Results for "United States. Committee on Organization of Government Scientific Work"
Archives Puzzles: Exchanging Information Before the Internet
- Date: February 1, 2021
- Creator: Emily Niekrasz
- Description: Have a little fun with images from our collections that have been designated as open access. Anyone can now download, transform, share, and reuse millions of images as part of Smithsonian Open Access.
- Blog Post
The Smithsonian's 165th Anniversary
- Date: August 10, 2011
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: Exactly 165 years ago today, legislation establishing the Smithsonian Institution was passed by the US Congress and signed into law by President James K. Polk. From today’s perspective, it seems like a “no-brainer” to accept a generous bequest from a little-known Englishman named James Smithson and create an institution in his name. But from the perspective of that era, the
Legislative Logjam to Kitchen Sink
- Date: May 22, 2014
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: In the spring of 1846, after years of debate, the legislative logjam over what the Smithsonian would be was finally broken with compromise legislation by New York Congressman, William Jervis Hough.
Spotlight: Henry Joseph Horan, Superintendent of Buildings
- Date: July 29, 2021
- Creator: Marguerite Roby
- Description: A closer look at staff member Henry Horan (1838-1896), who held several positions at the Smithsonian, including janitor, watchman, and superintendent of buildings, during his long career at the Institution.
- Blog Post
From a Humble Beginning: The Smithsonian’s first Internet Domain
- Date: September 17, 2015
- Description: The origins of the Smithsonian’s internet domain or address.
- Blog Post
Publicity, Politics, and Physics
- Date: March 10, 2010
- Creator: Marcel Chotkowski LaFollette
- Description: Long ago and far away, before gray hairs and creaky knees, before history became my passion, I was an undergraduate physics major. Physics seemed fascinating and beautiful, if difficult. Later, after career paths led into history and science policy, I learned that physics, however elegant, did not reside in a cultural vacuum. Its people and discoveries coexisted with
"The whole Smithsonian was like one big family . . . "
- Date: March 12, 2013
- Creator: Pamela M. Henson
- Description: For forty years, Miss Helena Weiss kept the Smithsonian running smoothly as a clerk, stenographer, director of the Office of Correspondence and Documents, and Registrar. When she retired, her position was divided into seven separate jobs.
The Life Behind the Photograph
- Date: March 28, 2013
- Creator: Marcel Chotkowski LaFollette
- Description: Thanks to the Flickr community, the Smithsonian Archives knows the context for a photograph of Norwegian biologist Kristin Bonnevie.
The Smithsonian International Exchange Service in World War II
- Date: July 16, 2020
- Creator: Jessica Scott
- Description: While responding to a digitization request, I uncovered the story of how the Smithsonian International Exchange Service (1849-1992) helped rebuild the library collections of Chinese cultural heritage institutions during the Second World War.
Smithsonian Backs Journey to the Center of the Earth
- Date: April 1, 2014
- Creator: Courtney Bellizzi
- Description: In 1864, Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth sparked people’s imagination, but have you heard that before the novel was published, the Smithsonian attempted a journey of its own.
Introducing Smithson to Smithsonian
- Date: August 10, 2022
- Creator: Emily Niekrasz
- Description: As the Smithsonian geared up to celebrate its 175th anniversary, the Libraries and Archives decided to revisit the online exhibition From Smithsonian to Smithsonian, created a quarter of a century ago. Today, on the Smithsonian’s birthday, we are pleased to celebrate the launch of a new, refreshed and greatly expanded web exhibition, Smithson to Smithsonian.
The Oval Office meets the Castle: Presidents at the Smithsonian
- Date: November 8, 2016
- Creator: Hillary Brady
- Description: The Smithsonian Castle sits just over a mile away from Washington D.C.’s most notable address,1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. We are more than just a short walk away from the White House, however—we are directly tied to it and its occupants. Not only does the Smithsonian collect the history of United States Presidents (including, yes, Lincoln’s top hat and even the hair of a few