Description: Margaret Simmons Vining was a museum specialist and later curator of armed forces history at the National Museum of American History from 1983 until her death in 2018.In addition to curating major exhibitions and building the division’s collections, she founded and supervised the Smithsonian Archive of Women’s Military History. Together with her longtime collaborator and life
Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="287" caption="Eugene Behlan, chief of National Museum of Natural History Office of Exhibits, with a mannequin before the opening of "Western Civilization: Origins and Traditions," 1978, by Richard K. Hofmeister, Photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 371 Box 2 Folder July 1978, Negative Number:
Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="259" caption="James Buckler, Michele Sensourinh and Gail Ufford of the Office of Horticulture, counting pennies thrown into the Arts and Industries Foley Fountain, 1976, by Richard K. Hofmeister, Photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 371 Box 2 Folder October 1976, Negative Number: 94-13204."][/caption]
Description: A daily photo highlight from Smithsonian collections. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="430" caption="Secretary S. Dillon Ripley with Mexican Ambassador Jose Juan de Olloqui with the celebrated Chac-Mool from Chichen-Itzaon which is a classic example of Maya-Toltec sculpture, November 18, 1976, by Richard K. Hofmeister, Photographic print, Smithsonian Institution
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: Among the many photos in the Archives' collections are images from the Panamanian island, Coiba, where former Smithsonian Secretary Alexander Wetmore, conducted ornithological research. We've featured some of these images on the blog before, and I always wondered about their captions, which mentioned that Coiba was a penal colony.
Description: It's National Zoo and Aquarium Month! Let's explore the early days of the National Aquarium and its commitment to the promotion of marine science and aquaculture.
Description: On June 11, 1927, 25-year-old Charles Lindbergh, and his plane Spirit of St. Louis, arrived back in the United States, and Washington, D.C. threw a party.