Description: The Hirshhorn and neighboring areas are enveloped in polka dots, and we love it. [via Washington Post]A new African American history treasure trove; digitized post-Civil War 'wanted ads' searching for love ones separated by slavery. [via NPR]11 African American inventors (including the Smithsonian's own Regent, Dr. Shirley Jackson) who changed the world. [via Mental Floss]The
Description: The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is located near Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, on land donated by Robert Forest in 1965. Initially a field station, the center focused on environmental research, including the work of the Radiation Biology Laboratory. Today, the Center studies links between coastal zone land and water ecosystems. History of the Smithsonian