Description: The creation and design of the Smithsonian Institution Building, commonly known as the “Castle”, is no mystery; however, the stories of some of the early individuals involved in the formation of the Smithsonian’s collection are less commonly known. We need to ask who collected the specimens and produced research on the objects that visitors now see when they enter Smithsonian
Description: When the names of certain cities are mentioned, photographic images of them pop into your head almost immediately. Washington = buildings on or near the mall. New York = skyscrapers of one sort or another. Paris = the Eiffel Tower. Tokyo = the Ginza shopping and entertainment district. With that thought in mind—and considering the multiple roles photography plays in shaping,
Description: Note: This blog post borrows heavily from the article, “Shooting Fireworks: Capture the Spectacle,” from former Smithsonian employee, Jim Wallace (originally published on the Smithsonian staff photographer’s website in 1995), with valuable additions from Ken Rahaim. The 4th of July is coming up next week, promising picnics, gatherings, and of course, fireworks. You may have
Description: This is the second post in our series on career advice for the aspiring archives professional. Each edition features information and career advice from a different member of the Archives team, regarding what they do, how they got here, and how you can too. Check out the first , and don’t be afraid to let us know who you might like to hear from next! Many picture an archivist
Description: Ruth B. MacManus and Gertrude Brown bonded over their heavy workloads and shared experiences as working women in the Great Depression. Together, they helped improve a publication that does not bear their names: the Smithsonian Scientific Series.
Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="311" caption="IC 4970 and NGC 6872: Galaxy Collision Switches on Black Hole, X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO/M.Machacek; Optical: ESO/VLT; Infrared: NASA/JPL/Caltech."][/caption] I’m sure you’re familiar with beauties, like the one above, from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Well, apparently, with “a basic understanding of astronomy data & image
Description: [caption id="attachment_10960" align="aligncenter" width="376" caption="Peter Finkel, volunteer at the Smithsonian Institution Archives. "][/caption] Here at the Archives, we have 25 fulltime staff members, and half as many volunteers and interns at any given moment.