Smithsonian Magazine: August 2008
Features
The Great Wall of China Is Under Siege
A journalist's travels along China's 4,000-mile Great Wall reveal widespread deterioration despite the efforts of a few embattled preservationists
By Brook Larmer
Parties to History
Four Political Conventions That Changed America
By Smithsonian Magazine
1912 Republican Convention
Return of the Rough Rider
By Lewis L. Gould
1948 Democratic Convention
The South Secedes Again
By Alonzo L. Hamby
1964 Republican Convention
Revolution From the Right
By Rick Perlstein
1968 Democratic Convention
The Bosses Strike Back
By Haynes Johnson
A Passion for Tomatoes
Which is more nutritious, the commercial variety that goes into ketchup or the precious heirloom beloved by gourmets? Why has a Florida genetic engineer developed a tomato that tastes like wintergreen? Undeterred by this summer's salmonella scare, a culinary correspondent still has a passion for tomatoes
By Arthur Allen
Richard Misrach's Ominous Beach Photographs
A new exhibition of oversized photographs by Richard Misrach invites viewers to have fun in the sun. Or does it?
By Kenneth R. Fletcher
Leopold and Loeb's Criminal Minds
In 1924, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb kidnapped and murdered a 14-year-old boy. An outraged nation cried for vengeance, but the famed attorney Clarence Darrow had a trick up his sleeve
By Simon Baatz
Departments
Indelible Images
Olympic Athletes Who Took a Stand
For 40 years, Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos have lived with the consequences of their fateful protest
By David Davis
Phenomena
A Wildlife Mystery in Vietnam
The discovery of the saola alerted scientists to the strange diversity of Southeast Asia's threatened forests
By Richard Stone
Tribute
Who Do You Love?
Bo Diddley's beat changed the course of rock music. And his lyrics evoked a history that reached all the way to Africa.
By Ned Sublette
Wild Things
Wild Things
Life As We Know It
By Amanda Bensen, T.A. Frail, Megan Gambino Jesse Rhodes and Sarah Zielinski
Points of Interest
Points of Interest
Notable American Destinations and Happenings
By Megan Gambino, Gregory B. Gallagher, Constance Hale and Joe Rao
Interview
Paul Polak, Social Entrepreneur, Golden, Colorado
His new book advocates helping the world's poorest people one tool at a time
By Abigail Tucker
Around the Mall
Photo Find
With a rolleiflex camera, a pioneering botanist documented his fieldwork—and created art
By Kenneth R. Fletcher
The Object at Hand
All that Glitters
Carol Channing can't forget the night her gown got ransomed
By Owen Edwards
Q&A
Laurie Anderson
The celebrated performance artist discusses Andy Warhol, NASA and her work at McDonald’s
By Kenneth R. Fletcher
What's Up
What's Up
Smithsonian exhibitions highlight the secrets of soil, lavish interiors and Chinese landscape paintings
By Kenneth R. Fletcher
