National Museum of American History
Happy Birthday, Ginger Rogers: The Original Dancing Queen
Ninety-nine years ago today, Virginia Katherine McMath was born in Independence, Missouri. At age 9, her mother married John Logan Rogers, after splitting with her husband shortly after Virginia's birth. Although she was never formally adopted, Virginia took her step-father's last name. Her cousin ...
July 16, 2010 |
By Katherine Purvis
Celebrating 55 Years of Disneyland With Dumbo the Flying Elephant
I know I've done and seen about everything when I see an elephant fly. And the truth is, I have—well, only at the Disneyland theme park courtesy of the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride, which was built shortly after the park opened 55 years ago this weekend on July 17, 1955.Though it's easy to cynica...
July 15, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Weekend Events: Korean Film, Gullah Stories and Remembering Howard "Sandman" Sims
Friday, July 9: Made in Hong Kong Film Festival: VengeanceIn this high-voltage thriller that proves that popcorn flicks and high art can be one in the same, a French chef travels to Hong Kong and teams up with a gang of underworld assassins in his quest to avenge the death of his daughter's family....
July 09, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Looking Back at Wimbledon: Althea Gibson Wins Big
From Isner and Mahut setting a new record for the longest professional tennis match to previous champions Venus Williams and Roger Federer crashing out in the quarter-finals, Wimbledon 2010 was an exhilarating tournament to watch. But this year’s competition is not the only one to have delivered sh...
July 06, 2010 |
By Katherine Purvis
American History Highlights Celluloid and the Dawn of the Plastic Age
"There are plastics in your toaster, in the blender and the clock, in the lamp and in the roaster, on the door and in the lock, in the washer and the dryer and the garden tools you lend, in your music amplifier and electric fryer—you have got a plastic friend!" Or so goes a ditty from the 1964 Worl...
July 01, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
The Joys of Toys on Display at American History
This summer another Toy Story movie is playing in theaters, yet another animated ode to the nostalgia we associate with the playthings of our youth. It's also prime flea market season and toys will migrate from old homes to new ones; although certain pieces may find their way to eBay where they'll ...
June 30, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Pop-up Books Are More Than Meets the Eye
Pop-up books? Sure, they sound like kid fare, but as the recent new exhibition at the National Museum of American History proves, they are far more than just that. "Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop, and Turn," on view until next fall, not only showcases the history of the pop-up book, (which date...
June 17, 2010 |
By admin
Events: Bolivan Arts Festival, Movies From Hong Kong, National History Day and More!
Monday, June 14: Ten-Day Festival: Arts and Artisans from Bolivia and the Peruvian Island of TaquileThe indigenous participants in the festival include the Chiquitanos, Guarayos, Icocenos, and Ayoreosl from the eastern lowlands of Bolivia, who demonstrate and sell a wide array of products and craft...
June 14, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Weekend Events: Flag Day and Crochet
Friday, June 11: Sorry kids, no special events today. But be sure to check out this site for regularly-scheduled evening events at the Smithsonian.Saturday, June 12: Flag Day Family FestivalCome celebrate Flag Day at the American History Museum! Observe a naturalization ceremony for 25 children fro...
June 11, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
It's Your Turn to Be the Inventor at the American History Museum
Every invention has a story. And the National Museum of American History's Lemelson Center wants visitors to help tell it.For the first time, the center is reaching out to the public to help plan its new exhibit, tentatively called "Places of Invention," which will explore the social, psychological...
May 19, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
Brown v. Board of Education: Celebrating 56 Years of a Civil Rights Milestone
In 1952, the United States Supreme Court heard a series of cases dealing with desegregating America's public schools—the most famous of which being Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka Kansas. When 13 African American parents tried to enroll their children in schools in their community, they were de...
May 17, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Weekend Events: Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!
Friday, May 7: Korean Film Festival DC 2010: Rough CutIn this film from South Korea, an actual gangster—and aspiring thespian—is offered a chance to play a thug on film. He accepts, but on one condition: all the fights in the movie must be real. The tumultuous relationships that develop between hi...
May 07, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
May the Fourth Be With You at American History Museum
Today is an unofficial holiday for Star Wars fans everywhere. Take the famous Star Wars greeting, "May the force be with you" and slightly modified it with today's date, "May the 4th be with you," and voilà, a day to celebrate the George Lucas films and their legacy.For those in search of a littl...
May 04, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
Spotlight on the Dimmer Switch: Handy Home Device Honored by American History Museum
Earlier yesterday morning, an assortment of dimmer switches was donated to the Smithsonian. Yes, the dimmer switch now has a spot in the collections of the National Museum of American History.Now, now, before you totally write it off, ask yourself one thing: how good is the lighting design in your...
April 30, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Weekend Events: Jazz, Craft, and Afro-Native American Culture
Friday, April 23: Native Theater: Grandchildren of the Buffalo Soldiers by William S. Yellow Robe Jr.William S. Yellow Robe Jr.'s Grandchildren of the Buffalo Soldiers examines the culture clash between the Native American and African American communities during post-Civil War westward expansion as...
April 23, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
The Apollo Theater Hits the Smithsonian Stage
Named for the Greek god of music, New York's Apollo Theater has been a pantheon of American talent for almost 100 years. Built in 1914 in the heart of Harlem, the theater rose to prominence in the mid-1930s as a showcase for African American performers, offering aspiring artists a springboard to br...
April 23, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Former Navy Officer Donates a Cane Once Used by President Kennedy
It was pitch black in the middle of the open Japanese waters, where Navy Lt. Cmdr Ted Robinson was serving one night in August 1943. As he and his crew navigated through the darkness, a fiery explosion lit up the skyline.The crew soon learned that the explosion came from one of their own boats, the...
April 23, 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
Events: Quilting, Crafts, Earth Day and all that Jazz
Monday, April 19: A Stitch in Time: Block-by-Block Quilting SeriesIdeal for persons aged 8 and older, this workshop will introduce you to the basics of quilting. That’s right, you too can gain the skill set required to make a piece suitable to keep you warm or to hang on the wall as a part of your ...
April 19, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Events: Ethel Merman, Musical Theater, Apollo 13 Memorabilia and More!
Monday, April 12: The Music in the Musical: The Light in the Piazza and Sophisticated LadiesThe Smithsonian heads out to DC's Arena Stage in a panel discussion that will explore how the sounds of opera and jazz spring up in Broadway musical theater—specifically in pieces like The Light in the Piazz...
April 12, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Weekend Events: Jazz in the Park, Art and Cocktails and Fabulous Furniture!
Friday, April 9: Hirshhorn After Hours: A Special Evening of Art, Music, and CocktailsCome unwind from a busy week by enjoying an evening of art, music and libations at the Hirshhorn. In one of the hippest happenings in DC, come enjoy performances by Bill Shannon and his dance crew The Step Fenz al...
April 09, 2010 |
By Jesse Rhodes
