Description: It was, most likely, a foggy day in Oakland in 1882 when Miss Adelia Gates crossed the intersection of 12th and Washington streets and approached the Lemmon Herbarium.At 57, Adelia Gates was an accomplished artist and well-accustomed to new situations. She’d traveled alone to Scandinavia, Mallorca, Italy, and Algeria, and she’d lived in Switzerland while studying watercolor
Description: [edan-image:id=siris_sic_9592,size=200,left]Did you know the Smithsonian was an early adopter of the telephone? In June of 1878, a system of electronic bells and telephones was installed throughout the Smithsonian Castle. The system connected several workrooms and offices to provide instant communications within the building. At that time, there were only 187 telephone lines
Description: Eva J. PellSmithsonian Institution Archives Oral History Collection, SIA009640Eva J. Pell (1948- ), Smithsonian Undersecretary for Science from 2010 to 2014, cracked a glass ceiling by becoming the highest-ranking woman to serve as a science manager at the Smithsonian. She was born in New York City to immigrant parents who, from the start, encouraged her to pursue and value