Articles by Arcynta Ali Childs

P-R-Z-E-... aw, forget it. P-horse!

Didn't Make the National Spelling Bee? Play the Smithsonian Spelling Bee

We present a list of some of the toughest words to spell, pulled straight from the collections

I Am A Man, Sanitation workers assemble outside Clayborn Temple, Memphis, TN, 1968.

The Power of Imagery in Advancing Civil Rights

"Whether it was TV or magazines, the world got changed one image at a time," says Maurice Berger, curator of a new exhibit at American History

"It really is a miracle that he came in as good shape as he did," says taxidermist Paul Rhymer, who spent a month carrying out Owney's first restoration since he went on display.

Owney the Mail Dog

For nine years, Owney rode the rails and the wagons on top of mailbags as the mascot of the mailmen

More than 50 artifacts from the September 11 attacks, including Fire Truck Door, 2001, will be displayed at the American History Museum.

What's Up

Through September 5, the National Portrait Gallery is displaying 60 paintings on loan from private collections in Washington, D.C. Among the portraits is that of Judith Martin, better known as advice columnist "Miss Manners."

Q and A with Miss Manners

The columnist talks about how her portraiture collection reflects culture’s stance on etiquette

Beginning July 23, at Natural History, see examples of technologies that endow researchers with X-ray vision. Shown here is Selene vomer by David Johnson, 2008.

What's Up

Owney the Dog, immortalized in a stamp.

Honoring Owney, the Legendary Post Office Pup

Owney the dog, beloved mascot of the Railway Mail Service, is being honored with his own interactive postage stamp, sure to endear him to new generations

The adorable red panda cub

Four New Red Panda Cubs at the National Zoo

The National Zoo welcomes four new red panda cubs

West Coast East Side Revue, Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA, Sunday February 21, 1965

American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music

"American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music," invites visitors to explore the Latino music, a sound that is at once distinctive, and all-American

All Power to the People: The Story of the Black Panther Party, 1970

“For All the World to See” Taking Another Look at the Civil Rights Movement

"For All The World To See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights," encourages visitors to take another look at the civil rights movement

One of the two original pieces of Nakhla sent to the Smithsonian, virtually untouched since 1911.

One Hundred Years Ago Today, A Mars Meteorite Fell in a Blaze

Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Nakhla meteorite falling to Earth. See and touch this piece of Mars at the Natural History Museum

Portrait of James Smithson

This Day in History: Remembering James Smithson (1765-1829)

James Smithson died June 27, 1829, setting in motion a series of circuitous events that would lead to the eventual creation of the Smithsonian Institution

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Q & A: Nichelle Nichols, AKA Lt. Uhura, and NASA

Actress Nichelle Nichols

Q & A: Nichelle Nichols, AKA Lt. Uhura, and NASA

Actress Nichelle Nichols on playing Lt. Uhura, Star Trek fame, and how she she helped create opportunities for women and minorities in space

Adorable andean bear cubs

Bear Care: Bear Awareness Days at the National Zoo

The Bear Awareness Days event raises awareness about the animals in general and teaches about conservation issues that affect all bear species

Peace Corps volunteer Laura Kutner rallied the community to stuff plastic bottles with trash. In all, the Guatemalan students turned 8,000 bottles into building materials.

How to Turn 8,000 Plastic Bottles Into a Building

Peace Corps volunteer Laura Kutner demonstrates how she turned trash into the building blocks for one community's revival

Hu Jiusi's Orchid and Fungus-of-Immortality by a Torrent, 1838 and other works by Chinese painters at the Sackler Gallery until July 17.

What's Up

Eileen Collins, the first female pilot and first female commander of a space shuttle mission, photographed by Annie Leibovitz, 1999.

Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz, Norman Rockwell Featured in NASA|ART

These famous artists and many others are among those with works in the Air and Space Museum's newest art exhibit

Helmet worn by Peter L. Robinson in World War I

Eleven Artifacts of Heroism from America’s Wars

A selection of artifacts on display in "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War," an exhibit currently on display at the American History Museum

Pictures of children were used in these 19th-century advertising cards.

“Pictures for Everyone” Takes a Look Back

The American History Museum explores what happened when pictures became widely available in the U.S. in the 19th century

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