Description: In the spring of 1846, after years of debate, the legislative logjam over what the Smithsonian would be was finally broken with compromise legislation by New York Congressman, William Jervis Hough.
Description: The Castle halls were alive with adventure this summer! From July 7th to August 27th, we piloted a live game for teens, The Mystery of the Meghatherium Club: Mayhem and Mustaches. A look at some of the early feedback received on the Smithsonian's pilot of a history game, "The Mystery of the Meghatherium Club: Mayhem and Mustaches."
Description: [edan-image:id=siris_arc_287602,size=250,left]As a child in England in the 1930s, Oliver Sacks enjoyed playing with his Uncle Abe’s spinthariscope. It was, he would later recall, “a beautifully simple instrument, consisting of a fluorescent screen and a magnifying eyepiece, and inside, an infinitesimal speck of radium.We take a look at the spinthariscope at the Smithsonian.
Description: [caption id="attachment_8083" align="aligncenter" width="336" caption="The mysterious cabinet of curiosities with assorted film cameras perched on top, 2010, by Michael Barnes, SIA."][/caption] Last fall a piece of furniture showed up in the Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) reception area. Aside from a few nicks, it is a large, handsome cabinet with drawers and double
Description: In the Smithsonian Institution Archives, we each have our favorite stories that are told through materials in our collections. Several times a year we might give "treasures shows" for interns or special visitors, and we pluck items that highlight moments and people in the Institution's history. We pull out a draft of James Smithson's will, letters from the Wright brothers,
Description: You asked. We answered. And we had a whole lot of fun doing it. On October 13, 2021, Archives staff answered questions on Twitter and Instagram for #AskAnArchivist Day 2021.