Jul

Our Smithsonian: We are the Smithsonian

On the 10th anniversary of our first Smithsonian selfie, a reminder that we’re just as good-looking as ever.

On the morning of July 1, 2010, nearly 4,000 Smithsonian Institution staff members, interns, fellows, and retirees came together to form the Smithsonian “Sunburst,” the symbol of the Institution. The resulting photograph, captured on the National Mall, is thought to be the only staff portrait ever attempted in the 164-year history of the Smithsonian.
We are the Smithsonian.

“Though we as individuals are and have been so dispersed over the past few months given the coronavirus pandemic, this signal moment from a decade ago reminds us how united in purpose we are, and that when we join together we, as the Smithsonian, can do extraordinary things.”

Richard Kurin
Smithsonian Institution Distinguished Scholar

Smithsonian Staff Picnic Group Photo on the National Mall on July 02, 2010. For an Institution-wide group photo, Smithsonian staff and volunteers assembled on the National Mall in the shape of the SI sunburst logo. (Photo by Dane Penland)

“Chandra Heilman and I co-chaired the Smithsonian Community Committee then and Charlie Weber from Folklife had the idea to celebrate our staff and host a photo in conjunction with our SI-wide picnic that year. What a great day that was!”

Nancy Bechtol
Director, Smithsonian Facilities

“Here is how the idea came about: Me, Dianne Neidner and Mike Headley are sitting together in the Castle Regents room plotting about something special we could do for staff. I blurt out, ‘I know, let’s take a photograph of the world’s largest assembly of naked scientists!’ To which Dianne replied, ‘Charlie, what is wrong with you? You know what naked scientists look like!’ More talking and two minutes later, I said, ‘No. Wait. Let’s get the staff together and make the world’s largest sunburst.’”

Charlie Weber
Audio/Visual Specialist
Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

And so it begins. (Photo by Eric Long)

“I was contacted by Charlie to be the photo project manager for the shoot. Charlie would take care of getting the cherry pickers if I could get the photographers lined up to shoot. I knew that I did not want to take the group shot itself because I wanted to capture the behind-the-scenes of just how it was done and closeup shots of groups of people once they were in place. I asked Dane Penland if he would take the shot and he gladly accepted. I also got many of the Photo Services photographers and asked on the SPIN site for volunteers. Jim Wallace also shot for us.”

Eric Long
Photographer
National Air and Space Museum

Dane Penland, (left) Photographer, National Air and Space Museum, and James Wallace (retired), Director, Office of Photographic and Printing Services. (Photo by Eric Long)

Photo by Eric Long

Photo by Eric Long

Richard Kurin, Office of the Secretary, directs traffic. (Photo by Eric Long)

“Richard made it fun for staff that morning, which was a beautiful thing. They heard him on megaphone and he got them to filter in to the correct areas while mentioning what seemed like hundreds of people by name. It was a pretty amazing day actually.”

Charlie Weber

G. Wayne Clough, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution, and Nikki Krakora, Office of Special Events, confer. Patty Bartlett, Chief of Staff to the Secretary, stands nearby in red shirt. (Photo by Eric Long)

Cherry pickers overlooking gathering crowd

Beginning to take shape. (Photo by Eric Long)

Dane Penland (left), Photographer, National Air and Space Museum and Adam Metallo, 3D Program Officer, Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO). (Photo by Eric Long)

Directing traffic. (Photo by Eric Long)

Young participants from the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center show off their hand stamps. (Photo by Eric Long)

(Photo by Eric Long)

“The red blob in the middle is SI Libraries in matching shirts. They refused to separate, so Richard guided them to the middle.”

Charlie Weber

Photo by Eric Long

“Hi, Mom!”
(Photo by Eric Long)

Staying within the lines.
(Photo by Eric Long)

“There were three pictures taken. One with the staff facing northeast at Dane, one at the same view only with staff waving, and then one where they did an about-face and looked at the Castle.”

Eric Long

Photo by Eric Long

Another angle. (Photo by Laurie Penland)

“To cover all angles (as photographers tend to do) I was up in the Castle tower. When Eric was done shooting, we had everyone turn around and face the opposite direction for a photo. Didn’t quite work out because the WE ARE THE SMITHSONIAN letters they are holding were then spelled backwards!”

Laurie Penland
Scientific Diving Program Specialist

The photographers linger for their own photo after everyone has dispersed. (Photo by Eric Long)

This alternate angle, filmed from the tower of the Smithsonian Castle, the Institution’s original structure, was created from a series of time-lapse photographs played at a speed 9,000 percent faster than normal.