Description: This is post is part of our series on career advice for the aspiring archives professional. Each edition features information and career advice from a different member of the Smithsonian Institution Archives team, regarding what they do, how they got here, and how you can too. Don’t be afraid to let us know who you might like to hear from next!What is preservation? This is a
Description: In the process of scanning glass plate negatives, how do we determine what each image is when it comes with so little information attached?
Description: Vicarious research is one of the great joys of the reference desk at the Smithsonian Institution Archives. From our front-row (well, only-row) seat outside the reading room, we catch tantalizing glimpses of our patrons’ manifold research topics.The reference team fields around 6,000 queries per year. Ask us what people have been researching recently, and you’ll get into some
Description: Librarians at the White House Historical Association have digitized 25,000 previously uncatalogued slides! [via CNN]In case you missed it, the blog, Missing Scientists' Faces, shared 28 days of African American female scientists during Black History Month. [via @MissingSciFaces]Check out some of the Digital Public Library of America's primary source sets for Women's History
Description: This is part one of three in a series of blog posts about a research project on treating fire-affected optical discs. This month, we’ll introduce the project.
Description: At SPI, we were sad to learn that Jessie Cohen died earlier this week. Jessie was one of the photographic mainstays at the Smithsonian; she started working at the Smithsonian National Zoo in 1979, photographing animals, their living quarters, and behind-the-scenes events for exhibition, education, and marketing purposes. In addition, Jessie also managed the Zoo’s exhibition
Description: New Year's Edition!Fredrik Carl Mülertz Størmer used a spy camera to capture 19th-century Oslo street scenes! [via Colossal]Let us help you achieve some of your archiving New Year's resolutions; action planning for personal archiving, organizing digital photos, organizing email, and preparing for tax season!9 innovators in the fields of technology, health, education and more
Description: At the 1996 Festival of American Folklife, Smithsonian staff and volunteers conducted oral history interviews with colleagues about their memories of working for the Smithsonian. To celebrate the Smithsonian’s 175th anniversary, we’re sharing clips from three of those interviews.
Description: The Smithsonian Castle sits just over a mile away from Washington D.C.’s most notable address,1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. We are more than just a short walk away from the White House, however—we are directly tied to it and its occupants. Not only does the Smithsonian collect the history of United States Presidents (including, yes, Lincoln’s top hat and even the hair of a few
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.