Description: A new Smithsonian traveling exhibit, When Things Come Apart, highlights the inner workings of everyday objects! [via BuzzFeed]The Hammer Museum, with the support of the Mellon Foundation, is putting the archives for several exhibits (starting with this one on African American artists) online. [via LA Times]Forensic anthropologists confirm a gruesome history at Jamestown. [via
Description: At the 1996 Festival of American Folklife, Smithsonian staff and volunteers conducted oral history interviews with colleagues about their memories of working for the Smithsonian. To celebrate the Smithsonian’s 175th anniversary, we’re sharing clips from three of those interviews.
Description: A twentieth century Renaissance man, Louis R. Purnell lived a remarkable life. His career began in the skies above Italy and Germany, where he flew 88 combat missions as an original member of the Tuskegee Airmen. After the war, while working at the National Museum of Natural History, he traveled the world’s oceans collecting marine specimens, taught himself geology and