Description: The Archives was recently gifted an 1860 letter from Spencer F. Baird, second Secretary of the Smithsonian, to George N. Lawrence, fellow naturalist. The donor requested that, along with a digital version, a transcription be provided, which I undertook alongside a simple treatment. The letter was in overall excellent condition: the thin paper exhibited only a pair of small
Description: Pupper, doggy, hound, bowwow, beastie, pooch. No matter what we call dogs, they have always been our best friends. In honor of writing the third National Dog Day post, let’s take a look at the pooches from the Archives' staff (both past and present). Some of these doggos are home helping Archives' staff while we continue working remotely. Can we get an all around "Goooooood
Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="172" caption="The Steiner Ambrotype, June 18, 1857, by Unidentified photographer, Ambrotype, National Air and Space Museum, Image ID: 2001-5358. "] [/caption] [caption id="" align="alignright" width="190" caption="First Launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, July 24, 1950, by U.S. Air Force, Gelatin silver print, National Air and Space
Description: [edan-image:id=siris_sic_5844,size=250,left]A staff-favorite story in the Smithsonian’s history is that of the Megatherium Club — a revolving group of young naturalists who made the Castle their temporary home in between expeditions to the outer reaches of the United States. Who could not be intrigued by this photo of the Club where they look to be sharing a joke, or a plan?
Description: How can you help the Smithsonian uncover new information about its collections? Try your hand transcribing documents, diaries, and field books at the new Smithsonian Transcription Center.
Description: Waldo L. Schmitt, a curator with the United States National Museum, participated in a 1938 expedition with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to survey the Clipperton, Cocos, and Galapagos Islands.
Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="350" caption="Window Necklace, by Hoong Wei Long, Creative Commons: Attribution 2.0."][/caption] For those who continue to believe that bigger is better—that you’re better off, for example, the more megapixels your digital camera delivers—a recent article by Jordan Ellenberg in WIRED magazine suggests the opposite may be true.