Image Gallery - Arts and Industries Building, 1976-2006
Removing Apollo 11, 1975, by Richard Farrar, photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 32, Folder: 32, 75-11095-11 or SIA75-11095-11.: On July 4, 1976, the new National Air and Space Museum (NASM) opened on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Prior to that time, the national aeronautical and astronautical collections had been housed in the Arts and Industries Building and an adjacent small building. In 1975, the NASM collections were moved from the Arts and Industries Building to the new facility. In this photograph, riggers are preparing the Apollo 11 Command Module, home to Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, Jr., Neil Armstrong, and NASM director Michael Collins, for its move.
Arts and Industries Building Empty, 1975, by Richard Farrar, photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 32, Folder: 32, 75-11098-14 or SIA75-11098-1.: When the National Air and Space Museum moved from the Arts and Industries Building, the empty halls demonstrated the size and versatility of the original National Museum building. Although the hall looks deserted and wrecked in this 1975 photograph, it was soon restored to its 19th century appearance and filled with exhibits from the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.
Rotunda with 1876 Exhibit, 1977, by Unknown, photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 42, Folder: 6, 77-3202.: In 1976, the rotunda of the Arts and Industries Building was renovated to replicate its appearance when it opened in 1881, with stenciling visible on the walls, Victorian greenery, and lighting that simulated 19th century light levels. Bunting draped from walls and balconies recaptured the spirit of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. A calliope on the balcony filled the halls with 19th century music.
Jupiter Locomotive on Display, 1977, by Unknown, photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 42, Folder: 6, 77-3182.: The Jupiter locomotive was restored to its 19th century appearance for the 1876: A Centennial Exhibition display. The red locomotive in the east hall was a popular attraction for young children for three decades. Jupiter was placed among recreated foreign exhibits from the Centennial, including Japan and China. In this image a carriage display is being installed behind the locomotive.
Mammal Exhibit, 1977, by Unknown, photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 42, Folder: 6, 77-3197.: The 1976 recreation of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia included a section on the mammals of North America. The 1876 United States National Museum exhibit in Philadelphia and its 1976 successor in Washington, DC, included a spectacular polar bear, grizzly, foxes, big cats, mountain sheep, deer, and marine mammals. It was designed to showcase the wildlife of North America to an audience that had never set foot in the Arctic, desert, or mountains.
Warren E. Burger & S. Dillon Ripley at 1876 Opening, 1976, by Richard K. Hofmeister, photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives Record Unit 371, Box 2, Folder: June 1976, 76-6222-19A or SIA76-6222-19A.: S. Dillon Ripley, eighth Secretary of the Smithsonian (1964-1984) (right), and Smithsonian Chancellor Warren E. Burger (left) in a coach-and-four, at the opening of the 1876: A Centennial Exhibition in the Arts and Industries Building on May 10, 1976. Here seen dressed in period costume, they were filmed for a program on the 1876 Centennial Exhibition and its 1976 recreation.
Discovery Theater, 1982, by Jeff Tinsley, photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 371, Box 4, Folder: December 1982, 82-12949-25 or SIA82-12949-25.: The Discovery Theater was designed to present entertaining and educational programs to a young audience. In this 1982 photograph, Luman Coad of Coad Canada is presenting a puppet show in the Discovery Theater to an excited young audience.
Experimental Gallery, 1991, by Jeff Tinsley, photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 98-015, Box 2, Folder: February 1992: On February 1, 1991, the Experimental Gallery opened in the Arts and Industries Building to showcase new and innovative exhibit techniques and to reach previously under-represented audiences. Among the exhibits during its first year was “Unmasking the Fear,” an exhibit of life masks of people living with AIDS
Las Casitas Exhibit, 1991, by Unknown, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 410, Box 3, Folder: A&I through Moongate, 91-3653-27.: Las Casitas: An Urban Cultural Alternative taught viewers about the vernacular architecture of Puerto Rico. The exhibit depicted "Casitas" (little houses) and how Puerto Rican communities in the Bronx and Harlem use casitas for social gatherings and special occasions. The Las Casitas exhibit opened to the public during the Experimental Gallery’s first year of operation.
Moongate, Entryway to Sackler Garden, by Robert Lautman, Smithsonian Institution Archives, SIA2013-07637: In this image, the Arts and Industries Building can be seen in the distance from the Enid A. Haupt Garden. This view is taken through the "Moongate" next to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and Freer Gallery of Art, both devoted to Asian art. The "Moongate" was carved from a solid piece of granite nine feet tall.
Stories from the People Exhibit, 1996, by Rick Vargas, photographic print, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 01-081, Box 1, Folder: The Torch Photos Sept. 96, SIA2011-2389.: Show in this image, workers prepare a teepee at the center of the Stories of the People exhibit which opened in August of 1996 in the Arts and Industries Building. Stories of the People was the first exhibit in Washington, DC, for the National Museum of the American Indian, founded in New York City.
Nature’s Jewels Exhibit, 2003, by Harold Dorwin, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 2003-1817.: The outdoors came inside the Arts and Industries Building in 2003 when it hosted Nature’s Jewels: A Living Exhibit of Butterflies and Orchids prepared by the Horticultural Services Division, the US Botanic Garden, and the Insect Zoo in the National Museum of Natural History. Visitors could see butterflies up close in a special enclosure and wander through a display of many varieties of orchids.