Smithsonian

Sneak Peek: Medical Marvels and Historical Oddities from the Collections

From Florida’s infamous hanging chads and the magnifying glass used to inspect them to vanity eyeballs, American History curators brought the goods for 2013’s Tweet Up

February 19, 2013

Know Your Presidents? Stabbings, Pet Raccoons, Cat Fights and Other Presidential Lore

Do you know which president liked to skinny dip in the Potomac or who had the first pet cat in the White House?

February 18, 2013

From Virginia to Missouri to the Smithsonian: Jefferson’s Tombstone Has a Long Story

At the institution for a year of repairs, the president’s gravemarker calls the University of Missouri campus home

February 15, 2013

“Freakish Absurdities:” A Century Ago, An Art Show Shocked the Country

The Armory Show provoked reactions of love and hate; today it is recognized as changing American art forever

February 15, 2013

Events February 15-17: Sketching Lessons, Arabian Jazz and Lincoln’s Dream

This week, indulge your creative side, hear Arab music, and meet a children’s book author

February 14, 2013

Poetry Matters: Phillis Wheatley, The Slave Girl Who Became a Literary Sensation

Enslaved at age 8, America’s first black woman poet won her freedom with verse

February 13, 2013

Critter Cupids: Animals in Love

Ever wonder how a giant panda says I love you? Or how a sea lion bonds with a best friend?

February 13, 2013

PHOTOS: A Piece of History, Celebrating Mardi Gras in D.C.

Historical photographs of Mardi Gras celebrations also tell the story of D.C.’s African American roots

February 12, 2013

At Age 204, Charles Darwin Gets Animated

Check out scenes from the new comic “Darwin: A Graphic Biography” by Eugene Byrne and Simon Gurr

February 12, 2013

Sneak Peek of “Seizing Justice: The Greensboro 4”

Airing February 11, the Smithsonian Channel documentary tells the story of the lunch counter sit-in that helped to change the country

February 11, 2013

Grammy Gold: Folkways Takes Home Two Awards

Congratulations to the record label for the success of Woody at 100 and Quetzal’s Imaginaries album

February 11, 2013

PHOTOS: Wynton Marsalis, Honoring Duke Ellington

The artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center celebrates the jazz legend who won affection at home and abroad

February 7, 2013

Making Progress: Future Home of the African American History Museum

A New Welcome Center Offers A Sneak Peek at the New Museum

February 6, 2013

Bangs, Bobs and Bouffants: The Roots of the First Lady’s Tresses

Michelle Obama’s modern look has a long history

February 5, 2013

Welcome to Blackdom: The Ghost Town That Was New Mexico’s First Black Settlement

A homesteading settlement founded out of reach of Jim Crow is now a ghost town, but postal records live on to tell its story

February 4, 2013

Events February 5-7: Tachyons, Middle Eastern Landscape and Ai Weiwei

Hear about the one thing in the world that may be faster than light, consider Western media’s depictions of the Middle East and discuss Ai Weiwei’s art

February 4, 2013

The Uncertain Promise of Freedom’s Light: Black Soldiers in The Civil War

Sometimes treated as curiosities at the time, black men and women fighting for the Union and organizing for change altered the course of history

February 1, 2013

The Making of a Millennial Jazz Musician: Elijah Jamal Balbed

After being put in “baby jazz” in high school, Balbed has made a name for himself in the Washington, D.C. scene

January 31, 2013

Oscar Peñas: A Music Man on a Mission

A Spanish jazz musician finds his home with international collaborations

January 29, 2013

PHOTOS: A Tale of Two (Super Bowl) Cities

Take a tour of San Francisco and Baltimore with historical photographs from the collections

January 29, 2013