Results for "From Smithson to Smithsonian: The Birth of an Institution (Exhibition) (1996: Washington, D.C.)"
The Smithsonian Secretaries: That Tall Man from New York, Part II
- Date: April 28, 2016
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: The 1846 legislation that established the Smithsonian Institution provided for a Secretary, appointed by the Board of Regents, who would run the day-to-day affairs of the Institution. When David Skorton became Secretary last year, he was the thirteenth person to take on that responsibility. In our last blog, we discussed the first six and now we’ll look at seven through
Exhibiting the Smithsonian Institution Archives: A Look Back
- Date: May 15, 2018
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: [edan-image:id=siris_sic_13754,size=400,center]When people think of a Smithsonian exhibit, they probably don’t think of one filled with documents from an archives! A piece of paper doesn’t grab your attention from across the room, as the Fénykövi elephant or Chuck Berry’s car do. But on closer inspection, handwritten scraps have fascinating stories to tell. They can be
- Blog Post
Looking Smithson’s Gift Horse in the Mouth
- Date: July 28, 2015
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Today, James Smithson’s bequest to found the Smithsonian is considered a wonderful event, but in 1835 when it was announced, many Americans responded negatively. Why did they look his gift horse in the mouth?
- Blog Post
The Legacy of I. Michael Heyman
- Date: December 7, 2011
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: A discussion of the legacy of I. Michael Heyman, who served as the eleventh Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 1994 to 1999.
- Blog Post
Celebrating World Cultures—and Our Own
- Date: July 1, 2010
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="430" caption="Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley (1913-2001) riding a scooter at the 1974 Folklife Festival in the Mississippi delta section, with a cotton field behind him, by Unidentified photographer, Photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 613, Box 269, Folder: SDR Photos, Negative number:
- Blog Post
The Smithsonian and Latin America
- Date: February 15, 2018
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: [edan-image:id=siris_sic_9988,size=500,center]While many people view the Smithsonian as a complex of museums in Washington, DC, it began as and still is an international organization devoted to research and education. A look at the Smithsonian Global website reveals where Smithsonian staff can be found today.Since the Smithsonian’s founding in 1846, the Institution has
- Blog Post
Looking for Women Managers of the Smithsonian’s Museums
- Date: March 16, 2022
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: When did women begin to manage Smithsonian museums? Meet Grace Dunham Guest who was a key staff member in opening the Freer Gallery of Art in 1923.
- Blog Post
100 Years of the Natural History Building
- Date: June 17, 2010
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="424" caption="U.S. National Museum, May 3, 1917, seen from the National Mall, by Unknown photographer, Photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 45, Box 79, Folder: 10, Neg. SIA2009-2203."][/caption] As part of my work as the historian for the history of the Smithsonian, I’ve been working for the past year on
- Blog Post
A New Look at the Smithsonian: Louise Hutchinson
- Date: September 29, 2015
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Louise Hutchinson taught us about African American history in Washington, D.C., and in the Smithsonian itself.
Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Date: August 31, 2011
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Access the official records of the Smithsonian Institution and learn about its history, key events, people, and research.
Happy 100th Birthday, S. Dillon Ripley
- Date: September 20, 2013
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Celebrate the life of the eighth Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, who was born on September 20, 1913, 100 years ago today!
Martha, A Cold and Lonely Last Migration
- Date: June 26, 2014
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: An overview of the history of Martha the passenger pigeon, the last of her species, who was donated to the National Museum of Natural History 100 years ago.