Description: As a laborer at the Smithsonian from 1882 until his death in 1918, Harrison Lomax served the Institution’s top leaders. A letter in our collections that he wrote to Secretary Samuel P. Langley is an example of the ways in which African American employees advocated for themselves in order to earn promotions and raises.
Description: Dr. Ellen Stofan, the first woman to be appointed Director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, was NASA's chief scientist and a leader in the effort to send humans to Mars. #Groundbreaker
Description: Dr. Brandon Fortune, Chief Curator at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, organized the first two Outwin Boochever Portrait Competitions and researches women portraitists of the later nineteenth century. #Groundbreaker
Description: Today on The Bigger Picture, we are highlighting the anniversary of the 1927 Conference on the Future of the Smithsonian which brought together people from across the country – scientists, academics, politicians, and private citizens – to advise on the future role of the Smithsonian. For this, we bring you a piece from Smithsonian Archives Program Assistant Lisa Fthenakis,