People
These influential artists, celebrities, leaders and scholars have shaped our world
Why Brontosaurus Still Matters
Though it never actually existed, Brontosaurus is an icon of just how much dinosaurs have changed during the past century
April 10, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
Fred Korematsu Joins Civil Rights Heroes in the Portrait Gallery
Two portraits of Fred Korematsu, the face of the Japanese American internment of World War II, have been donated to the National Portrait Gallery
April 10, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
Events April 6-8: Kyoto Kimonos, American Pictures: Tony Horwitz, Castle Highlights Tour
This weekend check out the Kyoto Kimono: Spring Trunk Show, American Pictures: Tony Horwitz and take a tour of the Institution's first and oldest building.
April 05, 2012 |
By Kelly Smith
The Portrait Gallery and American Art Get the Google Art Project Treatment
As part of the Google Art Project, you can now virtually wander the halls of the museums and see remarkably detailed reproductions of hundreds of works
April 05, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Events April 3-5: Spring Break, Let’s Move! and Baseball Presidencies
This week, spend spring break at the National Portrait Gallery, explore the Smithsonian gardens, and learn about baseball's special place in our presidential history.
April 02, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
Dear Science Fiction Writers: Stop Being So Pessimistic!
Neal Stephenson created the Hieroglyph Project to convince sci-fi writers to stop worrying and learn to love the future
April 2012 |
By Annalee Newitz
Roberto Clemente: The King of Béisbol
Forty years ago, the sports superstar and humanitarian transcended baseball's borders
April 2012 |
By David Maraniss
Who Was Casanova?
The personal memoir of history's most famous lover reveals a misunderstood intellectual who befriended the likes of Ben Franklin
April 2012 |
By Tony Perrottet
Historic Film Studios Gone, but Not Forgotten
The demolition of buildings in West Hollywood and New York City leads us to ask: "What parts of our film heritage are we going to keep?"
March 30, 2012 |
By Daniel Eagan
The Portrait of Sensitivity: A Photographer in Storyville, New Orleans’ Forgotten Burlesque Quarter
The Big Easy's red light district had plenty of tawdriness going on—except when Ernest J. Bellocq was taking photographs of prostitutes
March 28, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
Hirshhorn’s “SONG 1″ Strikes a Chord With Couple’s Anniversary
For this pair, serendipity was on their side during last weekend's opening of artist Doug Aitken's take on the popular tune, "I Only Have Eyes For You"
March 27, 2012 |
By K. Annabelle Smith
Events March 27-29: 80s Night, Musicians from Marlboro, and American Painting Techniques
This week, test your memory of the 80s, enjoy a performance from Marlboro Music Festival's best young musicians, and learn what techniques distinguished early American painters.
March 26, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
An American Library in Paris
Founded after World War I, the City of Light's English-language library has long been a haven for expats, including Hemingway
March 25, 2012 |
By Susan Spano
The Ottoman Empire’s Life-or-Death Race
Custom in the Ottoman Empire mandated that a condemned grand vizier could save his neck if he won a sprint against his executioner
March 22, 2012 |
By Mike Dash
Why Has It Been So Hard to See Margaret?
The Kenneth Lonergan film that many critics hailed as one of the best of 2011 has had a long and tortuous journey to the theaters. It opens in New York tomorrow
March 22, 2012 |
By Daniel Eagan
Edward Curtis’ Epic Project to Photograph Native Americans
His 20-volume masterwork was hailed as "the most ambitious enterprise in publishing since the production of the King James Bible"—and he paid dearly for his ambition
March 21, 2012 |
By Gilbert King
The Search for Amelia Earhart Resurfaces, 75 Years Later
With new leads on where she may have landed, the mystery and her legacy continue.
March 20, 2012 |
By K. Annabelle Smith
Ask Smithsonian: Can Birds Be Identified Just From Their Feathers? Questions from Our Readers
Our new feature, Ask Smithsonian, is all about finding the answers. Do you have a question for our curators?
March 15, 2012 |
By Beth Py-Lieberman
Weekend Events March 16-18: Evolution of Video Games, Saint Paddy Party, and Masterworks of Three Centuries
This weekend, "Art of Video Games" curator Chris Melissinos leads a panel on the past, present and future of video games, Saint Paddy Party turns the Discovery Theater green, and baritone William Sharp performs Schumann.
March 15, 2012 |
By Aviva Shen
Amy Henderson: “Downton Abbey” and the Dollar Princesses
A curator tells the story of 19th-century American socialites, who like Cora Crowley, hopped the pond, found noble husbands and flushed the British Empire with much-needed cash
March 14, 2012 |
By Amy Henderson
