Dec

Pickin’ or pizzacato, it’s all the same on National Violin Day

National Violin Day (Dec. 13) celebrates the impact and cultural contributions of one of music’s most versatile instruments. Whether you’re into country pickin’ on the fiddle* or Stravinsky compositions in the concert hall, there is a violin for you. We asked an expert to choose one of his favorites from our collections. The music collections… Continue reading Pickin’ or pizzacato, it’s all the same on National Violin Day

Dec

Sidedoor: Finding Cleopatra

A 3,000-pound masterwork and its female creator were both lost to the mists of time. In this episode, we find them both. Continue reading Sidedoor: Finding Cleopatra

Dec

Eyewitness to a ‘Day of Infamy:’ Commemorating Pearl Harbor

Today marks the anniversary of the bombing of the Pearl Harbor naval base by the Japanese Imperial Navy. In commemoration of this anniversary, Patri O’Gan shares some letters from the collections of the American History Museum written by a civilian, Beth Slingerland, as she watched the attack from her home in the hills above Pearl Harbor. Continue reading Eyewitness to a ‘Day of Infamy:’ Commemorating Pearl Harbor

Dec

Slavery and the Smithsonian

On this date in 1865, the 13th amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery was ratified by the states. The complex legacy of slavery will always be part of our history; many of our most treasured institutions were built, quite literally, by enslaved people. Was the iconic Smithsonian Castle built with slave labor? Continue reading Slavery and the Smithsonian

Dec

Just say No (way): How Prohibition changed the American wine industry

In celebration of the end of Prohibition on this day in 1933, we’re raising a glass and making a toast to the triumph of vigorous viticulture. Continue reading Just say No (way): How Prohibition changed the American wine industry

Dec

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane…it’s a curator!

Marilyn Scallan sits down with Eric Jentsch, project director and curator of “Superheroes” to find out why these masked men (and women) have taken hold of the public imagination. Continue reading Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane…it’s a curator!

Dec

Sidedoor: Adam Rippon’s Olympic Mesh-capades

It’s cold enough for ice-skating, so here’s a conversation with Olympic medal-winner Adam Rippon who shares stories of wardrobe malfunctions, the cost of fame and the male private part we didn’t realize was private. Continue reading Sidedoor: Adam Rippon’s Olympic Mesh-capades

Dec

Smithsonian Scholars Pick Their Favorite Books of 2019

Beth Py-Lieberman of Smithsonian.com gathers recommendations as diverse as the Smithsonian itself. Continue reading Smithsonian Scholars Pick Their Favorite Books of 2019

Nov

Let’s talk turkey.

Did you know they served the astronauts on Skylab turkey and gravy in a tin can? We bet it was just as delicious as it sounds. Senior writer John Barrat takes us on a tour through the Smithsonian collections and discovers 25 turkey-related objects. Continue reading Let’s talk turkey.

Nov

2019 Artists at Work

This juried exhibition, the Smithsonian Community Committee’s seventh staff art show, highlights the often unexpected talents within the Smithsonian community. Continue reading 2019 Artists at Work