Description: A clause in the last will and testament of English scientist James Smithson eventually led to his estate being left to the United States "to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” There was much debate as to what constituted such an establishment, but many of the proposals
Description: [caption id="attachment_3939" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Prehistoric paintings, Lascaux caves, France. Photo courtesy of Prof saxx, Wikimedia Commons."][/caption] Roger Shattuck, teacher, writer, and cultural critic (The Banquet Years, his study of turn of the 20th century French avant-garde stands as one of the best cultural histories ever produced), once wrote
Description: [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Portrait of Albert Einstein and Others (1879-1955), Physicist, by unidentified photographer, 1931, Smithsonian Institution Libraries."][/caption] This post is second in a series that highlights some of our most popular photos on the Flickr Commons. This photo of Einstein pictured with a group of intellectuals is one of