The Smithsonian Institution, 1855
Allyn Cox
Oil on Canvas
1973-1974
Great Experiment Hall
Cox Corridors
The Smithsonian Institution, which today includes approximately two dozen museums and research centers, was founded in 1846. It was named for English scientist James Smithson, who bequeathed his estate to the United States to create an establishment "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men." This mural shows the Smithsonian's red sandstone "castle," which opened in 1855.
Left: American author John Lloyd Stephens and English illustrator
Frederick Catherwood explore Central American ruins in 1839. This
vignette and the one at the right symbolize the spirit of scientific
inquiry that the Smithsonian Institute would embody.
Right: Charles Willson Peale excavates a mastodon skeleton near
Newburg, Pennsylvania, in 1802.
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