Description: The Smithsonian Institution Building, or Castle, was designed by architect James Renwick, Jr. Construction began in 1847 and was finished in 1855. The statue in front of the Castle, which is visible in many of these postcards, is of Joseph Henry, who was the first Secretary of the Smithsonian. The postcards in this gallery provide exterior views of the Castle.
Description: August is National Parks Month, but the Smithsonian has celebrated the National Park Service for decades! Enjoy a selection of national parks images from the Archives' collection.
Description: Molecular geneticist and distinguished professor, Dr. Elisabeth Gannt, was a research associate at the Smithsonian's Radiation Biology Laboratory where she studied algae photosynthesis, and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1996 when only 5 percent of the members were women. #Groundbreaker