Results for "Smithsonian Institution. Office of Design and Construction"
The Smithsonian Castle Construction Begins
- Date: March 19, 2019
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: The Smithsonian Institution Building, or the “Castle,” is the most iconic of all the Smithsonian’s 769 facilities, which include its nineteen museums, nine research centers, National Zoo, and all of its other establishments. The Castle was the first building constructed specifically for the Smithsonian after it was founded in 1846. On March 19, 1847, a contract was signed with
The Renwick Rises Again
- Date: November 19, 2015
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: The Renwick Gallery has just reopened after a two-year renovation, reinventing itself yet again. Its history has mirrored the history of the nation.
- Blog Post
100 Years of the Natural History Building
- Date: June 17, 2010
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="424" caption="U.S. National Museum, May 3, 1917, seen from the National Mall, by Unknown photographer, Photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 45, Box 79, Folder: 10, Neg. SIA2009-2203."][/caption] As part of my work as the historian for the history of the Smithsonian, I’ve been working for the past year on
Connecting the Oceans: 100th Anniversary of the Panama Canal
- Date: August 14, 2014
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: 100 years ago in August of 1914, the Panama Canal opened to commercial shipping. Smithsonian scientists knew the canal would create major environmental changes and have spent the last 100 years documenting them.
- Blog Post
Looking for Women Managers of the Smithsonian’s Museums
- Date: March 16, 2022
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: When did women begin to manage Smithsonian museums? Meet Grace Dunham Guest who was a key staff member in opening the Freer Gallery of Art in 1923.
Exhibiting the Smithsonian Institution Archives: A Look Back
- Date: May 15, 2018
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: [edan-image:id=siris_sic_13754,size=400,center]When people think of a Smithsonian exhibit, they probably don’t think of one filled with documents from an archives! A piece of paper doesn’t grab your attention from across the room, as the Fénykövi elephant or Chuck Berry’s car do. But on closer inspection, handwritten scraps have fascinating stories to tell. They can be
The Smithsonian Secretaries: That Tall Man from New York, Part I
- Date: April 26, 2016
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: A look at the characteristics of the thirteen individuals who have led the Smithsonian.
- Blog Post
Photo Sleuth: When the Evidence Doesn’t Add Up
- Date: May 14, 2013
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: What happens when you have information about a historic photograph that is contradictory? How do you decide what information is correct? Check out how one historian grapples with these mysteries.
The Path Taken and the Role of Mentors
- Date: November 15, 2012
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Oral history interviews sometimes reveal the central role that a mentor can play in the life of a young person, changing the road taken in that person’s life.
William Henry Holmes
- Date: November 29, 2016
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: The multi-talented William Henry Holmes contributed to the Smithsonian as an artist, explorer, geologist, archeologist and museum director.
- Blog Post
The Legacy of I. Michael Heyman
- Date: December 7, 2011
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: A discussion of the legacy of I. Michael Heyman, who served as the eleventh Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 1994 to 1999.
Welcoming Smithsonian Secretaries
- Date: November 5, 2019
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Lonnie G. Bunch III was installed as the Fourteenth Secretary of the Smithsonian on November 1, 2019 in the historic Arts and Industries Building. To celebrate this new day in Smithsonian history, let’s take a look back at installations past!