Americana
The Tacky History of the Pink Flamingo
From its start in Massachusetts, of all places, to its inspiration of a John Waters film, the lawn ornament has some staying power
September 2012 |
By Abigail Tucker
Courage at the Greensboro Lunch Counter
Fifty years ago, four college students sat down to request lunch service at a North Carolina Woolworth's and ignited a struggle
February 2010 |
By Owen Edwards
Lincoln's Pocket Watch Reveals Long-Hidden Message
The Smithsonian opens one of its prized artifacts and a story unfolds
March 11, 2009 |
By Beth Py-Lieberman
Gettysburg Address Displayed at Smithsonian
Lincoln's timeless speech during the Civil War endures as a national treasure
December 2008 |
By Owen Edwards
Star-Spangled Banner Back on Display
After a decade’s conservation, the flag that inspired the National Anthem returns to its place of honor on the National Mall
November 2008 |
By Robert M. Poole
The Story Behind the Star Spangled Banner
How the flag that flew proudly over Fort McHenry inspired an anthem and made its way to the Smithsonian
March 01, 2007 |
By Cate Lineberry
Salem Sets Sail
After the Revolutionary War, ships from a little Massachusetts seaport brought the new nation wares from China and the mysterious East
June 2004 |
By Doug Stewart
Magical Mystery Tour
In 1964 a psychedelic placard heralded the arrival of counterculture guru Ken Kesey and his entourage to America's cities
June 2004 |
By Owen Edwards
Capitol Discovery
Senate staffers come across a historic treasure in a dusty storage room
June 2003 |
By Philip Kopper
Macho in Miniature
For nearly 40 years, G.I. Joe has been on America's front lines in toy boxes from coast to coast
August 2002 |
By Ed Leibowitz
Hell's Bells
The 19th-century trolley bell may have ding-ding-dinged, but the factory bell clanged the workday
May 2002 |
By Kim Roberts
Washington Slept Here
A look at the first president's "best bed" leads to a recollection of the real man and his exemplary life
December 1999 |
By Timothy Foote
The History of the Doughnut
A look back at the men, women and machines that made America’s favorite treat possible
March 1998 |
By David A. Taylor
John Brown's Picture
A long-lost daguerrotype, made by a black artist in 1847, has lately come to rest at the Smithsonian
August 1997 |
By Edwards Park
The Object at Hand
A young war-horse helped Phil Sheridan win the day in the Shenandoah Valley and, made famous by a poem, helped Abraham Lincoln win re-election
November 1996 |
By John Fleischman
The Object at Hand
There was a time when a cane was the exclamation point to a true gentleman's attire, but canes have also been put to a remarkable range of uses, quite a few antisocial
October 1995 |
By Edwards Park
