Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Arts & Culture

Mother III (detail) by Yun Suknam, (2013 version), 1993

Breakthrough Korean Feminist Artist Yun Suknam in Her First U.S. Museum Exhibition

With an assemblage portrait of her mother as the focal piece, the artist’s work is surrounded by the works of those who inspired her

The Panda Cams had to be turned off during the shutdown and so for the past month, the crown jewel of the National Zoo has been hidden from the public.

Smithsonian Staffers Scramble to Make Up Time Lost During Government Shutdown

Workers are back, the museums are open, the pandas are well, but officials say the ramifications of the shutdown are far from over

Amazing Grace captivates, says the Smithsonian's Christopher Wilson from the National Museum of American History. It is 90-minutes of "living the genius of Aretha and the passion of the tradition she embraced and represented."

Aretha Franklin’s Decades-Old Documentary Finally Comes to Theaters in 2019

The 2019 nationwide release, 47 years after it was made, means audiences at last will see the Queen of Soul’s transcendent masterpiece

At the start of the 1960s, color television was still a relatively novel technology.

Color TV Transformed the Way Americans Saw the World, and the World Saw America

A historian of 20th century media argues that the technological innovation was the quintessential Cold War machine

Pop History

Seventy-Five Years Ago, the Television Musical Made Its Debut

“RENT: Live” meet “The Boys from Boise”

GM's head of design Harley Earl drove the "Y-job" to and from work for 11 years.

How General Motors Introduced the Idea of a ‘Concept Car’

Eighty years ago, the Buick Y-job was billed as the car of the future

Good luck getting this out of your head.

Pop History

Before the ‘Baby Shark’ Song Made the Hot 100, ‘Silly Symphonies’ Were All the Rage

The “musical novelty” series of shorts achieved critical and popular success, too

A rendering of the lobby of the Statue of Liberty Museum, featuring the statue's original torch

From Lady Liberty to Hollywood to the Middle East, These Are the Most Exciting Museums Opening in 2019

Visit new institutions devoted to mascots, spies, archaeological sites, American icons and much more this year

Elvis tribute artist Alfred Kaz, also known as 'Bollywood Elvis' poses at Central Station ahead of boarding the 'Elvis Express' on January 10, 2019 in Sydney, Australia.

Once a Year, Over 27,000 Elvis Fans Flood This Small Australian Town

The Parkes Elvis Festival draws thousands from around the globe each January to celebrate the King’s birthday

Almost all American cheeses are based on European cheeses that are familiar to both producers and consumers. Not this one.

The Quest for a Totally American Cheese

Move over, Camembert! Three creameries in the U.S. are developing a recipe for a unique cheese they are calling Cornerstone

Gutenberg Castle in Balzers, Liechtenstein.

Twelve Anniversaries and Events Worth Traveling For in 2019

2019 will mark Singapore’s bicentennial, the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death and a total solar eclipse in South America

Woman arranging bric-a-brac in her Arizona home circa 1940

Pop History

How America Tidied Up Before Marie Kondo

From the Progressive Era’s social hygiene movement to Netflix self-help reality television

Glowing ice sculptures span eight million square feet of Harbin, a city in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province.

Virtual Travel

Step Inside Winter’s Most Spectacular Wonderland at the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in Northeast China

Visitors brave -40 degree temperatures to climb glistening ice castles and frozen replicas of iconic buildings

A secluded bay on Kangaroo Island, Australia.

A New Wave of Distilleries Is Crafting Unique Spirits From Australia’s Native Plants – and Creepy Crawlers

Boutique spirit makers across the southern continent are creating favors inspired by their own backyards

Nine Innovators to Watch in 2019

These big thinkers are set to make news this year with exciting developments in transportation, energy, health, food science and more

Still from Oscar Micheaux's "Within Our Gates"

Why We Need to Keep Searching for Lost Silent Films

Early motion pictures give us an important window into our collective past

Seth Rogen playing Dr. Frankenstein in the upcoming sixth season of "Drunk History"

‘Drunk History’ Bends History in All the Right Directions

The sixth season, premiering January 15, brings a new crop of historical tales to television

George Washington takes command of the Continental army.

The Plot to Kill George Washington

In The First Conspiracy, thriller writer Brad Meltzer uncovers a real-life story too good to turn into fiction

The Key Marco Cat was unearthed at Marco Island off Florida’s southwestern shore in the late 19th century.

This Hand-Carved Panther Statuette Embodies a Lost Civilization’s Harmony With Nature

Calusa Indians harnessed the bounty of Florida’s estuaries with respect and grace

None

Ingenious Minds

How Drag Helped Sasha Velour Cope With the Loss of Her Mother

The drag queen talks with breast cancer specialist Laura Esserman about gender identity, expression and celebration

Page 96 of 369