National Museum of American History
Have You Hugged Your Computer Today?
January may mean New Year’s and half-priced Christmas decorations to some, but for those who live and die by their keyboard shortcuts (like me, alas), January marks the anniversary of the computer. In 1984, Apple Inc. brought the world the Macintosh, heralding in its new brand of personal computin...
January 14, 2010 |
By Jamie Simon
Indian Ledger Drawings at the American History Museum
Between 1875 and 1878, seventy-two Plains Indians were imprisoned at Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida, for their involvement in the Red River Wars in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Their captors, particularly a warden by the name of Richard Henry Pratt, encouraged the Indians to draw during...
January 13, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Happy Holidays! The Smithsonian is Closed on Christmas Day
Twas the Night Before Christmasand here on the Mall,Not a creature is stirring in the museum's vast hallsFull of objects and trinkets selected with careBy curators hoping you'd all soon be there.Alas and alack, one day of the year,The Smithsonian closes. But don't shed a tear—The day after Christma...
December 24, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
"Best of the Decade" with Air and Space Curator Tom Crouch
As a new decade approaches, we here at ATM thought it a good time to reflect on the last—asking Smithsonian curators to weigh in on their favorite exhibits and acquisitions since 2000.On this morning, 106 years ago, powered flight was born. Wilber and Orville Wright made four successful flights abo...
December 17, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Events for the Week of December 14-18: Harry Truman, A Doll's House, The Muppets and More!
Monday, December 14: Harry S. Truman: The Man from Independence: Cultures in Motion PerformanceHarry Truman is the haberdasher-turned-world leader who supported civil rights and compulsory health insurance and whose legacy includes the controversial decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan. Come lear...
December 14, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
"Best of the Decade" with the American History Museum's Harry Rubenstein
As a new decade approaches, we here at ATM thought it a good time to reflect on the last—asking Smithsonian curators to weigh in on their favorite exhibits and acquisitions since 2000.Harry Rubenstein started his Smithsonian career in 1980, as an intern in the National Museum of American History's ...
December 10, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Events for the Week of 12/7-11: American Indian Dancing, Inspirational Toys, ZooLights and More!
Monday, December 7: Seasons of LightFor an all-inclusive seasonal celebration, check out “Seasons of Light.” Performed annually for the past ten years, “Seasons of Light” features the customs of winter holidays from different cultures, such as Ramadan, Devali, Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Christmas and W...
December 07, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Remembering Pearl Harbor
Sixty-eight years ago today, at 7:55 in the morning, the first wave of Japanese fighter planes reached Pearl Harbor on Hawaii's Oahu Island and opened fire on the anchored U.S. ships and aircraft. More than 2,400 Americans were killed in the attack. In a radio address at 12:30 p.m. the next day, Pr...
December 07, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Deck the Dolls With Lots of Jolly
If you happen to be a doll, life in plastic is fantastic. You reap the benefits of a perpetually perfect waistline, beautifully bleached teeth and a mind-boggling array of accessories to help you live the high life in style—although most of those goodies are by and large molded in blaring non gende...
December 03, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Events: A National Zoo Electric Light Show, Holidays on Display, Celebrations of Winter Holidays
Monday, November 30: Sorry kids, no special events today. But be sure to check this Web site for a listing of regularly scheduled Smithsonian fun.Tuesday, December 1: Seasons of LightFor an all-inclusive seasonal celebration, check out "Seasons of Light." Performed annually for the past ten years, ...
November 30, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
"Holidays on Display" at American History Museum
Salvation Army bell ringers have taken post outside grocery stores. The tree is up in Rockefeller Center, and carols will soon take over the radio waves. Everyone is gearing up for the holidays—including the National Museum of American History.“Holidays on Display,” an exhibition examining the art,...
November 24, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Celebrating 40 Years of Life On Sesame Street
It's almost impossible for me to imagine my childhood without public television—Sesame Street which turns 40 this week and is the kind of program that can still chase the clouds away. Of course when I was tuning in, the cult of Elmo was a few years off, and Big Bird and Cookie Monster totally owned...
November 09, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Events for the Week of 11/9-13: Africa Meets Mexico, Home School Open House, Confederate Currency and More!
Monday, November 9: Curator's Talk with Cesáreo MorenoThe Anacostia Museum is pleased to host the newly-opened exhibition The African Presence in México, which looks at the history, culture and Art of Afr0-Mexicans from the colonial era up to the present day. The show's curator, Cesáreo Moreno, wil...
November 09, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
The Coolest Straw I Ever Saw at American History
They are everywhere. Those quirky, bendy straws that make the satisfying crunching sound when flexed. They are in every soft drink, every restaurant… even when we don’t ask for them, those bendable straws magically appear in front of us. They’re one of the most undistinguished of utilitarian items ...
November 05, 2009 |
By Audrey Reinhardt
Events for the Week of 11/2-6: Dorothea Lange, John Singer Sargent, Zoo Photography Club and More!
Monday, November 2: National Family Literacy DayKnowledge is power (I know, it's an overused phrase—but it's true) and today is a great day to encourage the people in your family to pursue a lifetime full of reading. Enjoy storytelling sessions as well as theatrical performances that tie in to perm...
November 02, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Weekend Events: Judy Garland, Occult Literature and Day of the Dead
Friday, October 30: A Salute to Judy Garland and FriendsIt’s unfortunate to think that Judy Garland may now be best remembered for the tragic circumstances that filled her life, not to mention as one of the ultimate camp icons. I mean she was a darn good entertainer. (Her crowning achievement may v...
October 30, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
The World Series Plays on in New York, Philly, and...Washington?
The battle over (New Jersey) baseball's championship trophy starts tonight as the New York Yankees host the Philadelphia Phillies in game one of the World Series. At the Smithsonian, however, it is baseball season year-round. In the collections of the National Museum of American History, curators h...
October 28, 2009 |
By Brian Wolly
Events for the Week of October 26-30: Halloween, Judy Garland, Architectural Tours and More!
Sorry kids, no special events happening at the Smithsonian today. But be sure to check out this site for a listing of regularly-scheduled happenings around the Institution.Tuesday, October 27: American Art Museum Architectural TourThey don't build 'em like they used to—which is why touring building...
October 26, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Congressman Sam Johnson Receives National Patriot Award
U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson—also a member of the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents—received the National Patriot Award, the Medal of Honor Society’s highest civilian award, this past Saturday in Dallas, for his service to the nation. The Republican congressman, who represents the third di...
October 13, 2009 |
By Megan Gambino
Smithsonian Events for the Week of 9/28-10/2: Climate Change, Cheetahs, Tito Puente and Reading About Africa
Monday, September 28:Sorry kids, no special events happening at the Smithsonian today. But be sure to check out this site for a listing of regularly-scheduled happenings around the Institution.Tuesday, September 29: Smithsonian Education 3-Day Online Conference: Climate ChangeCome participate in th...
September 28, 2009 |
By Jesse Rhodes
