Description: Folklife presentation, education, and research began at the Smithsonian Institution in 1967 with the first annual Festival of American Folklife held on the National Mall. To this day, the festival features performers, crafts people, and community groups from the United States and foreign countries. The festival was started by folklorist Ralph C. Rinzler (1934-1994). Originally
Description: Joseph Henry,the first Smithsonian Secretary, served from 1846 to 1878 and was a physicist who conducted pioneering research in electromagnetism.
Description: Each week, the Archives features a woman who has been a groundbreaker at the Smithsonian, past or present, in a series titled Wonderful Women Wednesday.