Jane Alexander

Joined: Apr 26, 2021

Jane Alexander is a freelance writer based in the UK. She focuses on literature, history, and the visual arts, and has previously written for Londonist, among other publications.

Santa would look a lot different, if not for Thomas Nast.

The of Apollo, circa the late 2nd century CE.

Edgar Wallace wanted to promote his first novel with more than just traditional ads—but his brilliant idea almost became his downfall.

Time can be particularly complicated—especially when politics and war are involved.

Early versions of the rhyme included the words ‘bloody’ and ‘blooming’—and sometimes didn’t feature a spider at all.

This simple nursery rhyme comes with a number of unanswered questions about everything from its authorship to who inspired it.

The cover of Evelyn Waugh’s ‘Brideshead Revisited.’

From the accident that led to its creation to the real people who inspired key characters.

One of Henri Matisse’s cut-out artworks.

From Matisse’s cut-outs to Van Gogh’s self-portraits—and beyond.

Cultures throughout history have come up with their own unique ways to track the days, months, and seasons.

Not a place you would expect to see members of a clergy playing a game.

From "scrabbling games" to hunting hares, these old Easter traditions have fallen out of fashion.

Easter always happens sometime in March or April—but the date is never the same each year.

James Cowan Smith really wanted people at the National Gallery in Edinburgh to see this painting of his deceased dog, Callum.

People donate artwork, objects, and even money to the institution of their choice. But sometimes, museums and galleries wind up receiving something odd—or something fairly normal, but with strange stipulations attached.