more → ALTENBURG, GERMANY Largest Rat King The Mauritianum Natural History Museum houses one of the world's largest rat kings, a terrifying jumble of tangled rodents. Read more → FLEURY-DEVANT-DOUAUMONT, FRANCE Zone Rouge The Zone Rouge, or Red Zone, is a no man’s land in northeastern France that was so damaged by the fighting of World War I it was deemed unfit for human habitation. Read more → Visit AtlasObscura.com · View in Browser · Unsubscribe · See All Newsletters 61 Greenpoint Ave #622, Brooklyn, NY 11222