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Mary Randolph

Mary Randolph is a former editorial intern with Smithsonian magazine.

Stories from this author

The 1969 show marked the final public performance of the Beatles.

In 1969, the Beatles Played One Final Show. Their Makeshift Rooftop Stage in London Will Soon Become a Museum

Visitors to 3 Savile Row will be able to see a re-creation of the basement recording studio where the Beatles worked on their final album “Let It Be” and stand on the roof where the band thrilled Londoners with a surprise concert

Archaeologists think the green minerals found in the cave might be malachite, which is treated and processed to make copper.

Mysterious Green Rocks Discovered in a Remote Cave in Spain Might Be Signs of Prehistoric People Working With Copper

The find challenges assumptions that people in the region thousands of years ago did not spend much time at high altitudes

The paintings on the Burgtheater’s ceiling depict the history of Western theater.

Before ‘The Kiss,’ Gustav Klimt Got His First Big Art Assignment at This Austrian Theater. Now Visitors Can See His Ceiling Paintings Up Close for the First Time

As a young man, the artist who later became famous for working gold leaf into portraits earned a Golden Cross of Merit from an emperor for his contributions to Vienna’s Burgtheater

The collection includes writings on Franklin’s experiments with electricity.

Before He Was a Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin Founded the Lending Library. Now His Belongings Are on Display There Before Heading to Auction

In 1731, book lover Franklin created the Library Company of Philadelphia, where this week visitors can see a collection of his papers worth an estimated $3 million to $4.5 million

The funerary practice of pouring gypsum into ancient coffins means that imprints of clothing and bodies remain in burial sites in York, England.

In the Ancient World, This Pigment Was Worth More Than Gold. Archaeologists Discovered It Buried With Babies in Roman Coffins

A funerary custom in Roman Yorkshire of pouring liquid gypsum over bodies before burial preserved traces of Tyrian purple

The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosts the Met Gala May 4 to celebrate the new “Costume Art” exhibition.

Ahead of the 2026 Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Introduced New Mannequins With Diverse Body Types Inspired by Real People

The new “Costume Art” exhibition pairs artworks with garments, some of them displayed on custom mannequins constructed through 3D printing

Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends live in a case at the New York Public Library.

The Real Winnie-the-Pooh Lives at the New York Public Library. When Queen Camilla Visited the Bear, She Reunited Him With a Dear Friend

On a state visit to the United States this week, the queen of the United Kingdom became the first British royal to visit the library as she fulfilled a mission to complete the set of toys that Christopher Robin once owned

John Smith stumbled upon the ax head when he was walking his dog.

A Man and His Dog Discovered a 3,400-Year-Old Ax Head While Out for a Walk in One of England’s Ancient Forests

Researchers believe the ax dates to between 1400 B.C.E. and 1275 B.C.E. and is a relic of the Bronze Age, when humans started to work with metal

The Tees Transporter Bridge was a feat of engineering but has been closed due to structural concerns since 2019.

These Are the Top Ten ‘Endangered’ Buildings and Bridges in England and Wales—and They Tell Us a Lot About Life in the Victorian Era

Structures remaining from the height of the British Empire reveal changing economic, medical and education trends from the 1800s and early 1900s. But their legacy is at risk as they fall into disrepair

Claude Lalanne created the Ensemble of 15 Mirrors for Yves Saint-Laurent’s Paris apartment.

Known for Her Amusing Surreal Sculptures, This French Artist’s Sinuous Set of Mirrors Just Shattered Auction Records

Claude Lalanne created the reflective ensemble for designer Yves Saint Laurent. Experts say it’s second in importance only to the famous mirrors at the Palace of Versailles

The National Gallery of Art will lend artworks to museums across the country.

The National Gallery of Art Embraces New Role as Lending Library, Thanks to a Big Gift That Sends Artwork to Other Museums

A $116 million donation from the family foundation of longtime trustee Mitchell P. Rales will help share the museum’s collection in honor of the 250th birthday of the U.S.

In addition to 54 poems, John Keats wrote some three dozen love letters to his fiancée, Fanny Brawne. Joseph Severn painted this portrait of the poet in 1819.

After a Poet’s Love Story Was Cut Short, His Letters Mysteriously Disappeared—Until Rare Book Dealers Acted on a Hunch

Eight letters that John Keats penned to his fiancée before his untimely death are “the literary find of a lifetime”

The Mercer Botanic Gardens in Houston, Texas, has its own Shakespeare garden.

Shakespeare Gardens Around the World Honor the Playwright—and Hold Their Own Storied History

The curated plots of flowers, herbs and trees serve as windows into Shakespeare’s work and life

Getting caught in the rain can be fatal for bees since they breathe through tiny openings in their exoskeleton.

See the Amazing Images That Showcase the Short, Brilliant Lives of Honeybees Throughout the Seasons

A new book follows the insects through rain and shine and highlights the unique behaviors of each bee in a colony

Illustration of L98-59d (lower left) orbiting its host star, a red dwarf

Scientists May Have Discovered a New Type of Planet Beyond the Solar System. The Catch? It Smells Like Rotten Eggs

L98-59d seems to be a molten planet with an atmosphere full of hydrogen sulfide

The cockapoo, a mix between the cocker spaniel and poodle, had the most behavioral problems of all analyzed crossbreeds compared to its purebred progenitor breeds.

Contrary to Popular Belief, Some Doodle Crossbred Dogs May Have More Behavioral Problems Than Their Purebred Parents

Pet owners often pick “designer dogs” because they think they’ll be easier to train and friendlier with kids than purebreeds. A new study suggests that’s not always the case

One of blue crabs' biggest threats seems to be members of their own species.

Cannibalistic Blue Crabs Are Eating Their Younger Peers in Part of the Chesapeake Bay

The findings by Smithsonian researchers could help experts better manage this crustacean’s population. The creatures play important roles in the local ecosystem and food industry

The asteroid Ryugu imaged by the Hayabusa 2 spacecraft in 2018

Life’s Genetic Code Requires Five Key Ingredients. The Asteroid Ryugu Has All of Them, a New Study Suggests

The findings further hint that space rocks may have brought the building blocks of RNA and DNA to Earth long ago

Swimmable Cities is a global alliance of local government officials, experts and advocates working to make urban waterways clean enough to swim in.

Would You Jump Into Your Local River? Swimmable Cities May Be Within Reach as Once-Polluted Waterways Are Restored

Efforts to improve the “swimmability” of urban areas are gaining global traction, from Paris to Chicago

Dalí's painting measures roughly 66 feet by 98 feet.

You Can Buy Salvador Dalí’s Largest Painting, a 100-Foot-Long Artwork Made for a Ballet in 1939

The Surrealist artist created the massive piece for a production called “Bacchanale.” It’s expected to fetch up to $348,000 at auction

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