Description: Vicarious research is one of the great joys of the reference desk at the Smithsonian Institution Archives. From our front-row (well, only-row) seat outside the reading room, we catch tantalizing glimpses of our patrons’ manifold research topics.The reference team fields around 6,000 queries per year. Ask us what people have been researching recently, and you’ll get into some
Description: [caption id="" align="alignright" width="179" caption="Portrait photograph of Harrison Gray Dyar (1866-1929), entomologist at the United States National Museum at the Smithsonian from 1897 until his death in 1929, c. 1920s, by Unidentified photographer, Photographic print, Negative Number: SIA2009-0002."][/caption] It turns out that a series of mysterious tunnels discovered in
Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="326" caption="View of the Thrift Drugs Pharmacy and Luncheonette at 533 Liberty Avenue, September 11th, 1952, P"][/caption] My chosen Friday time-suck?: geotag, explore, and help ID thousands of historic photos of Pittsburgh on Retrographer.org [via Marguerite Roby, SIA]. Pretty cool! Thousands of new objects from the Smithsonian’s
Description: To commemorate the Smithsonian’s 175th anniversary on August 10, 2021, the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives is launching a web exhibit that sheds new light on English chemist James Smithson’s gift to found the Smithsonian.
Description: While closed for renovations, here is a look at some historic images of the Renwick Gallery on the anniversary of its opening to the public.
Description: Last week, on December 17 and 18, folks from across the Smithsonian and the public gathered to listen, learn, and discuss at "Working Women: The Smithsonian Institution as a Case Study," a two-day symposium, organized by the American Women’s History Initiative. Presenters celebrated women working at the Smithsonian and explored how they represent the broader experience for