“The Castle: An Illustrated History”

According to Secretary Clough in his foreword to The Castle: An Illustrated History of the Smithsonian Building, Second Edition, curator Rick Stamm “knows every nook, cranny, and secret of the Castle.”  Learn a few of these secrets and dazzle your family and friends (and visiting tourists) with your inside knowledge.

Rick, along with former Smithsonian colleagues Cynthia Field and Heather Ewing, co-authored The Castle: An Illustrated History of the Smithsonian Building, which was published in 1993.  Shortly after the book’s release, he began collecting new material about the famous building. “When Smithsonian Books asked if I would be interested in updating the first edition, I naturally wanted to include my new finds,” Rick says, “especially the stories about the people who lived and worked in the building. The result was enough new material (about 80 percent) to do an almost complete rewrite of the original.” The second edition also includes a history of the “south yard” of the Castle, which was not in the first edition.

Rick began his Smithsonian career in 1975 during the stewardship of Secretary S. Dillon Ripley, and was able to track down former Smithsonian colleagues such as Wilton Dillon, whose office was high in the south tower. Dillon, who established and headed the Office of Symposia and Seminars, regales us in the book with a litany of visitors to his unique space. One of these was actress Elizabeth Taylor, who exclaimed “…why this is a stage set!”

Over the years many staff and visitors have filled the Castle— some have even called it ‘home.’  The first Secretary, Joseph Henry, lived with his family in what is now the Secretary’s office suite.  Scientists also had living quarters in the building, and when the Woodrow Wilson Center had its home in the Castle, it was not uncommon for some Wilson Center fellows to spend the night in their offices.

The Castle in 1858 as seen from the northeast.

One special visitor was Queen Elizabeth II, who visited the Castle during the 1976 Bicentennial celebration.  Her visit was meticulously recorded by Smithsonian Photographic Services and several of these photos are in the book. Not only are there spectacular historical images but there the new edition contains photos taken expressly for the book by Smithsonian photographer Eric Long.  There also are historical floor plans and section drawings, some rendered by Rick.

Rick says that his favorite part of the Castle is its history, but he admits that he is especially fond of “the small northwest tower. It has a cast iron spiral staircase that was installed in 1881 and the tower’s interior is virtually unaltered. It is one of the few places in which you get a sense of what it might have been like to work in the building in the 19th century. The bonus is that the staircase adjoins my basement office, so I use it almost daily to get upstairs.”  This is the same staircase mentioned in the book in the chapter “Unsavory Creatures.” (You will have to get the book for the whole story!)

Over the years, Rick has heard many a tall tale about the Castle. One of his favorites was told by a private tour guide.  Rick was surprised to hear the guide telling his clients that the Castle had been James Smithson’s family estate in England and that it was dismantled and brought to this country “stone-by-stone.” Not exactly, but the true history of the early days of the building rivals most romantic “Stately Homes of England” tale.

It’s important for the future of this unique building to understand its past, and its tremendous contribution to American—and the world’s—heritage. The Castle: An Illustrated History of the Smithsonian Building  is a unique look into its past, filled with plenty of stories to make for a great read. And, as Secretary Clough writes, “Our nation does not have many Castles, but the doors of the Smithsonian’s Castle are tall and open daily—free of charge. Please come and visit America’s Castle.”

The new edition is available at Smithsonian gift shops (modestly priced at $21.95 and even less with a staff discount); bring it with you when you visit!

View of Joseph Henry's bedroom located in the southeast corner of the east wing second floor of the Smithsonian Building. This photograph was made by the Smithsonian's chief photographer, Thomas W. Smillie, shortly after Joseph Henry's death in the room on May 13, 1878.

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