Description: [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Ralph Waldo Emerson, between 1860 and 1870, by J. W. Black & Co., Photographic print on carte-de-visite mount, Abbott Handerson Thayer and Thayer family papers, 1851-1999 bulk 1881-1950, Archives of American Art, Digital ID: 5677. "][/caption] From the beginning, photography upset conventional ideas about the relationship
Description: When I started working with museums in 2005, the concept of crowdsourcing was in its infancy. That year, James Surowiecki ‘s book, “The Wisdom of Crowds,” was published and there were tiny experiments in crowdsourcing occurring in the cultural heritage sector. There were hesitations and objections about the whole concept within the GLAM (gallery, library, archive, museum)
Description: Formal portrait photographs of scientists tend to preserve the stiffness of the moment, rather than capture the sitter’s personality. Perhaps that is the reason that candid photographs of celebrities like Albert Einstein stick in public memory.A 1931 photograph of three Nobel laureate physicists illustrates why we tend to remember the informal photos of scientists more than
Description: The American Foundation for the Blind launched the Helen Keller Archive, the world's first fully accessible digital archive comprised of more than 160,000 artifacts. [via PR Newswire]Ahead of his major retrospective at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, artist Trevor Paglen shares his views on the social and political implication of surveillance systems and artificial
Description: Conservation wonder puppy, Riley, was brought to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts to sniff out pests that could damage the artwork! #jealous [via NY Times]A tender adaptation of the Velveteen Rabbit with new illustrations. [via Brain Pickings]A 3-D printed puzzle that allows you to test your architectural knowledge, from architect Fumio Matsumoto. [via Hyperallergic]Game of
Description: At the 1996 Festival of American Folklife, Smithsonian staff and volunteers conducted oral history interviews with colleagues about their memories of working for the Smithsonian. To celebrate the Smithsonian’s 175th anniversary, we’re sharing clips from three of those interviews.
Description: Let’s learn about the history of Smithsonian Gardens’ annual orchid exhibit with a little help from former director Barbara Faust through her 2011 oral history interview.