Description: Uta C. Merzbach was the Smithsonian's first curator of mathematical instruments. She brought her field to life with unique presentations of mathematical concepts and computer history.
Description: How has the Smithsonian been portrayed in popular culture – fiction writing, movies and television, over the last 160 years and has its popular imaged changed?
Description: As the twelfth Smithsonian Secretary, G. Wayne Clough, retires, historian Pamela Henson looks back on his impact on the Smithsonian in 6 ½ short years – creating a positive dynamic, fostering environmental responsibility, and stimulating collaborations across the Institution.
Description: Link Love: a weekly post with links to interesting videos and stories about archival issues, technology and culture, and Washington D.C. and American history.
Description: [caption id="attachment_7327" align="aligncenter" width="432" caption="The Smithsonian Institution Building, "The Castle""][/caption] When I'm walking around the National Mall, I often hear people exclaim, "There's the Smithsonian!" as they point to the large red Smithsonian Castle near the Metro exit; something I also would have assumed before my first visit to the Mall.
Description: [edan-image:id=siris_sic_8807,size=250,left] In the institutional archivists' world, there is constant discussion about what we save and why we save it. While there are many reasons why this is such a pointed concern, one of the main factors institutions consider when deciding what to collect is the relevance of a collection's contents to the institution's mission.
Description: Kjell Bloch Sandved worked as a photographer for the National Musuem of Natural History for 32 years and his Photographic Files captured the Museum’s staff at work in 1975.
Description: Today is the first day of winter. Not ready for the cold weather? It could always be worse. Ornithologist (and future tropical biologist) Neal Griffith Smith once wrote in his journal:"Still pensil [sic]. Well, I've got time and temperature to write. Just sharpened the pensil with a snow knife. We are parked smack in the middle of Southampton [Island] in a bloody windstorm. It
Description: As editor E. E. Slosson began setting up the Science Service news office, his mail was flooded with inquiries from potential contributors. Writers and photographers described their accomplishments and submitted samples of their work. One such letter, from Albert Harlingue on April 13, 1921, must have piqued Slosson’s interest, for it coincided with the Washington visit of “a
Description: Smithsonian Libraries and Archives recently welcomed Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty as our inaugural director. Join us as we get to know the new leader of our organization!