William Bennett

Conservator William Bennett shares highlights from his August 2022 visit to the United Kingdom, where he visited four archival repositories, viewed and studied 54 different documents, and spoke with three local experts in his quest to better understand the Hungerford Deed and James Smithson’s milieu.

We all have the opportunity to support the Smithsonian—come see how the Libraries and Archives Adopt-a-Book program offers a chance to do so.

Being away from the office for over a year has given us a lot of opportunity to think about what workflows will look like once we are able to return to our collections, especially for conservation and digitization.  

See how Smithsonian scientists have always been willing to do what is needed to further their research—including camping in all conditions!

We’ve learned so much about the specific women of James Smithson’s family though the Hungerford Deed—but what can it tell us about women’s rights in the eighteenth century?

In celebration of National Handwriting Day, let’s take a closer look at the special scripts the Hungerford Deed is written in!

Much has been learned and uncovered about the Hungerford Deed—but what is still out there to learn? Dig in with us to explore a few of these unanswered questions!

The Hungerford Deed split an inherited estate between two sisters—but what do we know about those properties? We’ve dug deep into one of them here.

Join us for a celebration of the Hungerford Deed on its 233^rd birthday.

Now that we know more about the Hungerford Deed, dive in with us as we seek to understand its legal framework and context.