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Arts & Culture

Tove Jansson with Moomin dolls

A Bold Finnish Artist Brought These Precious Little Hippopotamus-Like Trolls to the World 80 Years Ago

Tove Jansson was a trailblazing illustrator and author—and the inventor of the beloved Moomins, the central characters of her whimsical children’s books

At the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California, visitors bring characters to life using a light table.

How the Beloved ‘Peanuts’ Found Its Way to Define the Modern Comic Strip

With poignant wisdom and gentle wit, Charles M. Schulz reinvented the form and introduced the nation to Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and so many more indelible characters

Over the years, a conservator replaced the headgear on deer with real antlers and the originals mounted on moose with synthetic alternatives.

When a Lumberjack’s Imagination Ran Wild, He Created More Than 200 Sculptures in Wisconsin’s Northwoods

Decades later, a conservator keeps Fred Smith’s art alive in the whimsical Wisconsin Concrete Park

The costume for the Wiz, the title character of The Wiz musical, which made its Broadway debut in 1975, is in the collection of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

When ‘The Wiz’ Debuted on Broadway 50 Years Ago, It Sparked a Brand New Day for Audiences

How the remarkable musical transformed a beloved folk tale into a celebratory vision for the future of Black America

Pages from Eve Adams' Polish passport

LGBTQ+ Pride

America Deported Her for Publishing a Book Titled ‘Lesbian Love.’ Years Later, She Was Murdered by the Nazis for Being Jewish

Eve Adams, an immigrant and the proprietor of a 1920s lesbian tearoom, was imprisoned for disorderly conduct and obscenity, then sent back to Europe, where she became a target of the Holocaust

One of the most popular and expensive varieties of durian, the Musang King is known for its bittersweet flavor and creamy consistency. Each fruit can weigh up to eight pounds.

A Search for the World’s Best Durian, the Divisive Fruit That’s Prized—and Reviled

Devotees of the crop journey to a Malaysian island to find the most fragrant and tasty specimens

Fishing guide Tori Arnona, 23, holds a redfish caught near Buras in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.

Can the Redfish, That Gulf Coast Culinary Icon, Be Brought Back From the Brink?

The Cajun cooking craze nearly wiped out the species native to Louisiana, but conservation stemmed the tide. Now the fish faces new threats

Clifton Chenier at Fitzgerald's, Berwyn, Illinois, 1984

How the Charismatic King of Zydeco Introduced the Music of the Bayou to the Nation

The lively songs and performances of Clifton Chenier, who would have turned 100 today, brought fans—including the Rolling Stones—to their feet

A selection of Spalding balls from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the Dimple (second row, third ball), patented in 1905 and one of the first balls to be dotted with aerodynamic dimples.

Over 600 Years, the Golf Ball Has Evolved From a Primitive Wood Sphere to a Smart Ball With Cutting-Edge Sensors

Tracing the centuries of innovation that sent the golf ball on a wild ride through history

Ma’amoul is a traditional Middle Eastern cookie often enjoyed around Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays, made by combining semolina flour with butter and milk, forming it into a dough, and filling it with nuts or dates.

The History of Ma’amoul, a Middle Eastern Cookie That Is a ‘Love Letter’ to Our Ancestors

Stuffed with nuts or dates, the shortbread cookie is enjoyed around Muslim, Christian and Jewish holidays

In the 1500s, ballet roles for female characters were performed by men. Women entered the art form in the late 1600s and are now dominant in ballet.

These 15 Dynamic Photos Will Make You Want to Dance

Get footloose with these Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest dance scenes

Natalia Pavlovna Paley, also known as Natalie Paley, was the granddaughter of Alexander II of Russia and a cousin of Nicholas II.

This Exiled Romanov Princess Fled the Bloodshed of the Russian Revolution and Reinvented Herself as a Fashion Icon

A new exhibition spotlights Natalia Pavlovna Paley, the granddaughter of a czar. She built a new life for herself in France and the U.S., appearing in films and on the pages of glossy magazines

Seltzer is the little black dress of drinks—suitable for any occasion.

The Effervescent History of Seltzer, From the Early Days of Home Delivery to Today’s Trendy Cans

A century before LaCroix or Spindrift were refrigerator staples, factories in New York City were carbonating gallons and gallons of tap water each day

Photographer Martha Swope sitting on a floor covered with prints of her photos in 1987

Meet Martha Swope, the Legendary Broadway Photographer Who Captured Iconic Moments From Hundreds of Productions and Rehearsals

She spent nearly 40 years taking theater and dance pictures, providing glimpses behind the scenes and creating images that the public couldn’t otherwise access

Perched on the southern edge of the picturesque Monterey Bay, Pacific Grove, California, is home to the Monarch Grove Sanctuary, one of the largest overwintering sites of monarch butterflies in the region.

The 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2025

From a barbecue capital in Texas to the site of the first offensive victory for American forces in the Revolutionary War in New York, these spots are worthy of a visit this year

Just like bridges enable cars to cross rivers and lakes, raised tracks allow trains to travel over bodies of water.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

Get Your Day Back on Track With These 22 Photos of Trains Around the World

Take to the rails with inspiring images of life on and around train lines

Portrait of Rashid Johnson, New York, 2025 

This Renowned Artist Brings Plants, Shea Butter and Black Soap Into His Groundbreaking Work

In Rashid Johnson’s largest show of art yet, the power of mixed media is on full display

A 17th-century still life featuring a plate of oysters

From Peasant Fodder to Fine Dining, Feast on the Tasty History of How Snails and Oysters Became Luxury Foods

Humans have eaten mollusks for millennia, but they weren’t always viewed as elite treats

If marriage was just a piece of paper, then the bride’s gown could be one, too. “The ultimate disposable gown must be the paper wedding dress,” the Australian Women’s Weekly declared in 1967. “Why not? You only wear it once, anyway.” 

Would You Wear a Wedding Dress Made of Disposable Paper? These 1960s Brides Donned Them to Save Money—and Make a Daring Fashion Statement

Created with synthetic textiles, the “nonwoven” gowns could be shortened for the reception or easily packed away for the honeymoon

Connections between the natural world, the divine and the erotic were a favorite theme for Colquhoun, who described Earth Process, 1940, as an “image from a half-conscious experience.”

A New Exhibition Brings Fresh Recognition to a Groundbreaking But Largely Forgotten Surrealist

At London’s Tate Britain, a major retrospective takes a long look at the work of Ithell Colquhoun

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