The Protojournalist

A 1904 San Francisco magazine cover, by Maynard Dixon, showing Santa Claus with a cowboy and a Native American man. New York Public Library hide caption

The New York Public Library reading room. istockphoto hide caption

Courtship, ca. 1903 Library of Congress hide caption

Christmas, 1908. D.T. Burrell/Library of Congress hide caption

An anamorphic installation portrait of Malian actor Sotigui Kouyate by French artist Bernard Pras. From YouTube hide caption

Two men wrestle in a ring full of smelt during the Smelt Carnival in Marinette, Wis., in 1939. Wisconsin Historical Society hide caption

Thanksgiving maskers, circa 1910-1915. Bain News Service/Library of Congress hide caption

History quiz: Students on campus. YouTube hide caption

What looks to be a Tom Thumb wedding from a long time ago. Library of Congress hide caption

Pie eating contest in 1921. Library of Congress hide caption

The gold-medal winning U.S. rowing team — coxswain at lower left — at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Danny Moloschok/Pool/Getty Images hide caption

Stereograph image of courtship, circa 1885-1909 Library of Congress hide caption

Winner of masquerade contest at a Halloween party in 1939 in Missouri. Arthur Rothstein/Library of Congress hide caption

Evelyn FitzGerald, 2 months old, is in a Princess Leia — of Star Wars renown — costume made from recycled clothes by her mother Shenandoah Brettell of El Segundo, Calif. "I made the wig out of yarn and the belt out of felt," says Shenandoah, who listens to NPR member station KPCC. Shenandoah Brettell hide caption

Girl Scouts model contemporary uniforms. From Girl Scouts of the USA website hide caption

A yarmulke produced from a 3-D printer. Craig Kaplan hide caption

Pretend to be a pineapple. Jeff Mindell hide caption

Necessary steps: A mourner dressed in period clothes for the Corcoran's mock funeral. Photo by Caroline Lacey hide caption

Sonoma Retreat by Aidlin Darling Marion Brenner/Courtesy of ASLA hide caption