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New: First Ladies at the Smithsonian
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December 19, 2008 - New Permanent (new opening date)
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This exhibition highlights the role of the first lady and features 14 First Ladies' gowns, as well as portraits, White House china, and personal possessions from the Smithsonian's collection. A section discussing the tradition of the First Ladies' inaugural gown answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the gown collection. The final section focuses on the contributions of the first ladies, the country's expectations of them, and the ways in which they have supported the most powerful office in the country. Gowns on view include those worn by Helen Taft, Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, Sarah Polk, Mary Todd Lincoln, Lucy Hayes, Frances Cleveland, Florence Harding, Grace Coolidge, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, Rosalyn Carter, and Laura Bush. Video (runs continuously)
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New: The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington: Picturing the Promise
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Upcoming: January 30, 2009 - November 15, 2009
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Nearly a century's worth of photographs from the Scurlock studio form a vivid portrait of black Washington, D.C., in all its guises -- its challenges and its victories, its dignity and its determination. The exhibition features more than 100 images created by one of the premiere African American studios in the country and one of the longest-running black businesses in Washington. Highlights include cameras and equipment from the studio and period artifacts from Washington. Beginning in the early 20th century and continuing into the 1990s, Addison Scurlock, followed by his sons, Robert and George, used their cameras to document and celebrate a community unique in the world. They captured weddings, baptisms, graduations, sporting events, civil protests, high-society affairs, and visiting dignitaries. It was for portraiture, however, that the Scurlocks became renowned; they continue to be recognized today by scholars and artists as among the very best of 20th-century photographers who recorded the rapid changes in African American urban communities nationwide. Related publication: $35
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New: Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life
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Upcoming: January 16, 2009 - Jan. 2011 (TBA) (new closing date)
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To celebrate Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, this exhibition explores the life and legacy of our 16th president through objects from the museum's collection, augmented with personal stories told by him and the people who knew him best. It showcases more than 60 historical treasures associated with Lincoln's life -- from an iron wedge he used to split wood in the early 1830s in New Salem, Illinois, to his iconic top hat he wore the night he was assassinated at Ford's Theatre.
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New: The Star-Spangled Banner: The Flag that Inspired the National Anthem
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November 21, 2008 - New Permanent
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After undergoing a lengthy conservation period, the nation's flag is the centerpiece of the museum. Soaring above the entrance to the gallery is an architectural representation of a waving flag -- approximately 40 feet long and up to 19 feet high and composed of 960 reflective tiles made of polycarbonate material. An introductory section in the entry corridor sets the scene for the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812. Around the corner, the 30-by-34-foot wool-and-cotton flag is on view in a new dramatic display behind a 35-foot-long, floor-to-ceiling glass wall in a climate-controlled gallery that re-creates the dawn's early light, similar to Francis Scott Key's experience the morning of September 14, 1814, when he saw the flag flying over Ft. McHenry in Baltimore Harbor, inspiring him to pen the famous lyrics. The first stanza of the national anthem is projected prominently on the wall above the flag. Sections in the exit corridor trace the flag's history, including its safekeeping by Major George Armistead and his descendants, the Smithsonian's efforts to preserve it for more than 100 years, and how both the flag and the national anthem have come to represent diverse ideas of patriotism and national identity. Also at the exit are an interactive table with a virtual, life-size image of the flag and a tactile panel with an outline of the flag and a full-size star for visitors who are visually impaired. No photography permitted
See related article in Smithsonian magazine: Nov. 2008, pp. 68-76. Related publications:
- The Star-Spangled Banner: The Making of an American Icon: $29.95 (cloth)
- Book of 33 postcards:$7.95
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November 21, 2008 - TBA
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What do the inventors behind Post-it Notes, robotic ants, Kevlar, and the telephone have in common with children? Play! Created especially for families, this exhibition focuses on the similarities between the ways children and adults play and the creative skills and processes used by inventors. Through interactive and engaging activities, it encourages various playful habits of mind that underlie invention: curiosity, imagination, visual thinking, model building, and problem solving. It introduces inventors and innovators through compelling personal stories, photos, and artifacts. It even provides a chance to try learning to windsurf on the Sailboard Simulator, which is based on a design by sailboard inventor Newman Darby. This is the first exhibition in the new Lemelson Hall of Invention.
Web: inventionatplay.org
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New: Picturing Words: The Power of Book Illustration
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November 21, 2008 - January 4, 2010
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Through 40 rare books from the Smithsonian Institution's libraries, as well as objects from the museum's Graphic Arts Division, this exhibition explores the power of pictures and book illustrations by answering the following questions: -- Why are pictures so powerful? Pictures influence, inform, and inspire us in many ways. They attract us, offering a feast for the eye as well as food for the mind. They explain complicated ideas at a glance and even teach those who cannot read. -- Why do books include pictures? Pictures reach audiences more directly than text alone. They add beauty, color, and life to the printed page. They communicate the author's tone and approach to the subject, and enhance our understanding and enjoyment of the text. They engage us, prompt our imagination, and appeal to readers and non-readers alike.
Web: www.sil.si.edu/exhibitions/PicturingWords
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New: Thanks for the Memories: Music, Sports, and Entertainment History
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November 21, 2008 - New Permanent
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This exhibition displays iconic and well-loved artifacts -- Dorothy's ruby slippers, Muhammad Ali's and Joe Louis's boxing gloves, a Harlem Globetrotters jersey, a boom box owned by hip-hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy, Celia Cruz's costume and shoes, Minnie Pearl's hat, Seinfeld's puffy shirt, Warner Brothers cartoon animation cells, and Jim Henson's Kermit the Frog -- that mirror the ways music, sports, and entertainment have played major roles in American life, shaping our national memory and often defining what is American to the nation and to the world. Note: The Stephen Colbert portrait went on view on the 3rd floor, west, opposite the Dumbo landmark, on Nov. 25, 2008.
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New: Archives Center Cases: The Civilian Conservation Corps Experience, 1933-1942
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November 21, 2008 - TBA
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In changing display cases, the Archives Center features items from the museum's archival collection that document America's history and its diverse cultures, ranging from correspondences, diaries, financial and legal documents, photographs, and sound recordings. The following case is on view: • The Civilian Conservation Corps Experience, 1933-1942
The photographs and paper materials in these cases show what life was like for the young men who enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC), specifically the conservation work they engaged in and their daily life in camp. Celebrates the 75th anniversary of the CCC. Note/s:
• No photography permitted
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New: Lemelson Center Case: Jerome Lemelson: Toying with Invention
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November 21, 2008 - TBA
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This new changing exhibition case complements the Lemelson Hall of Invention on the first floor. • Jerome Lemelson: Toying with Invention
On view in this case are notebooks with sketches of toy ideas and examples of some of the toys Jerome Lemelson invented. Lemelson earned more than 600 patents; some 70 of them describe toys -- inflatable toys, jumping toys, toys with propellers, toys that run on tracks, target games, dolls, and more. In fact, Lemelson's first patent, issued in 1953, was for a new kind of propeller beanie.
Web: invention.smithsonian.org/home/
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American Presidency: A Glorious Burden, The
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- Permanent
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More than 900 objects related to the 43 men who have held the nation's highest office are used to explore the public, personal, ceremonial, and executive boundaries of the presidency. Composed of 11 thematic sections, the exhibition addresses such topics as inaugural celebrations, presidential roles, life at the White House, limits of presidential power, assassinations and mourning, the influence of the media, and life after the presidency.
Web: americanhistory.si.edu/presidency
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Communities in a Changing Nation: The Promise of 19th-Century America
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- Permanent
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This permanent exhibition explores the excitement and dynamism of American life during the 19th century through the experiences of 3 communities: Industrial Era Bridgeport, Connecticut; Jewish Immigrant Community of Cincinnati, Ohio; and African-Americans living in 19th-century Charleston, South Carolina. Major artifacts include a model of an Eli Whitney cotton gin and an Edison light bulb.
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- Permanent
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Built in 1776, the gunboat Philadelphia is the oldest American fighting vessel in existence. She sank on October 11, 1776, in Lake Champlain during the battle of Valcour Island, when an American flotilla commanded by General Benedict Arnold was defeated by a British fleet. The gunboat Philadelphia was raised in 1935 and came to the museum in 1964, complete with the 24-pound ball that sent it to the bottom.
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- Permanent
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Note: Because many of the musical instruments are used during special concerts, some instruments may be off view periodically. On view are dozens of string instruments -- many carefully restored to playing condition -- and other artifacts relating to the history, performance styles, and techniques of European and American music and the development of musical instruments. Highlights include:
• the Servais cello (1701), made by Antonio Stradivarius
• the Herbert R. Axelrod Quartet of Decorated Instruments, made by Stradivarius, featuring: violin, the Ole Bull (1687); violincello, the Marylebone (1688); viola, the Axelrod (1695); and violin, the Greffuhle (1709)
Web: americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=80
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- Permanent
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By the late 19th century, America's Industrial Revolution had a full head of steam. This hall follows the development of the increasingly efficient power machinery that helped the United States become a world leader in industrial production during this time. Full-size engines and models illustrate attempts to harness atmospheric force (1660-1700), the early age of steam power (1700-1770), the development of high-pressure and high-speed engines (1800-1920). The exhibition also shows the evolution of steam boilers and the steam turbine and progress in the techniques of harnessing water power. A number of pumps, waterwheels, and historic internal combustion engines are also on view.
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Price of Freedom: Americans at War, The
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- Permanent
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This exhibition surveys the history of America's military from the Colonial Era to the present conflict in Iraq, exploring how wars have been defining episodes in American history. Through more than 800 artifacts, images, and interactive stations, the exhibition reveals how Americans have fought to establish the nation's independence, determine its borders, shape its values of freedom and opportunity, and define its role in world affairs. It also explores the social impact of America's wars, presenting the link between military conflict and American political leadership, social values, technological innovation, and personal sacrifice.
Web: americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory
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- Permanent
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This exhibition tells the history of the re-created, 2 1/2-story, Georgian-style house that stood at 16 Elm Street in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and 5 of the many families who occupied it from the mid-1760s through 1945. The exhibition explores some of the important ways ordinary people, in their daily lives, have been part of the great changes and events in American history. Walking around the exterior of the house, visitors can view -- through open walls, windows, and doorways -- settings played out against the backdrop of Colonial America, the American Revolution, the abolitionist movement, the industrial era, and World War II. Near the exit is a list of all the families who lived in the house through the 1960s.
Web: americanhistory.si.edu/house/
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Last update: January 13, 2009, 19:24
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