People
These influential artists, celebrities, leaders and scholars have shaped our world
The Fantastic Gliding Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus was as aerodynamic as a brick, but one writer thought the prickly dinosaur used its huge plates for gliding
May 30, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Events May 29-31: Tarantula Feedings, Hollywood Pop Quiz, and Kenn Kaufman
This week, watch a tarantula feeding, test your Hollywood knowledge at the National Portrait Gallery's trivia night, and learn about the extraordinary phenomenon of bird migration.
May 29, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
Amy Henderson: The Shock of the Old
This post is part of our ongoing series in which ATM invites guest bloggers from among the Smithsonian Institution’s scientists, curators, researchers and historians to write for us. The National Portrait Gallery’s cultural historian Amy Henderson recently wrote about Louis Armstrong’s last recorded performance at the National Press Club. A front page article in May [...]
May 25, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Where Did Jackson Pollock Get His Ideas?
A talented painter who died poor and forgotten may have inspired the influential American artist's work in ceramics
May 24, 2012 |
By Henry Adams
Events May 25-27: Laundry Day, Healing and Aloha, 100 Artworks at the American Art Museum
This weekend, air out your dirty laundry, live the life of "aloha" and check out the American Art Museum's latest exhibit.
May 24, 2012 |
By K. Annabelle Smith
Tarbosaurus on Trial
An almost certainly poached tyrannosaur skeleton kicks off a legal dispute over Mongolia's fossil heritage
May 22, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Whitewash or Fair Use: Portraying Race on Film
How much does context matter when looking at instances of racism in movies? A journey back to the earliest instances of unapologetic stereotypes to this week's release of The Dictator
May 18, 2012 |
By Daniel Eagan
Events May 18-20: Identities in Motion, Metro Mambo, Surfboard Carving
This weekend celebrate Asian-Pacific Heritage Month, do the Mambo at the National Museum of African Art and witness Tom Stone carve a traditional Hawiian surfboard.
May 17, 2012 |
By K. Annabelle Smith
What a Physics Student Can Teach Us About How Visitors Walk Through a Museum
By sketching the movements of people at the Cleveland Art Museum, Andrew Oriani laid the groundwork for some deep insights into how art is appreciated
May 16, 2012 |
By Henry Adams
Sacrifice Amid the Ice: Facing Facts on the Scott Expedition
Captain Lawrence Oates wrote that if Robert Scott's team didn't win the race to the South Pole, "we shall come home with our tails between our legs." Actually, worse was in store
May 16, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
The Great Books and Movies to Read and Watch Before Visiting India
A list of some of the best books and films about the subcontinent to take in before you go.
May 16, 2012 |
By Susan Spano
Betty White on Her Love for Animals
Everyone knows the "Golden Girls" actress for her long television career, but she is just as proud of her work with zoos
May 15, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
What to Watch This Mother’s Day
From saints to sinners, some Mother's Day movies you may have overlooked
May 11, 2012 |
By Daniel Eagan
There’s a Happening Tonight at the Hirshhorn
Tonight, the Hirshhorn's nightly 360-degree projection, SONG 1, comes alive with an outdoor concert.
May 11, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
What Really Sparked the Hindenburg Disaster?
Seventy-five years later, opinions still vary on what caused the airship to explode so suddenly
May 10, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Events May 11-13: Gardening for Healthy Living, Bolivian Festival, Steinway Series for Mother’s Day
Celebrate living well with Mom this weekend at Garden Fest, the Bolivian Festival and at the Steinway series with Mendelssohn Piano Trio.
May 10, 2012 |
By K. Annabelle Smith
Questions About Apollo
A stunning statue at the Cleveland Museum raises concerns about the acquisition of antiquities
May 10, 2012 |
By Henry Adams
Hollywood Goes to China
From animation studios to movie stars to box office tallies, China has become the next frontier in film production
May 10, 2012 |
By Daniel Eagan
Danger and Romance from HBO’s “Hemingway & Gellhorn”
A new made-for-television movie airing May 28 recounts the stormy love affair between the writer and the war correspondent
May 09, 2012 |
By Susan Spano
The Demise of a Wooden Dinosaur
A Victorian-era naturalist thought he'd found a new kind of dinosaur, and he threw a fit when other naturalists disagreed
May 08, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
