Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

National Museum of American History

Marcella Hazan, courtesy of Victor Hazan 2176 small.jpg

Museum Acquires Marcella Hazan Culinary Tools

2024 Marks the Centennial of Influential Chef Who Taught America To Cook Italian

Gordo comic strip. Uncle Mio (wearing a suit and carrying a box of chocolates bouquet of flowers) talks to his nephew, who explains the qualities of different types of flowers. Behind the two figures appear precise, scientific diagrams of flowers.

How Gus Arriola and Gordo Became Accidental Ambassadors of Mexican Culture

When Arriola started his comic strip, words like 'burrito' were unknown in the United States

100 trillion dollar note

Understanding Hyperinflation, From Revolutionary France to Zimbabwe

The development of paper money is key to understanding hyperinflation throughout history

Anti-suffrage pennant

Why a Social Activist Opposed Woman Suffrage

The right to vote, insisted some women, would undermine their efforts to promote the public good

Portrait of Madam C. J. Walker, taken in 1915.

How Madam C.J. Walker Changed Philanthropy

Walker challenged the accumulation-of-wealth model of philanthropy, which postpones giving until the twilight years of life

GA.12195_East African Express_Ed.jpg

Illustrating the Teddy Roosevelt Africa Expedition

In 1909, President Teddy Roosevelt decided to travel to Africa with naturalists to collect specimens for the Smithsonian

Kids Eating Circa 1982, Loza.jpg

The Workers' Turkey

Like many homes across America, in my home Thanksgiving meant turkey. Lots of turkeys. And employers gave out these big birds as work incentives, to ensure that their working-class employees wouldn't go without this crown jewel on their table.

Cosmo ad copy.jpg

When Computer Programming Was 'Just Like Planning a Dinner

Women were encouraged to seek employment in computing by appealing to traditional domestic roles

UFW poster.jpg

Essential or Expendable? How the UFW Fights for Farmworkers

Agricultural labor is often overlooked, but it is critical to understand its history, especially as COVID-19 shines a light on unchecked abuse and exploitation

Rea Ann Silva with an oversized version of the Beautyblender sponge (Courtesy of Beautyblender)

How Rea Ann Silva Invented the Beautyblender—and Changed Makeup Forever

Silva’s work as a makeup artist on "Girlfriends" unexpectedly thrust her into the beauty products industry as an innovator and entrepreneur

Rebecca Lukens (National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum, Coatesville, Pennsylvania)

How Rebecca Lukens Became the Nation's First Woman Industrialist

A sudden tragedy thrust Rebecca Lukens into the family business and into history, making her the first woman to run an iron mill in the United States

Photograph for a Coca-Cola ad featuring Selena, 1994. Photo by Al Rendon. (NMAH)

How Do We Remember Selena?

Three women on the National Museum of American History staff share their personal connections with Selena and discuss why her legacy matters not just to them but to many Americans.

Rendon working on a photoshoot with Selena, 1994. Photo courtesy of Rick Tolar. (NMAH)

How an Advertising Photographer Created Some of the Most Iconic Images of Selena

Who wouldn't want to share a Coke with Selena?

Categories
Archive