Archives Puzzles: Shine Bright Like a Halide

Have a little fun with images from our collections that have been designated as open access. Anyone can now download, transform, share, and reuse millions of images as part of Smithsonian Open Access.

Each Monday, sit back, relax, and ease into the work week with puzzles created from images in our collections that have been designated as open access. Anyone can now download, transform, share, and reuse these images as part of Smithsonian Open Access, launched in 2020.

The Hall of Gems and Minerals at what is now known as the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History was just one space that got a makeover as part of the Institution’s Exhibits Modernization Program, initiated in 1954. During this time, collections were moved out of old, mahogany cases and reinstalled with well-lit displays and new graphics. Fewer collections were on display as curators prioritized more conceptual exhibits. 

The program was so successful that in 1955, Congress passed legislation to build a new Museum of History and Technology, now known as the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

The Original 

Halides on display in a well-lit exhibit case.

The Puzzle 

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