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Edgar Allan Poe was big into code cracking. He once challenged readers of a Philadelphia paper to stump him with coded messages, deciphering dozens before having to “swear off” cryptograms forever. More on how code factors into his stories here:

The Public Domain Review

Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Gold-Bug” (1843)

Poe’s story of a treasure hunt, revealing the fantastical writer’s hyper-rational penchant for cracking codes.

Entering the US public domain in 2026: Geoffrey Dennis' The End of the World. More info behind window 11 of our advent-style countdown calendar for works entering the #publicdomain on Jan 1st:

The Public Domain Review

What Will Enter the Public Domain in 2026?

At the start of each year, on January 1st, a new crop of works enter the public domain. Find our highlights of what lies in store for 2026 here.

#PDin2026

Entering the US public domain in 2026: Evelyn Waugh's Vile Bodies. More info behind window 10 of our advent-style countdown calendar for works entering the #publicdomain on Jan 1st:

The Public Domain Review

What Will Enter the Public Domain in 2026?

At the start of each year, on January 1st, a new crop of works enter the public domain. Find our highlights of what lies in store for 2026 here.

#PDin2026

Pissing at the moon. One of Bruegel the Elder’s Twelve Proverbs (1558), painted on serving plates. After consuming the sweet offered, diners would flip the plates and muse over the imparted wisdom. More here:

The Public Domain Review

Gustatory Wisdom: Bruegel the Elder’s *Twelve Proverbs* (1558)

Proverbial scenes about human folly painted on serving plates.

Kenneth Gross on the unique vision of innocence at play in Paul Klee's puppets, and the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke:

The Public Domain Review

Of Angel and Puppet: Klee, Rilke, and the Test of Innocence

Built for his son from the scraps of daily life — matchboxes, beef bones, nutshells, and plaster — Paul Klee’s hand puppets harbour ghosts of...

#longreads #paulklee

Cattleya Orchid and Three Hummingbirds, 1871.⠀ ⠀ One of several hummingbird / orchid paintings by Martin Johnson Heade. This and a couple of other Heade works available as prints in our online shop here: https://publicdomainreview.org/shop/fine-art-prints/artist/martin-johnson-heade

Entering the US public domain in 2026: Hermann Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund. More info behind window 7 of our advent-style countdown calendar for works entering the #publicdomain on Jan 1st:

The Public Domain Review

What Will Enter the Public Domain in 2026?

At the start of each year, on January 1st, a new crop of works enter the public domain. Find our highlights of what lies in store for 2026 here.

#PDin2026

Harry Macdonough (tenor) and Joseph Belmont (bird song) perform Reginald De Koven's "Robin Redbreast" in 1907:

The Public Domain Review

Robin Redbreast (1907)

A song about the rouge chested bird composed by Reginald De Koven, featuring some wonderful whistling to mimic the bird's call.

Happy #StNicholasDay! Born in Patara (in what is now Turkey), the saint known for his secret gift-giving became over time the inspiration for today's figure of Santa Claus. See the visual journey undertaken in our "Pictorial History of Santa Claus" —

The Public Domain Review

A Pictorial History of Santa Claus