From the Collections

Until she met her future husband, Julia Child had never given much thought to food. On her own she made do with frozen food.

Julia Child's Recipe for a Thoroughly Modern Marriage

Food writer Ruth Reichl looks at the impact of the famous chef's partnership with her husband Paul

This custom-made board carried Kelly Slater to victory in Australia in 2010; the champion got his first surfboard at age 8 and from that moment, he says, “I was hooked.”

Kelly Slater, the Chairman of the Board

An ode to surfing’s fiercest, most successful competitor – who now has a place in the Smithsonian collections

Artists such as David Hockney were inspired by the SX-70.

How the Polaroid Stormed the Photographic World

Edwin Land's camera, the SX-70, perfected the art of instant gratification

A 1920 poster by Howard Chandler Christy.

Here & Now

Acquired by Samuel Cox, the mummy is "our . . . most richly decorated [specimen]," says curator Melinda Zeder.

How One Mummy Came to the Smithsonian

An American diplomat’s memento takes center stage after 125 years

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Q & A with Governor and Children's Book Author Frank Keating

Thomas Jefferson believed that his version of the New Testament distilled "the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has never been offered to man."

How Thomas Jefferson Created His Own Bible

Thanks to an extensive restoration process, the public can now see how Jefferson created his own version of the Scripture

In Robert Walter Weir’s c. 1838 canvas of St. Nicholas (detail), perhaps influenced by a Washington Irving story, the painter envisioned both an enigmatic trickster and a dispenser of holiday cheer.

A Mischievous St. Nick from the Smithsonian American Art Museum

The 19th-century artist Robert Walter Weir took inspiration from Washington Irving to create a prototype of Santa Claus

Conn's Civil War violin.

The Civil War 150 Years: Solomon Conn’s Violin Diary

A soldier's violin becomes a record of his war-time travels

Posakei Pongap, a Manus islander, in front of a field ruined by salinization.

The Faces of Climate Change

Flooding islands, melting glaciers and dried-up streams: experience the impacts of climate change through the "Conversations with the Earth" exhibition

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Playing Dress-Up With Van Cleef & Arpels

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See the Breathtaking Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels at Cooper-Hewitt in New York City

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Q & A: Ottawa/Ojibwe Basket-Weaver Kelly Church

In 1849, Harriet Tubman fled Maryland to Philadelphia. Soon after, Tubman began her exploits—acts of bravery that would make her a legend.

Breaking Ground

Harriet Tubman's Hymnal Evokes a Life Devoted to Liberation

A hymnal owned by the brave leader of the Underground Railroad brings new insights into the life of the American heroine

Live Aid: 25 Years Later

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The Apollo Theater Hits the Smithsonian Stage

Gene Kranz (in vest, as Apollo 13 safely splashed down) had faith that "as a group, we were smart enough ... to get out of any problem.

How Gene Kranz's Apollo 13 Vest Boosted Morale For His Team

The NASA flight director famously wore a homemade white vest as he averted tragedy during one of Apollo's most harrowing missions

May Asaki Ishimoto became one of the country's most established ballet wardrobe mistresses.

The Story of a Ballet Wardrobe Mistress

The precise stitchwork of May Asaka Ishimoto, a second generation Japanese American who survived two years in an internment camp

After being refused service at a Greensboro, North Carolina Woolworth's, four African-American men launched a protest that lasted six months and helped change America.

Courage at the Greensboro Lunch Counter

On February 1, four college students sat down to request lunch service at a North Carolina Woolworth's and ignited a struggle

Pablo Cano, a Miami-based artist who creates marionettes, sent this holiday card to Miami art critic Helen L. Kohen in 1989.

Artists' Homemade Christmas Cards

Seasonal greetings from artists such as Alexander Calder and Philip Guston celebrate the handmade holiday card

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