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      Alex Palmer

      Alex Palmer

      Joined: Nov 3, 2015

      Alex Palmer is a freelance writer and the author of The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York.

      An illustration of the Vril-Ya Bazaar and Fete.

      The Strange Story of the Vril-Ya Bazaar and Fête, the 'World's First Sci-Fi Convention'

      Boss Tweed

      13 Facts About Boss Tweed

      iStock

      9 Secrets of People Who Answer Santa’s Mail

      Alex Palmer

      10 Historical Facts About Santa Letters

      iStock

      When Americans Outlawed Christmas

      Puritan settlers viewed the holiday as dangerous and degrading.

      Alex Palmer
      Wikimedia Commons // CC BY 3.0

      15 Adaptive Re-Uses for Old Mines

      From mushroom farms to spas to amusement parks, these mines have had a second life.

      Alex Palmer
       Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

      15 of the Most Brazen Ponzi Schemes in Business History

      Remember: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

      Alex Palmer
      New York Evening Mail

      The Gun-Loving Boy Scouts of the Early 20th Century

      100 years ago, a competing version of the Boy Scouts of America drove its rival crazy—when its members weren’t shooting each other.

      Alex Palmer
      Martin Barraud/iStock via Getty Images

      11 Facts You Might Not Know About Christmas Trees

      From contentious early history to modern science, these Christmas tree facts will help you see these holiday fixtures anew.

      Alex Palmer
      Getty Images

      10 Surprising Secrets From New York City’s History

      The tubes that once delivered mail, the borough that almost wasn't, and the original color of the Statue of Liberty.

      Alex Palmer
      Brooklyn Museum

      Coney Island Gambling Wheel

      This colorful wheel with dragons for spokes tells us a little about the glory days of Coney Island.

      Alex Palmer
      Mental Floss
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