Every Collection has a StoryThe Archives holds records that document the Smithsonian’s people, events, buildings, and research. The history of the Smithsonian is a vital part of the history of American experience, scientific exploration, and international cultural understanding.
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The Underwater Exploration section of the Hall of Armed Forces History opens in the Museum of History and Technology, now the National Museum of American History. The exhibition explores the study of historic underwater sites and trade routes in the Western Hemisphere, Spanish-American treasure, the history of diving, modern methods of diving and of locating wrecks, and surveying, measuring, and recovery techniques. Display objects come from sites dating as early as 1595. The use of diving techniques in various disciplines and new deep-diving research are presented in photographs and models.More
The Smithsonian’s Second Secretary Spencer Fullerton Baird dedicated his career to creating a great national museum at the Smithsonian, the U.S. National Museum that opened in 1881. Learn about Baird and the fulfillment of his dreams. More
