O Say Can You See?

Rubbing elbows with history

At one of the museum’s reopening events, I perused the new Star-Spangled Banner Gallery for the first time. I was especially excited to see the new interactive flag. I had heard a lot about this feature: it is a large table with a very hi-res image of the flag projected on to it and tidbits of information easily available for visitors. It was a lot of fun to play with, and I was really enjoying it when a woman came up to me and asked me to explain what it was.

This detail photo shows the "A" that was reportedly sewn onto the flag by Louisa Armistead, widow of the 1814 commander of Fort McHenry.

I talked about it, modeled how to use it, and also mentioned that I’ve been working on several lesson plans about the flag for the new Web site. Then we spoke some more, and she casually mentioned that she is a descendant of the Armistead family.

Lieutenant Colonel Armistead commissioned Mary Pickersgill to sew the Star-Spangled Banner, and his descendants ultimately gave the flag to the Smithsonian Institution. Louisa Armistead, widow of the commander of Ft. McHenry, sewed an “A” for “Armistead” into the flag, and I got chills up my spine as I helped this Armistead descendant find the “A” that stood for her family!

Jenny Wei is an education specialist at the National Museum of American History. She’s very excited to have visitors (famous and yet-unknown) returning to the building.

A living museum

It is such a joy to come to work in a living, breathing museum again. The building is buzzing with life—from young children helping a costumed Mary Pickersgill assemble a flag the actual size of the Star-Spangled Banner to families clamoring around an interactive kiosk in the Gettysburg Address exhibition to hear actor Liam Neeson’s reading of the famous speech.  After an amazing three-day reopening festival, we’ve been able to put together a short montage of scenes from inside the museum. In the video below you’ll get a look at some of the festivities—from ribbon-cutting to banjo-strumming—and see a glimpse of the new exhibitions and spaces that await your next visit.

Dana Allen-Greil is the new media project manager at that National Museum of American History.

By the numbers

I am a new employee at the National Museum of American History. In fact, at the time of this writing, I have been working here for 9 weeks, 3 days, and 16 hours. Each morning I ride the elevator up 5 floors, walk past 36 doors, and work for approximately 8 hours. The numbers alone may not say it, but I work at a great place! Every day for the last 9 weeks, 3 days, and 14 hours, I have come to work and learned something new about the museum, the collections, and American history. At home “did you know?” has become a catch phrase for me.

For example, did you know that in 1914, during the first major conservation effort for the Star-Spangled Banner, 11 needlewomen attached a linen backing to the giant flag with approximately 1.7 million hand sewn stitches? And did you know that in 2001, during the second major conservation effort, conservators painstakingly removed those 1.7 million stitches in order to detach that same linen backing? Now, I’m not a numbers person—I studied history because I love stories—but sometimes numbers tell an incredible story: 1.7 million stitches, twice!

For the reopening of the museum we have gathered a few facts and numbers. If you take a few minutes to look over these numbers, I think you will find they tell a story about hard work, long hours, and dedication to the museum—and to creating a memorable experience for all of our visitors.

• 2 feet: approximate size of the stars on the Star-Spangled Banner 
• 6 digital screens with visitor information in the new Welcome Center
• 10 degrees from horizontal: orientation of the Star-Spangled Banner in its new gallery
• 13 stars surrounding dark green inset marble in central atrium
• 23 vehicles on display in the America on the Move exhibition
• 30 by 34 feet: size of the Star-Spangled Banner
• 34 treads in the new Grand Staircase 
• 40 feet of original 1932 pavement from Route 66 in America on the Move
• 45 pounds: weight of the Star-Spangled Banner 
• 50 by 52 feet: dimensions of the Star-Spangled Banner chamber
• 70 degrees +/- 2 degrees; 50% relative humidity +/- 2%; temperature and humidity in the Star-Spangled Banner chamber
• 80 by 70 feet: dimensions of the Star-Spangled Banner gallery
• 275 linear feet of Artifact Walls
• 530 pieces of marble installed in east-west hallways, reusing the museum’s original marble 
• 900 objects in Julia Child’s kitchen
• 960 pixels of mirrored polycarbonate make up the Abstract Flag
• 4,784 objects on display in the museum
• Approximately 10,000 lbs: weight of the table that the Star-Spangled Banner rests on
• 300,000 square feet of exhibition, programming, and public space in the museum
• 3,000,000 objects in the museum’s collection
• 3,000,000 annual visitors

Elizabeth Johnson is a special assistant for public programs at the National Museum of American History.

The unexpected impact of opening weekend

I used my staff pass to line jump the queue for the Star-Spangled Banner gallery, expecting to grab a quick look and duck out so I could get back to all the work I have to do this weekend as part of the opening. When I rounded the corner to the flag chamber, I was so startled that I stopped in my tracks. I made my way to the bench at the rear of the gallery and sank down, sitting for minutes longer than I had planned. The display is breathtaking, almost magical, and utterly captivating. The artist’s renderings of what the flag would look like in its new home failed to prepare me for the wonder of seeing it laid out on a giant table tilted gently towards the viewer, subtly illuminated so that the fabric seems to glow. It is a truly wonderful experience, and I can’t urge enough that anyone who can come to see this marvel do so as soon as possible. 

I don’t want to get too sentimental here, but this whole weekend has been full of such moments. Having the museum open again is like coming home. Everything just feels more right with children and families thronging the halls as American history returns to the National Mall. I truly believe that this museum is one of the most treasured in our country, and it is curiously gratifying to see the pleasure on the faces of our visitors as they experience the treasures that have been shut away for two years during our renovation. The new atrium is a stunning centerpiece to a revitalized museum, and the risen energy level of the building itself has seemed to infect every visitor over the past days. I knew people would be happy to see the museum, but I guess I didn’t truly understand the level of excitement that would be on display this weekend. I walk through the halls taking photos and talking to visitors and there’s constantly a small smile on my face. This place just feels better when it’s full of people.

Our reopening has been, in my view, an unmitigated success. I say this not in the interests of propaganda, but rather as a heartfelt commendation of my coworkers, the long-term employees of the museum who have devoted years to this project. I’m just an intern, and this weekend is the end of my time here, but I have come to feel a part of this large undertaking and I admire and respect so much the men and women who have poured their hearts into creating the fantastic display that will welcome the public from now on. It is a more fitting home for the history of our nation, and I believe it will continue to inspire and fulfill a love of history in everyone who walks through its doors.

Harry Kashdan is an intern in the New Media department at the National Museum of American History. He will miss working at the museum!

Talk of the town

If you haven’t heard the news yet—the doors to the National Museum of American History are open once again! Not only are we thrilled to be able to welcome visitors back into the building but we’re beaming with pride about the buzz around town.

Abstract Flag. Flickr photo by tbridge

Local bloggers are sharing their excitement about our reopening with great imagery from inside our space. DCist shares a collection of fabulous photos and cites artifacts in the museum’s collection “that can stir even the most stolid student of history” and We Love DC calls the museum “a special place” that combines “new and old, of historic talismans and of high technology.”

Our colleagues over at the “Around the Mall Blog” present "The Top 10 Reasons" to visit the museum this weekend and share a captivating before-and-after video of the building’s transformation.  Smithsonian Magazine also published an article detailing some of the green aspects of our renovation.

Some blog posts suggest the richness and depth of our collections and underscore the ways that everyone can find an aspect of history to connect with in our museum.  The author of “On Frozen Blog” left us a comment thanking us for our online coverage of the reopening, saying “those of us stuck at work want to live vicariously through those lucky enough to attend the events.”  He also put in a plug for our reopening in the post "Welcoming Back An American Classic" linking his love of hockey with some of our amazing sports collections. In a post about vintage shoes, the Express Night Out blog claims that with the museum reopening “we don’t advocate breaking the glass and trying on the 1930s ruby slippers Judy Garland wore to play Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.  But one glance at the sequined babies drives home how glamorous shoes from past decades can be.”

Finally, a few media outlets created dramatic multimedia presentations showcasing the museum’s new look. The folks at The Washington Post created two breathtaking panoramic images: a view from the National Mall entrance and a striking look inside the Star-Spangled Banner gallery. In a wonderful video presentation from NPR, reporter Susan Stamberg describes the “shiver of recognition” one feels when gazing up on the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem.

Dana Allen-Greil is the new media project manager at the National Museum of American History. She says “thanks!” to everyone who has blogged, commented, emailed, or otherwise shared feedback with us about the reopened museum. Keep it coming!