Description: Office of Executive Assistant to the Secretary in the east wing of the Smithsonian Institution, or Castle, April 10, 1912, with John U. Perkins, Harry Woodward Dorsey (chief clerk), and James G. Traylor (appointment clerk), SIA RU000095, SIA_000095_B37_F02_008.
Description: Did you know that the Smithsonian Institution has been collecting “specimens” related to the history of photography since photography was still considered a new technology? Learn about the evolution of our photography collection!
Description: [caption id="attachment_11206" align="aligncenter" width="219" caption="Bells Rock Lighthouse, Chesapeake Bay, c. 1880s, by Unidentified photographer, Photographic negative, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Negative number: MAH-48182H."][/caption] We recently digitized a series of lighthouse images that led me on a surprising research path.
Description: In alignment with SI's newly launched Smithsonian Open Access, Smithsonian Institution Archives has designated over 2000 items as open access!
Description: While the Smithsonian Institution is perhaps better known for its museums that pepper the landscape of the National Mall in Washington DC, its devotion to scientific research easily matches its dedication to collecting, preserving, and displaying artifacts of cultural and historical importance. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) started off as a small field
Description: [caption id="attachment_7450" align="aligncenter" width="379" caption="A broken glass plate negative, Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution Archives."][/caption] We are in the throes of summer here in Washington DC, and that means three things: heat, more heat, and interns. Interns not only allow us to share expertise and experience with newcomers to the field, but also allow
Description: The Smithsonian Institution Archives manages the cold storage vault at the National Museum of American History where approximately 3 million negatives are stored.