Description: The history of the long campaign to bring a national museum for African Americans to the National Mall, the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Description: Some refer to the Smithsonian as "America's Attic." It probably earned this nickname because throughout its history, the Smithsonian has acquired artifacts, relics, paintings, personal collections, and even hair samples related to the Commander in Chief (yes, the National Museum of American History has a collection of presidential hairs!).With Presidents' Day coming up on
Description: In a world drowning in images, where we swipe past photos of friends, relatives, and selves in mere seconds, a set of remarkable portraits taken in the 1910s and 1920s by Julian Papin Scott (1877-1961) deserve more considered attention. Sometimes, his subjects appear immersed in work, surrounded by microscopes, beakers, or stacks of books, as if unaware of the photographer.
Description: The Smithsonian Institution’s first building, the Castle, was designed by architect James Renwick. Until 1881, it housed all aspects of Smithsonian operations, including research, administration, lecture and exhibit halls, library, laboratories, collections storage, and living quarters for the Secretary. Today, the Castle houses administrative offices and the Smithsonian