Description: On this day in 1850, a young man was killed in the Castle, the first of four deaths to occur within its walls. William H. Page was working in the building, which was still under construction at the time, when he fell to his death.
Description: The Conference on the Future of the Smithsonian took place on February 11, 1927, raising awareness of the activities of the Smithsonian and at the same time served as a venue to raise money.
Description: In the past, we’ve talked about how families of Smithsonian researchers helped out with research, and some have even lived in the Smithsonian itself. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, it seems like love, too, has brought many couples together both at the Smithsonian and out in the field. Love, as you’ll see in the photos below, enabled some women to travel the world and get
Description: During debates about the Smithsonian’s founding, the idea of using James Smithson’s bequest for a botanic garden was included in several drafts of the bill considered by Congress. In 1850, President Millard Fillmore commissioned America’s preeminent landscape designer Andrew Jackson Downing to design plans for the National Mall, including grounds around the Smithsonian Castle,
Description: A brief look at the history and attitudes towards women and Latin Americans at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute amplifies the significance of Dr. Oris I. Sanjur’s formal appointment as acting director in 2020.
Description: Eliza Scidmore was a lifelong photographer, writer, and world traveler. In addition to facilitating a gift of cherry blossom trees from Japan to the U.S. capital, Scidmore donated her time, photographs, and some artifacts to the Smithsonian’s collections. She also accessed the world through colonial channels that she reinforced with her writings.
Description: It would be hard to imagine stepping into a Smithsonian museum today and not seeing a single camera. Digital cameras and smart phones with cameras are so completely a part of today’s museum-going experience that - unless a flash goes off in your face – you probably wouldn’t notice the camera next to you. However, in 1938, you would have seen a very different sight. On August
Description: [edan-image:id=siris_sic_13754,size=400,center]When people think of a Smithsonian exhibit, they probably don’t think of one filled with documents from an archives! A piece of paper doesn’t grab your attention from across the room, as the Fénykövi elephant or Chuck Berry’s car do. But on closer inspection, handwritten scraps have fascinating stories to tell. They can be
Description: As World War II raged throughout the world, many feared the threat of another attack on American soil. Washington, D.C., and the National Mall were obvious targets for the Axis countries which put the Smithsonian buildings and collections located there in danger. In order to protect the Smithsonian’s collections, staff took action and moved many materials off of the National