To celebrate the launch of our 175th-anniversary online exhibition, Smithson to Smithsonian, we’ll explore the life and legacy of founder James Smithson with a panel of experts on July 27th
An 1896 trade catalog in our National Museum of American History Library explains how the Davis Sewing Machine Company pivoted to bike sales at the turn of the 20th century
How did one exaggerated armored rhino influence European illustration for centuries? Trace the artistic origins from Albrecht Dürer to Conrad Gessner and beyond, with images from Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.
The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center is celebrating its 25th anniversary year. We dig into our records at Smithsonian Institution Archives to trace the center's origins and highlight some of its early leaders in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
The history of Violet Dandridge’s investment in her work as a scientific illustrator and a suffragist, told in her own words, helps us construct a more complete picture of what it meant to many women to pursue careers and basic rights in the early twentieth century.
"Iconographic Encyclopaedia of Science, Literature, and Art" was translated and updated by Spencer Baird, a man who would become the Smithsonian's second Secretary. Much like our very own Institution, it covered topics from art to zoology. Today, a new digital edition helps brings its knowledge to 21st-century viewers.
For National Library Week, explore the tools of a vintage library circulation desk. In 1918, they might not have had computers to circulate and track library books, but their paper-based systems were well-thought out. Listening carefully and you can almost hear the "ca-thunk" of the due date stamp!
The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives' Adopt-a-Book Salons offer a chance to take a closer look at our collections and the opportunity to support their preservation and acquisition. William Bennett previews one intriguing item that will be available.
This mid-19th century advertising circular proposes a new idea for doing laundry. What it lacks in detailed description, it makes up for with powerful testimonials.
Two years ago, we all got better acquainted with our domestic surroundings. “Journey Round My Room” was first written by Xavier de Maistre in the 18th century. A recently acquired 2007 edition includes photos and a specially crafted box by Ross Anderson. The end result is a beautiful artist's book that turns a quarantine into an exploration.
Earlier this week, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives launched a new Smithsonian Transcription Center project to transcribe the diaries of Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt. Curious how these well-loved diaries made their way from our library shelf to your computer screen? Conservation and digitization staff describe the work that goes on behind-the-scenes to make these volumes available:
David Holbert
,
Jacqueline E. Chapman
&
Katie Wagner
