Description: Sometimes the research process reveals more than an answer to a single question. This is the story of the Smithsonian bison that inspired the “Buffalo Bill.”
Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="229" caption="Mary Alice McWhinnie (1922-1980) was a professor of biology at DePaul University and a world-renowned authority on krill when she began working on research ships off-shore in 1962, when this photograph was taken, by Unidentified photographer, Black and white photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, cc. 90-105
Description: British botanist Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker (1901-1957), born in Leigh, Lancashire, is best known for her research on the edible seaweed Porphyra laciniata (nori) which is used in sushi.
Description: It was July 1880 in Washington, DC and Smithsonian Secretary, Spencer Baird, had fled the city with his family for cool ocean breezes and to study the fishing grounds off the New England coast at Woods Hole on Cape Cod. For those left behind minding the Smithsonian Castle, it was probably hot, humid, and hellish in town and they were in need of relief. Luckily, the proprietors
Description: In celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, this is the first in a series of installments from Smithsonian Institution Archives staff highlighting women in science photographs. We will post portraits of women science here throughout the month. Formidable (adj). Having qualities that discourage attack; tending to inspire awe or wonder. What a word!
Description: [caption id="attachment_10342" align="alignleft" width="228" caption="Miss Willey Glover DeNis, (1879-1929), Smithsonian Institution Archives, SIA2008-0987."][/caption] At the Archives, we often run across images that have minimal information associated with them. Sometimes it’s a number or a name (usually incomplete) or a year. It is rare to find a beautifully complete
Description: A couple of months ago, Tony Cohn, host of Smithsonian’s Sidedoor podcast, contacted the Archives about an upcoming episode they were preparing. Sidedoor highlights the unseen or little-known stories about collections at the Smithsonian. The Archives’ work was recently front-and-center of an episode of The Sidedoor Podcast about America’s first food spy.