Description: On January 19, 1858 renovations to the library located in the West Wing of the Smithsonian Institution Building to increase space for books were completed.
Description: “Are you arty or hearty?” As family legend has it, this hilarious question was asked of one of our family’s old friends upon his arrival at Jesus College, Oxford University in 1932 as a Rhodes Scholar. Well, as the story goes, it turns out that he was hearty and intellectually gifted (physics). And, the same can be said of lots of Smithsonian employees.
Description: As a postdoctoral fellow at the National Museum of American History, I’ve spent months in the Smithsonian Institution Archives researching a book tentatively titled, Not Naturally a Grass Country: Environment, Plant Genetics, and the Quest for Agricultural Modernization in the Humid World. It’s largely a story about global attempts to replace one form of agriculture—the
Description: [caption id="attachment_2167" align="aligncenter" width="185" caption="Biddle at work on Society Freed through Justice in the Justice Department Building, Washington, D.C. Photographer unknown. Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection, 1935-1942. Archives of American Art."][/caption] This Monday, as we observe Labor Day in the midst of a serious economic
Description: A station for the Metro, Washington DC’s subway system, was eliminated from early plans but protest by the Smithsonian ensured it would be built.
Description: In honor of the anniversary of the discovery of x-rays, a look inside the Foucault pendulum that used to hang at the National Museum of American History.
Description: Bloggers on The Bigger Picture often describe how, in the course of their work, they come across intriguing archival objects and artifacts that trigger new insights into history. “Hands on” encounters with compelling evidence from the past are thrilling and can be provocative. But so can different sorts of encounters, including those that are driven by data, rather than
Description: Throughout May and June, we are inviting people throughout the Smithsonian to talk about photography and astronomy. This is the first installment from Megan Watzke, Press Officer at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Most people think of a telescope as something in a backyard or the dome at the local planetarium. And it’s true that many telescopes are designed to
Description: In July 1925, two photographers were among the crowds of people (including, of course, many other photographers) who descended upon Dayton, Tennessee, to witness the "Trial of the Century." Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes was a test trial to overturn the newly-passed state law prohibiting the teaching of evolution in schools.
Description: You can now step inside a Klimt painting in these large-scale immersive environments brought to you by projection technology. [via Artsy]Don't be surprised if you encounter an inquisitive robot on your next visit to the Smithsonian. [via Digital Trends]U.S. National Archives is now publishing a public dashboard which logs any notices received of unauthorized records
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