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November 13, 2009 - Nov. 2010 (TBA) (new opening date)
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This exhibition examines the art, industry, and history of holiday displays across the United States, primarily between the 1920s and the 1960s, at the height of their popularity. On view are photographs, postcards, and illustrations of parade floats and window displays -- featuring Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and Marshall Field and Company's Christmas windows -- as well as objects relating to the early creation of these displays.
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New: Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964
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September 9, 2009 - January 3, 2010
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Through photographs and audio excerpts from oral histories, this exhibition examines the experiences of bracero workers and their families while providing insight into Mexican American history and historical context to today's debates on guest worker programs. Begun in 1942 to fill labor shortages in agriculture and the railroads caused by World War II, the bracero program eventually became the largest guest worker program in U.S. history. Small farmers, large growers, and farm associations in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, and 23 other states hired Mexican braceros to provide manpower during peak harvest and cultivation times. By the time the program was canceled in 1964, an estimated 4.6 million contracts had been awarded. Bittersweet, the bracero experience tells a story of both exploitation and opportunity to earn money. The exhibition draws extensively from the museum's collection of photographs taken by photojournalist Leonard Nadel in 1956, as well as oral histories, documents, and objects collected by the Bracero Oral History Project.
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New: Archives Center Cases: Addison Scurlock's Portrait Studies of Women
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August 3, 2009 - November 29, 2009
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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 current case features:
• Addison Scurlock's Portrait Studies of Women
On view are 14 photographic portraits of young women taken by African American photographer Addison Scurlock (1883-1964) during the 1920s. Scurlock opened a photo studio in Washington, D.C., in 1911 that became one of the premiere African American studios in the country. The images on view depict an idealized view of feminine beauty and demonstrate Scurlock's mastery of the photographic process -- from lighting and focus to retouching of negatives to hand coloring of final prints. Note/s:
• No photography permitted
• See related exhibition The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington: Picturing the Promise.
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New: Earl Shaffer and the Appalachian Trail
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July 10, 2009 - November 1, 2009 (new closing date)
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This exhibition focuses on the American environmentalist, naturalist, and activist Earl Shaffer (1918-2002), who in 1948 became the first person to hike the entire Appalachian Trail -- more than 2,000 miles -- in one continuous hike. He started his walk in April at Georgia's Mount Oglethorpe and completed it four months later at Maine's Mount Katahdin. This trail along the ridgetop was planned in 1921 by conservationist and forester Benton MacKaye (1879-1975) and completed 15 years later with the help of thousands of volunteers. Until Shaffer's trip, experts on the Appalachian Trail believed a hike of the entire trail was impossible. However, Shaffer repeated the feat twice more -- the last time in 1998 at the age of 79; his achievement has inspired hundreds of hikers to complete the trail annually. On view are the boots he wore during his 1948 hike, maps he used, photographs taken of various parts of the trail, and diaries he kept to prove his accomplishment. The exhibition also addresses the conception and development of the Appalachian Trail and its cultural and environmental impact. Interactive kiosks
Web: americanhistory.si.edu/documentsgallery/exhibitions/appalachian_trail_1.html
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New: On the Water: Stories from Maritime America
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May 22, 2009 - Permanent
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Marine transportation and waterborne commerce underlie American history like a strong and steady ocean current. Maritime trade established major cities, created connections between people and places, and opened the continent. This exhibition traces American maritime history from 18th-century sailing ships, to 19th-century steamboats and fishing craft, to today's huge container ships. Items featured include rigged ship models, patent models, documents, and images from the Smithsonian's National Watercraft Collection. American maritime history is brought to life through the stories of whaling crews, fishermen, shipbuilders, merchant mariners, passengers, and many others who work on the nation's waterways. Audio and video components
Interactive stations
Web: americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater/
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New: First Ladies at the Smithsonian
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December 19, 2008 - Permanent
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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)
Web: americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=1239
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New: The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington: Picturing the Promise
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January 30, 2009 - February 28, 2010
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Nearly a century's worth of photographs from the Scurlock Studio, which operated from 1911-1994, 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 of the early 20th century and continuing into the early 1990s, Addison Scurlock (1883-1964), followed by his sons, Robert (1916-1994) and George (1919-2005), 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.
Web: americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=1260
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New: The Star-Spangled Banner: The Flag that Inspired the National Anthem
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November 21, 2008 - 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 November 2008 Smithsonian magazine, pp. 68-76 Related publications:
- The Star-Spangled Banner: The Making of an American Icon: $29.95 (cloth)
- Book of 33 postcards:$7.95
Web: americanhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner
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New: Artifact Walls: Constitution Ave. Entrance Corridor
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November 21, 2008 - Permanent
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On view in floor-to-ceiling, glass-fronted walls on both sides of the Constitution Avenue entrance are objects highlighting the depth and breadth of the museum's permanent collection and our nation's rich and diverse history. The objects are organized around the following themes:
• Arts
• Popular Culture
• Business, Work, and the Economy
• Home and Family
• Community
• Land and Natural Resources
• Peopling America
• Politics and Reform
• Science
• Medicine
• Technology
• America's Role in the World
On view in floor-to-ceiling, glass-fronted walls flanking the grand staircase near the Constitution Avenue entrance are five cases dedicated to the following themes:
• Cameras Before Digital
October 28, 2009-TBA
This case features from the museum's collection 22 cameras -- from daguerreotype and view cameras to 20th-century military, aerial, digital, and promotional models -- that reveal the technological progress made from the camera's invention in 1839 to the advent of digital photography.
• Creating Hawai'i
August 21, 2009-August 2010
Objects from the museum's collection highlight Hawaii's unique culture and the extensive changes in tradition and diversity throughout its history -- from kingdom to republic, and from territory to state. Celebrates the 50th anniversary of Hawaii becoming the 50th state (1959).
• Mobilizing Young American Minds, 1950-1970 examines the changes in math and science education during the Cold War, especially following the 1957 launch of the USSR's Sputnik satellite.
• Producing for the American Table highlights how Mexican American food production has shaped the United States economy and culture. See November 2008 Smithsonian magazine, pp. 27-30
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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: National Treasures of American Popular Culture
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November 21, 2008 - 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, Minnie Pearl's hat, Warner Brothers cartoon animation cells, Jim Henson's Kermit the Frog, Archie Bunker's chair, and a costume worn by Tejana singer Selena -- 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.
Web: americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=1199
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New: Picturing Words: The Power of Book Illustration
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November 21, 2008 - April 10, 2010 (new closing date)
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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: 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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- Permanent
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Note: Temporarily off view for improvements to the display beginning Wednesday, September 30; scheduled to reopen Monday, November 23, 2009. This miniature dollhouse represents a romantic view of the life of a large and affluent American family in the early 1900s. Its 23 rooms contain more than 800 items, including furniture, linens, toys, and other household items. The late Faith Bradford, a records expert at the Library of Congress, spent more than a half century designing and building the miniature furnishings; it was donated to the museum in 1951. Also on view is Ms. Bradford's scrapbook, which shows her methods of creating the house.
Web: americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/exhibition.cfm?key=38&exkey=1200
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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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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: November 20, 2009, 09:58
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