Collecting
How an Orca Skeleton Made Its Way From Florida to the Smithsonian
Washed up in a rare stranding event, the newly collected specimen will offer rich exploration for researchers
Trove of Rare Renaissance Books Could Fetch $25 Million at Auction
T. Kimball Brooker has amassed a collection of more than 1,300 texts from the 16th century
Humans Take Out More Wild Species Than Any Other Predator on Earth
We kill, collect or otherwise use about 15,000 vertebrate species
You Could Own Nathaniel Hawthorne's Handwritten Notes on 'The Scarlet Letter'
Enjoy an exclusive preview of an auction of the novelist's papers, which feature rarely seen edits and atrocious penmanship
Heirs of Jewish Art Dealers Move Forward With Yearslong Restitution Battle
For over a decade, they've argued that their ancestors were forced to sell valuable artifacts. Now, they're back in court with a new legal strategy
230 Rare Classic Cars Are Going Up for Auction in the Netherlands
Stored for 40 years in two warehouses and an abandoned church, the valuable vehicles include a variety of European and American makes and models
The Time Thief Who Stole 106 Rare Clocks in a Daring Heist
Authorities eventually recovered 96 of the lost timepieces, including a $30 million watch commissioned for Marie Antoinette
The Art Market Is Rebounding—but Only at the Top
Sales increased in 2022, but growth was concentrated largely at the high end of the market
Take a Peek Inside the Candy Wrapper Museum
Your trash is my treasure—and a sweet reminder of the past
A Nostalgic Trip Awaits at the World's Largest Lunchbox Museum
Take a journey back to your elementary school cafeteria with a visit to the Georgia outpost
This 13-Foot-Long Munch Painting Was Hidden From the Nazis in a Norwegian Forest
"Dance on the Beach" will be going up for auction for the first time since the 1930s
In Thousands of Recordings, Jim Metzner Collected Sounds From Around the World
The Library of Congress has acquired the prolific radio producer's full body of work
A Small Town in Alaska Is Home to the World's First Hammer Museum
Perhaps no one knows the history of the tool better than collector Dave Pahl, who opened a shrine of his artifacts in Haines 20 years ago
How Bird Collecting Evolved Into Bird-Watching
In the early 1900s, newfound empathy for avian creatures helped wildlife observation displace dispassionate killing
The Allure of Self-Taught Art
SAAM’s new show “We Are Made of Stories” examines the 20th-century rise and creative vision of artists who make art without formal training
Why the Smithsonian Adopted a New Policy on Ethical Collecting
For more than a century, museum artifacts were acquired in ways we no longer find acceptable. How can we repair the damage?
Why a Schoolteacher Spent 70 Years Collecting Thousands of Black History Artifacts
Elizabeth Meaders' acquisitions include sports memorabilia, civil rights posters, military paraphernalia and art
New York Antiquities Collector Returns 180 Stolen Artifacts Worth $70 Million
A deal made with the Manhattan district attorney bars billionaire Michael Steinhardt from purchasing ancient objects for the rest of his life
Inside the Global Cult of Al Capone
A recent auction of the Chicago gangster's mementos testifies to his enduring appeal—and the thorny nature of collecting items owned by criminals
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