Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="442" caption="The Smithsonian Institution Building seen from downtown Washington, D.C., from across The Mall, around 1855. In the foreground are construction materials along 15th Street, NW for the new wing added in 1855 to the Treasury Building. The Treasury building is the oldest departmental building in Washington, D.C.having been
Description: We thought our work was done when a social media follower helped us identify our popular “unidentified male model” as German naturalist Emil Bessels. Then we discovered he may have murdered his captain during the 1871–73 Polaris Expedition.
Description: Congratulations to the main Smithsonian website, which has been nominated for a Webby Award in the category of Best Cultural Institution website! (Please go and vote.) Mark your calendars! The Library of Congress will be hosting the free public event, Pass it On: Personal Archiving Day, on Saturday, April 30, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m to provide the public with information about
Description: British botanist Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker (1901-1957), born in Leigh, Lancashire, is best known for her research on the edible seaweed Porphyra laciniata (nori) which is used in sushi.
Description: While teleworking for the last year, the Archives has been busy capturing web content that documents the Smithsonian’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Description: Lord of the Rings fans! A newly-discovered map annotated by Tolkien. [via Open Culture]A last call for Archives Month to contribute your stories and memories of gardens and gardening to the Community Gardens digital archive. [via Smithsonian Gardens]Gorgeous fly-throughs of 17th Century London before The Great Fire from a talented group of students at De Montfort University. A
Description: Link Love: a weekly post with links to interesting videos and stories about archival issues, technology and culture, and Washington D.C. and American history.