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Arts & Culture

From The Smithsonian Collections: Plastic Flamingos, c. 1980

The Tacky History of the Pink Flamingo

From its start in Massachusetts, of all places, to its inspiration of a John Waters film, the lawn ornament has some staying power

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Is Ai Weiwei China’s Most Dangerous Man?

Arrested and harassed by the Chinese government, artist Ai Weiwei makes daring works unlike anything the world has ever seen

Martin Amis, England's most famous living novelist, has just moved from London to the United States.

Martin Amis Contemplates Evil

England’s most famous living novelist has moved to America—and tilted the literary world

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As Long As Books Have Existed, Invisibility Has Been a Dream

We just have to look to literature to learn that there’s always been a real danger to the prospect of being invisible

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Discussion

Discussion

A replica of the skull of Robert Kennicott, a naturalist who once lived in the Castle.

The Skull in the Castle

Secretary Clough has the skull of naturalist Robert Kennicott in his office to remind him of the remarkable scientists who work for the Smithsonian

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The Swimsuit Series, Part 6: Ladies in Wading in Art

A look at how artists spent their summer vacations—at the beach

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The History of the Lunch Box

From a working man’s utility product to a back-to-school fashion statement, lunch boxes have evolved with technology and pop culture

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Rebranding Amsterdam and What It Means to Rebrand a City

To help maintain its position as a popular European destination, Amsterdam embraced marketing with “I amsterdam,” a brand campaign for the city and its residents

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Today Was the World’s Biggest Food Fight, Welcome to La Tomatina

What does it look like when 40,000 people start throwing 100 metric tons of tomatoes at each other?

A badge designed for Chattanooga using the local Chatype font

How Chattanooga Created Its Own Font to Spur Urban Growth

Like products, cities need a brand identity. In this Tennessee city, a team of designers have created an official font

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What Did Playtex Have to Do With Neil Armstrong?

The astronaut’s lunar outfit was designed by the women’s bra manufacturer and inspired a series of space age fashions

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Welcome to blogs.smithsonianmag.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Biking while wearing stretchy knit hot pants, 1972

Hit-Making Hot Pants

In 1971, the eye-popping short shorts fad caught the attention of pop singers

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Your Mouth-Watering Roundup of the Best State Fair Foods

The top five foods from this year’s state fair season are so bad they’re good

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The Unbuilt High-rise Designs of Rem Koolhaas and OMA

The radical, unbuilt high-rises designed by Rem Koolhaas are witty, subversive, and surprisingly simple

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Ai Weiwei on His Favorite Artists, Living in New York and Why the Government is Afraid of Him

The Chinese government has long tried to contain the artist and activist but his ideas have spread overseas and he’s got plenty more to say

Alphonse Mucha in front of his first poster for Sarah Bernhardt

How Alphonse Mucha Designed the Nation State of Czechoslovakia

When the country gained its independence after World War I, Alphonse Mucha was called upon to design an important part of any country’s identity - money

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Top 10 Chanelisms: Coco’s Wise Words to Mark Her Birthday

Today the French fashion designer’s observations seem wise, clever or amusingly dated

Literary food bloggers draw inspiration from favorite books.

From the Page to the Plate: Bringing Literary Dishes to Life

Authors like Roald Dahl or James Joyce never could have predicted that their words could be spun into these tantalizing meals

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