Description: [view in Spanish][edan-image:id=siris_sic_13396,size=150,left]Much of the Smithsonian's early natural history collections came from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The fourth Annual Report (1850) discusses several Latin American expeditions, in particular the exploration of islands near Nicaragua by Ephraim G. Squier, who served as U.S. charge d'affaires
Description: In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Smithsonian participated in numerous international world’s fairs and expositions. The Panama-Pacific Exposition of 1915 held in San Francisco, California, was intended celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, as well as to illustrate the function and administrative faculty of the Government of the United States, and to
Description: Joseph Henry,the first Smithsonian Secretary, served from 1846 to 1878 and was a physicist who conducted pioneering research in electromagnetism.
Description: A look at the relationship between Smithsonian Secretary Samuel P. Langley and the Wright Brothers during the sometimes contentious race to achieve flight.