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How Superman Became a Character for the Ages

The superhero from Krypton has a forgotten superpower: the ability to connect to people across space and time

Christopher Reeve's costume from Superman is seen on display at an auction at Christie's in London, December 16, 2003

Here’s How Superman’s Iconic Motto of ‘Truth, Justice and the American Way’ Evolved Over Time

The quintessential superhero has always stood for truth and justice, but the final part of his catchphrase has morphed to match a more connected world—and his place in it

David Lynch at his Los Angeles office in 1984

You Can Buy David Lynch’s Coffee Makers, Behind-the-Scenes Photographs and Early Drafts of Film Scripts

Nearly 450 objects are heading to auction this month. The collection reveals the “Twin Peaks” director’s restless creativity across many decades and art forms

After starring in numerous movies and television shows, Morris retired in 2006 and lived out his final days at the Colorado Gator Farm.

Morris, the Movie Star Alligator Who Appeared in ‘Happy Gilmore,’ Dies of Old Age

Based on his growth rate and tooth loss, the 640-pound gator was estimated to be at least 80. He starred in movies and TV shows between 1975 and 2006

A still from the Giraffes on Horseback Salad trailer

Salvador Dalí’s Surrealist Screenplay ‘Giraffes on Horseback Salad’ Was Never Made. Can A.I. Bring It to Life?

The Dalí Museum is collaborating with an advertising agency to “reawaken” the Spanish artist’s failed script, which studio executives rejected nearly 90 years ago

The story of the descendants of Wong On offers a multi-faceted look at the intersection of the African American and Chinese immigrant communities.

The Real History of the Complex Relationship Between Chinese and Black Americans in the Mississippi Delta

The remarkable success of the movie “Sinners” has sparked a renewed interest in how the two communities wrestled with life under Jim Crow

The two eagle sculptures—including one with the wizard Gandalf riding on its back—have soared over visitors at Wellington International Airport in New Zealand for more than a decade.

Say Goodbye to This Massive ‘Hobbit’-Themed Sculpture of Gandalf Riding an Eagle

For more than a decade, the eye-catching artwork had hung from the ceiling of Wellington International Airport in New Zealand, where “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” were filmed

Ava DuVernay delivers her acceptance speech for the National Museum of American History’s Great Americans Medal.

Women Who Shaped History

Trailblazing Filmmaker Ava DuVernay Receives the Smithsonian’s Great Americans Medal

DuVernay is the first director, writer and producer to earn the honor, which recognizes “lifetime contributions embodying American ideas and ideals”

Pope Francis meets with Martin Scorsese on January 31, 2024 in Vatican City.

Martin Scorsese’s New Documentary Will Feature One of Pope Francis’ Final Interviews

The film focuses on a project founded by the pope that encourages small communities around the world to tell their stories through cinema

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg was among the 2025 recipients of the Portrait of a Nation Award.

Meet This Year’s Winners of the Portrait of a Nation Award, Including Steven Spielberg and Temple Grandin

Portraits of the honorees, who have made “transformative contributions to the United States,” will be added to the permanent collection of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery

"The Beverly Hillbillies" cast in 1963, from left to right: Max Baer Jr. (as Jethro Bodine); Irene Ryan (as Granny, Daisy Moses); Buddy Ebsen (as Jed Clampett); and Donna Douglas (as Elly May Clampett)

The Controversial History of the Word ‘Hillbilly,’ Which Was First Defined in Print 125 Years Ago

In 1900, a political writer described the “hill-billie” as someone who “talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him.” Since then, the label has been used in both mockery and pride

Two disco fans dancing together at a club, circa 1975

Fifty Years Ago, This Irresistible Disco Song and Dance Craze Swept the Nation and Changed the Music Landscape

Disco music’s time in the sun may have passed, but the legacy of “The Hustle,” a mega hit in the genre, lives on

A 70mm IMAX camera used to shoot The Dream is Alive, now in the National Air and Space Museum's collection

In the 1980s, This Special Camera Helped Turn Astronauts Into Cinematographers to Shoot the First Imax Movie Ever Filmed in Space

The groundbreaking work, “The Dream Is Alive,” celebrates its 40th anniversary this year

Anderson on set of his 2023 film Asteroid City

These Are the Building Blocks of Wes Anderson’s Signature Visual Style

Through quirky costumes and model hotels, a new exhibition surveys the director’s unique creative vision—and the work of the craftspeople who help bring it to life

The three-foot-tall model has an aluminum skeleton covered in latex, foam, straw, acrylic paint and adhesive.

The Body Model Used During a Famous Scene in ‘E.T.’ Is Heading to Auction

Created by Italian special effects designer Carlo Rambaldi, the three-foot-tall prop can be seen in the film hiding among stuffed animals in 10-year-old Elliott’s closet

Senator Joseph McCarthy “comes along really chronologically halfway through the story [in the early 1950s], and there’s a lot that happened before he was even on the scene,” says author Clay Risen.

Newly Declassified Documents Reveal the Untold Stories of the Red Scare, a Hunt for Communists in Postwar America

In his latest book, journalist and historian Clay Risen explores how the House Un-American Activities Committee and Senator Joseph McCarthy upended the nation

How do space programs get their names?

How Do Space Programs Get Their Names? And More Questions From Our Readers

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Gertrud Eysoldt as Salome in a Berlin production of Oscar Wilde's notorious play, circa 1902

Why Oscar Wilde’s Play About a Biblical Temptress Was Banned From the British Stage for Decades

“Salome,” a one-act tragedy by the Irish playwright, terrified the Victorian public with its provocative depiction of a teenage girl whose lust for a man quickly morphs into bloodlust

Lily Gladstone poses on the red carpet at the Academy Awards in March 2024.

See Lily Gladstone’s Stunning Oscar Gowns Designed by an Indigenous Artist

The two gowns were a collaboration between Gucci and a porcupine quillwork artist. Both are now on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian

A group photo taken at what might have been a memorial or funeral service at the Florida School for Boys in the 1950s

Based on a True Story

The Real Story Behind ‘Nickel Boys’ and the Brutal Florida Reform School That Inspired the Film

Based on a Colson Whitehead novel, the Oscar-nominated movie dramatizes the story of the Florida School for Boys, which traumatized children as young as 5 for more than a century

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