History / Video

Preview thumbnail for Thomas Edison's Boxing Cats

Thomas Edison’s Boxing Cats

From the inventor’s New Jersey film studio, the delight of cats doing things on film was discovered early in 1894

Preview thumbnail for Poof! There Goes Perspiration!

Poof! There Goes Perspiration!

Watch this commercial for Stopette spray deodorant from 1952

Preview thumbnail for The Only Footage of Mark Twain in Existence

The Only Footage of Mark Twain in Existence

Silent film footage taken in 1909 by Thomas Edison at Mark Twain’s estate

Preview thumbnail for Fishing for Sharks From a Blimp

Fishing for Sharks From a Blimp

Daring anglers hook sharks from the cabin of a huge airship in Fisher Island

Preview thumbnail for Rare Apollo 11 Footage, Remixed and in HD

Rare Apollo 11 Footage, Remixed and in HD

In 1969, three men traveled to the moon cameras documented their every move

Preview thumbnail for Apollo 11 Moonwalk Montage

Apollo 11 Moonwalk Montage

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon

Preview thumbnail for The Incredible Flying Car of the 1950s

The Incredible Flying Car of the 1950s

Equipped with wings and a propeller, Moulton Taylor Aerocar aerobile was capable of taking off from a stoplight or the runway

Preview thumbnail for Celebrating the Woody Guthrie Centennial

Celebrating the Woody Guthrie Centennial

Deep in the Smithsonian Folkways collections are never before seen artifacts from the life of one of the greatest musicians of all time

Preview thumbnail for How Dolley Madison Saved George Washington

How Dolley Madison Saved George Washington

As the British marched towards the White House, the first lady ordered a portrait of George Washington to be saved

Preview thumbnail for The Funeral Parade for the Last Veteran of the War of 1812

The Funeral Parade for the Last Veteran of the War of 1812

In 1905, New York City hosted a grand procession for the last living soldier of a war that ended 90 years earlier

Preview thumbnail for 3-D Scanning: Bringing History Back to Life

3-D Scanning: Bringing History Back to Life

More on 3D scanning: http://j.mp/JM43KD Specialists are using new technology to unravel a mystery in the Smithsonian collections.

Preview thumbnail for The Lost Map of the Hindenburg

The Lost Map of the Hindenburg

Read more about the Hindenburg disaster: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/80th-anniversary-hindenburg-disaster-mysteries-remain-180963107/ Seventy-five years after the tragedy, a curator at the National Postal Museum made a discovery that shed new light on what happened to …

Preview thumbnail for What Roberto Clemente Meant to Baseball

What Roberto Clemente Meant to Baseball

Biographer David Maraniss says that in order to truly understand Clemente’s importance to the sport, you have to look beyond his spectacular numbers

Preview thumbnail for Playing the Unplayable Records

Playing the Unplayable Records

Researchers and scientists work together together to find a way to play recordings made by the studio of inventor Alexander Graham Bell

Preview thumbnail for The Portraits of Thomas Jefferson

The Portraits of Thomas Jefferson

Read more about Thomas Jefferson: http://j.mp/w07Y8G At the turn of the 18th century, Americans learned what their leaders looked like through paintings and drawings, explains a historian at the National …

Preview thumbnail for Rare Footage of Civil War Veterans Doing the Rebel Yell

Rare Footage of Civil War Veterans Doing the Rebel Yell

ARTICLE: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/civil-war-veterans-come-alive-in-audio-and-video-recordings-97841665/ In this exclusive clip from the 1930s, Confederate veterans step up to the mic and let out their version of the fearsome rallying cry.

Preview thumbnail for The Long History of 3D Photography

The Long History of 3D Photography

A museum in Portland, Oregon highlights the multi-layered path of 3D imagery, from stereoscopes of the American West to blockbuster movies

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Andy Warhol’s Headlines

Ever the media gadfly himself, the pop artist was fascinated by newspapers, especially the tabloids, as explored in a new exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. Read more at …

Preview thumbnail for Music During the American Civil War

Music During the American Civil War

The musicians of the Union and Confederate armies provided strong memories of the homes left behind for the battlefield.

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Civil War Ballooning

The story of how Thaddeus Lowe reinvented reconnaissance at the encouragement of President Lincoln.

Preview thumbnail for The Lincoln Assassination: Was Mary Surratt a Conspirator?

The Lincoln Assassination: Was Mary Surratt a Conspirator?

The southern widow’s Maryland house was a crucial stop on the escape route for assassin John Wilkes Booth the night he shot the president. Read more about Abraham Lincoln at …

Preview thumbnail for Edward Curtis: Photographing the North American Indian

Edward Curtis: Photographing the North American Indian

A close look reveals how the famed photographer altered his glass negatives, creating the popular image of Native Americans that still exists today

Preview thumbnail for What Will Happen to Puerto Maldonado

What Will Happen to Puerto Maldonado

A local fisherman talks about the uncertain future facing locals when the new bridge connecting Peru and Brazil is completed

Preview thumbnail for Wayne Thiebaud: Beyond the Cakes

Wayne Thiebaud: Beyond the Cakes

Read more at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Wayne-Thiebaud-is-Not-a-Pop-Artist.html He made a name for himself painting pastries and other everyday objects, but his other work—cartoons and cityscapes—showcase the scope of his talents.

Preview thumbnail for The Photography of Eudora Welty

The Photography of Eudora Welty

Read more at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/specialsections/womens-history/The-Writers-Eye.html Scholars and friends of Eudora Welty discuss how her hobby influenced her later works.

Preview thumbnail for Painter Arcimboldo and His Unique Style of Portraiture

Painter Arcimboldo and His Unique Style of Portraiture

Read more at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/Arcimboldos-Feast-for-the-Eyes.html The Hapsburg Dynasty’s court painter’s unique style of portraiture, using fruits, vegetables and animals to compose his faces — has fascinated artists and the general public …

Preview thumbnail for Building the Udvar-Hazy Center

Building the Udvar-Hazy Center

Find out what it takes to build a museum large enough to house 130 aircraft

Preview thumbnail for A 1970s Visit to Bamiyan

A 1970s Visit to Bamiyan

As a part of a television broadcast, world travelers Hal and Halla Linker toured the Afghan countryside in 1973, years before the Soviets invaded and the Taliban took control of …

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Mathew Brady’s Vision

Mathew Brady is known for his Civil War photography and groundbreaking work in the field. Read more about the Civil War at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Civil-War-History.html.

Preview thumbnail for Palladio: America's Architectural Grandfather

Palladio: America’s Architectural Grandfather

The grand buildings of Washington, D.C. would look quite different were it not for the work of Palladio. Read more at Smithsonian.com

Preview thumbnail for The Battle of the Greasy Grass

The Battle of the Greasy Grass

Each year, the Lakota of the Great Plains commemorate their victory over the United States army at the Battle of the Greasy Grass, better known in American history as the …

Preview thumbnail for John F. Kennedy's Campaign for President

John F. Kennedy’s Campaign for President

The curators at the American History museum delve into the archives to show artifacts from the 1960 election.

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