Smithsonian Libraries and Archives / Unbound

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Sleuthing Captain America’s Shield

enero 28, 2026

Sleuthing Captain America’s Shield

While the Smithsonian is referenced all the time in popular media, nothing goes hand-in-hand with the world’s largest museum complex quite like the world’s largest film franchise: the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In that fictional world, the Avengers and the Smithsonian have had a somewhat rocky relationship, including a heist by Captain America to steal his old uniform from the National Air and Space Museum. The inclusion of the Smithsonian in the MCU has led to many questions for Smithsonian staff, most prominently, “Why is the Captain America exhibit in the MCU in the National Air and Space Museum and not the National Museum of *American* History?”
41c Captain America single
, National Postal Museum 2007.2025.46. Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
But the most recent feature of the Smithsonian in the MCU raised a fabulous question from the public to our
Ask A Librarian service
. Ask A Librarian is our public-facing email that opens the expertise of Smithsonian librarians to the entire world, answering questions and connecting the public to Smithsonian resources.
This question is from Jason Henderson, a librarian at Langston University in Oklahoma:
I was watching the Disney+ Marvel show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
In this show, Captain America’s shield was specifically donated to (a fictional version of) the Smithsonian.
In the narrative, the shield was donated by a private citizen, with the understanding it would be part of the permanent display.
The shield however might technically be considered property of the US government, was removed from the exhibit and was issued as military equipment.
I know this is a fictionalized event, however as a librarian, it made me wonder about the real Smithsonian policy concerning these types of donations.
To answer Jason’s specific question, the handling of collections, including accountability and ownership, are governed by “Smithsonian Directives” (SDs) which outline policy and practice for the entire institution. Specifically, SD-600 covers items in the National Collections, like the shield would be.
SD-600 requires that the Smithsonian establish legal title to any item to be acquired for the collections with accompanying evidence, such as provenance information, permits, export/import licenses, and intellectual property transfer agreements where applicable. Such evidence would prove conclusively that an item wasn’t, for example, already owned by another department of the US government (i.e. S.W.O.R.D. in the case of Falcon and the Winter Soldier) and subject to repossession by that entity.
In the case of Captain America’s Shield, provenance is key. The Shield given to Sam Wilson in Avengers: Endgame was brought back to the standard MCU timeline by Steve Rogers from an alternate universe. Clearly, since federal jurisdiction does not extend throughout the multiverse, this particular Shield was the personal possession of St…

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Intriguing Items from the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ Adopt-a-Book Program

enero 28, 2026

Intriguing Items from the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ Adopt-a-Book Program

The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’
Adopt-a-Book
program has brought donors, Smithsonian staff, and treasured collection items together for twelve years. This year our annual event went virtual in a series of Adopt-a-Book Salons. Across four evenings, we were able to showcase 77 items from our collections. We featured selections from the Smithsonian Institution Archives for the first time, giving our attendees a look into our incredible archival materials.
Even though the Salons are over, we still have many intriguing items available for adoption. Each adoption provides essential funding to support the conservation, acquisition, and digitization of our materials while allowing you to create your own Smithsonian legacy. Here you can see some of your options, but there are many more on
our website
.
Aspen: The Magazine in a Box
Forgive us for stating the obvious, but this item is simply fab. Packaged to look like Fab laundry detergent is
Aspen: The Magazine in a Box
,
Volume 1 Issue 3, December 1966. It is one of six issues owned by the
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Library
and was designed by Andy Warhol and David Dalton. As with all the Aspen volumes, this issue has many components, including a flipbook based on Warhol’s film
Kiss
and a flexidisc by John Cale of the Velvet Underground. Each issue was intended to be a time capsule, capturing the culture and events of the late 1960s.
Cover,
Aspen: The Magazine in a Box
, Volume 1 Issue 3, December 1966.
Ne’Ho Niyo’ Dë:Nö’ = That’s What It Was like
Knowledge of the Seneca Nation is preserved in this compilation of oral histories from sixty-one tribal elders, creating a valuable historical and cultural resource. The grant-funded
Seneca Nation Curriculum Development Project
gave the Seneca Nation Education Department an opportunity to produce this rare publication that preserves, teaches, and conveys Seneca history from the Seneca perspective. Most of the elders interviewed were born early in the 20th century. Their stories tell the rich tapestry of life as Haudenosaunee people who were deeply impacted by government or parochial boarding schools and language loss. The book was intended for use by teachers and students on and around the nine Seneca reservations.
Cover,
Ne’Ho Niyo’ Dë:Nö’ = That’s What It Was like
(1986).
Russia’s Treasure of Diamonds and Precious Stones
A real gem of a rare book,
Russia’s Treasure of Diamonds and Precious Stones
is an illustrated catalogue of the Russian crown jewels, published by the Soviet Union’s People’s Commissariat of Finance after the Russian Revolution removed the Tsar and his family from the throne. It is believed to be the only complete record of the Romanov dynasty’s treasures before their dispersal through private sale and a subsequent auction. The work was published as a limited-edition portfolio consisting of 100 photographic plates (often life-sized) a…

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A Digitization Journey, a Knowledge Journey: Personal and Professional Insights From My Work on P…

enero 28, 2026

A Digitization Journey, a Knowledge Journey: Personal and Professional Insights From My Work on Polynesian Researches

Na au iki a me na au nui o ka ʻike: The little and the large currents of knowledge.
In preparation for Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I chose to reflect on the intersections of my past and present work in
Biodiversity Heritage Library
(BHL) collections, with historical connections to my home in Hawaiʻi. Part of my primary duties as a Conservation Technician with the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives is to stabilize objects before and after digitization for BHL. When I joined the team in 2018, I was assigned the task of mending the library’s four volumes of the 1853 edition of William Ellis’
Polynesian Researches During a Residence of Nearly Eight Years in the Society and Sandwich Islands
. The idea was to kick off my new job with a project that would inspire me on a personal level, as an introduction to the value of both the digital and physical preservation responsibilities of our institution.
Portrait of William Ellis
.
Narrative of a tour through Hawaii, or Owhyhee with observations on the natural history of the Sandwich Islands, and remarks on the manners, customs, traditions, history, and language of their inhabitants
. Third Edition, 1827. Contributed in BHL from Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.
British-born William Ellis is considered the “godfather of missionary ethnography.”
Polynesian Researches
vol. 4
chronicles his time spent in Hawaiʻi while serving under the infamous American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Credited with bringing Christianity, literacy, and western education to Kānaka Māoli (the native Hawaiians), the ABCFM also seeded the islands with the missionary descendants, known as the Committee of Safety, who on 6 July 1887 would hold King Kalākaua at gunpoint to sign a new constitution, effectively granting them control of the government. On 17 January 1893, a group of these same men organized a coup against the last reigning monarch,
Queen Liliʻuokalani
, using the imposing presence of the U.S. military to
overthrow the sovereign Kingdom of Hawaiʻi
. Following the overthrow, the provisional government set up by the Committee was recognized as a protectorate without the permission of the U.S. State Department. Finally, on 16 June 1897, in direct violation of previous treaties with the Kingdom of Hawaii, President Mckinley signed a new treaty granting the fraudulent annexation of Hawaiʻi by the United States. On 23 November 1993, the 100 year anniversary of the overthrow,
Joint Resolution 103-150
was signed into law by both chambers of congress and President Clinton. The law “acknowledged the historic significance of the illegal overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi…” and expressed the U.S. government’s “deep regret.”
Flag of the Kingdom of Hawaii
. Ellis, William.
Polynesian researches during a residence of nearly eight years in the Society and Sandwich islands
, …

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Upcoming Event: Ask a Conservator – Emergency Management

enero 28, 2026

Upcoming Event: Ask a Conservator – Emergency Management

Ask a Conservator: Emergency Management
Wednesday, June 23 at 5 pm ET
Cultural heritage is not renewable. If books, documents, pieces of art, or any other ephemera are destroyed in a fire, for example, they are likely lost forever. Librarians and archivists have a long history of responding to and preparing for the kinds of emergencies and disasters, both natural and human-inflicted, that threaten these important resources for economic development and tourism, as well as knowledge, creativity, and a sense of historically connected identity.
In our next “Ask a Conservator” program on June 23,
Nora Lockshin
, senior conservator, and
Katie Wagner
, senior book conservator, will share how they plan for and respond to potential emergency situations that could pose risks to the safety of our precious collections at the Smithsonian and those of our fellow cultural institutions around the country. They’ll also discuss how they are called on to assist with protecting and recovering cultural heritage around the world. And as always, there will be plenty of time for your questions!
Register now to attend this webinar via Zoom
. Spaces are limited!
You can also watch this event on
Facebook
. To access the event, please be sure you are following
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
. We recommend having our page open when it starts.
If you’re not able to watch live, don’t worry! This program will be recorded and made available for later viewing on our
YouTube channel
.
We’re seeking sponsors for this program.
Donations will go directly to support preservation at the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. If you’re interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact our
Advancement team
.

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Falling for Field Books

enero 28, 2026

Falling for Field Books

This post first appeared on the
Smithsonian Institution Archives’ blog
.
Being an avid reader, every once in a while an item comes across my desk for digitization with such an intriguing story that I can’t help but get sucked into it. That’s what happened when I first saw one of
James Eike’s field books
. Now I know what you are thinking, “how does one get sucked into a field book?” Often times, field books are filled with lists of specimens or observations from the field, and those created by
James Eike
, an avid bird watcher and citizen scientist, are no exception. However, among the almost daily counts of birds observed by Eike are glimpses into his personal life, where, according to him, just about every day was glorious.
List of items Claire and Susan Eike received for Christmas in 1958. Record Unit 7342 – James W. Eike Papers, 1927, 1950-1983, Box 1, Folder 5, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Neg. No. SIA2012-0088.
James Eike was born in Woodbridge, Virginia on September 29, 1911 to Carl and Sarah Eike. Shortly after starting at Georgetown University in 1928, he began recording his observations about the wildlife he saw around northern Virginia, especially birds and snakes. Unlike the lists of bird counts found in his later field books, Eike’s first few journals are more narrative in form. By 1930, he was keeping lists of the numbers and types of birds seen, as well as the date and location where he saw them. Eike graduated from Georgetown in 1932 and started working for the U.S. Public Health Service in 1934.
James Eike’s field book entry for April 6, 1971; his 31st Anniversary. Record Unit 7342 – James W. Eike Papers, 1927, 1950-1983, Box 1, Folder 8, Smithsonian Institution Archives.
On April 6, 1940, James Eike married the love of his life, Claire. Their daughter, Susan, was born almost six years later on January 31, 1946. At that point, spotting and counting birds seemed to become somewhat of a family affair for the Eikes. Occasionally, James Eike would take his young daughter with him when he went to the nearby woods to count the birds, and on the weekends, sometimes the whole family would go together. Additionally, one page of Eike’s field book from “3-20-57 to 7-20-57” includes a list of birds that Claire saw while on a trip to Michigan in July while her husband stayed in Virginia. Claire and Susan also became members of the
Virginia Society of Ornithology (VSO)
, a group which James Eike had actively participated in since 1933.
Sept. 8, 1951 – Sat: To woods with Susan 10:30-12:30. Wonderful weather…
Sept. 9, 1951 – Sun: Another wonderful day – brisk in morning. To woods with Claire and Susan, 11:00-12:30. Saw and/or heard Swifts, Hummingbird…
In addition to the lists of birds, Eike’s entries and field books started to include notes about his personal life. Starting in 1957, in the back of just about every field book that spanned Christmas, he would record the list of gifts he, Claire, and Susa…

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A Late 19th Century Camping Experience

enero 28, 2026

A Late 19th Century Camping Experience

Do you remember summer camp as a child? Perhaps you went on a camping trip with your family or maybe you camped out in your own backyard. The
Trade Literature Collection
located at the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives holds a variety of catalogs. Some illustrate camping equipment. Have you ever wondered what it was like to camp over a century ago? This trade catalog might give us an idea.
The trade catalog is titled
Awnings and Tents, Signs and Banners
(1882) by
Murray & Baker
. Just as the title suggests, it includes tents, and as we will learn later, one style even had an awning. It also illustrates camping stoves and camp furniture as well as hammocks for that late afternoon nap.
Murray & Baker, Chicago, IL.
Awnings and Tents, Signs and Banners
(1882), front cover.
Murray & Baker, Chicago, IL.
Awnings and Tents, Signs and Banners
(1882), title page.
The Round Tent, illustrated below, varied between 8 to 11 feet in height and 10 to 16 feet in diameter. It was available in two designs. One design included a wall measuring two feet three inches in height before sloping inward to create a point at the very top. The other design did not include the wall. As shown below, ventilators were located near the point of these tents. This was likely a convenient and welcome feature as it provided air circulation. The Round Tent with a wall is pictured below, bottom right, while the Round Tent without a wall is pictured to its left.
The portable nature of this tent made it easy to pack for a camping trip. The center pole of the tent conveniently folded into two pieces and then all the poles and stakes were rolled inside the folded tent.
Murray & Baker, Chicago, IL.
Awnings and Tents, Signs and Banners
(1882), page 21, “A” or Wedge Tent, Round Tent without a wall, and Round Tent with a wall.
Those who wanted their own space might have preferred the Family Tent, illustrated below (bottom left). The common room was described as a Dining Room and located in the center of the tent. Two or four bedrooms surrounded the dining room. The bedrooms were separated by sheeting, six feet in height, attached by rings onto cords that stretched from the center poles to the sides of the tent. This tent also had a wall measuring 6 feet in height before sloping inward to create a peak at the top.
The Family Tent provided a handy built-in feature for the comfort of its occupants. It had an awning that was created by simply lifting one wall of the tent and supporting it with poles. As illustrated below, the addition of the awning created both air circulation and shade.
Murray & Baker, Chicago, IL.
Awnings and Tents, Signs and Banners
(1882), page 23, Oblong Tent with Square End and Family Tent.
In a
previous blog post
, we highlighted camp furniture such as folding tables, chairs, beds, and the combination trunk/cupboard/table. Now let’s take a look at camp stoves. The “Adams & Westlake Oil Stove” is pictured below and include…

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Supporting Access to Zoological Literature: Article Definition in the Biodiversity Heritage Library

enero 28, 2026

Supporting Access to Zoological Literature: Article Definition in the Biodiversity Heritage Library

This post was written by
Katerina
Ozment,
part of the
Smithsonian
Libraries’
50
th
Anniversary
2019
Intern Class, funded by the Secretary of the Smithsonian and the Smithsonian National Board.
At that
time
she was
an undergraduate at the University of Oklahoma, majoring in History and Biology.
Katerina
is now a graduate student at
the University of Tennessee,
College of Communication and Information,
School of Information Sciences. The internship program is now the
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ 50th Anniversary program
.
For zookeepers to most effectively care for their animals, they need access to zoological research, as well as a way to communicate with other zookeepers. One way for zookeepers to do this is through participation in professional organizations such as the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) and its publication,
Animal Keepers’ Forum
(AKF). AKF contains current research, husbandry techniques, animal enrichment activities, conservation news, and other topics.
Due to AKF’s role in facilitating this kind of communication, Smithsonian Libraries (now Smithsonian Libraries and Archives) requested permission from AAZK to
digitize the Libraries’ copies of AKF
and make them available through the
Biodiversity Heritage Library
(BHL). BHL is an open access digital library for biodiversity works. Smithsonian Libraries and Archives is one of the only BHL member libraries that supports an active zoo and therefore has a unique commitment to providing for this user community in BHL.
Although the publication was already available online, searching for specific articles remained difficult. This is because AKF was uploaded as whole issues as opposed to individual articles. It was uploaded this way because the metadata (data about the work) associated with the Libraries’ record applies to each issue, not each article. Descriptive metadata includes information such as the title, volume, issue number, or date of a work. This metadata ensures that BHL is searchable and that specific works can be located.
However, researchers are used to having article-level metadata and often search for a specific article or article topics. Currently, if a researcher searched for a specific article author in the name field, it would not bring up the articles written by that author for AKF. Similarly, if an article’s title was searched for in the title field, it would not be found. Without article-level metadata, such as article titles or article authors, these resources are much harder to find. It is possible to do a full text search and find articles by title or author that way; however, the OCR (optical character recognition) the full text search relies on is not corrected. If there are mistakes in the OCR, the search terms won’t be found. This is especially true when an article has graphic design elements, or text overlaid on a picture, as both…

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How Yellowstone Was Saved by a Teddy Roosevelt Dinner Party and a Fake Photo in a Gun Magazine

enero 28, 2026

How Yellowstone Was Saved by a Teddy Roosevelt Dinner Party and a Fake Photo in a Gun Magazine

A chill rain drizzled over guests arriving at Bamie Roosevelt’s midtown brownstone near the corner of Madison Avenue and East 62
nd
Street in December 1887. There weren’t many of them, but all had two things in common: they were New York’s most influential and rich social elite, and they all loved hunting big game. All were hand-picked by the hostess’s brother, Theodore Roosevelt, to facilitate his newfound interest in the conservation of the American West. That small gathering became the first domino in a long line that ended in the protection of Yellowstone, the first environmental advocacy group in the US, and the creation of the American National Parks system.
Teddy was in the nadir of his career. His 3
rd
place finish in the New York City Mayoral race foretold doom in the realm of politics. His North Dakota ranch was devastated by winter storms (later known as The Big Die-Up) and on the verge of collapse. His latest book on his Western adventures,
Hunting Trips of a Ranchman
,
received a middling review in the popular sportsmen’s magazine,
Forest and Stream,
which praised his prose but harped on “the author’s limited experience” (
Forest and Stream v.24, pg. 451).
T.R. was evidently so incensed at the aspersions on his Western manliness that
he showed up at the
Forest and Stream
editorial offices in New York
to demand to speak to whoever wrote the article. That very visit led to Roosevelt’s midtown dinner party.
Photograph of Theodore Roosevelt by Julius Ludovici, 1884.
Object number NPG.81.125
. Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
The evening may have gone something like this: first, he plied his guests with the rich bounty of his table and cellar with many toasts and courses. Roosevelt’s glass was unlikely to contain much alcohol (there was even
a later court case
about his abstention from drunkenness), but his hard-drinking younger brother Elliott and others may have partaken in
the bon-vivant cocktails popular at the time
. Then during the game course traditional to late 19
th
century gatherings, the conversation is adeptly steered by Teddy to their subject of common interest: hunting. Over yet another toast, Roosevelt proposes the formation of club named for America’s two most legendary hunters and committed to their shared values: fair chase, preservation of game, and “manly sport with the rifle.” Thus was formed the Boone and Crockett Club.
It could have ended there, with a private club whose members were required to have killed a large North American animal according to their own rules of engagement. But this group would grow in fame because of one of its founding members: George Bird Grinnell. At the time of this gathering, Grinnell stood out among the invited guests for his anonymity. He wasn’t a millionaire like Rutherford Stuyvesant or John Jay Pierrepont, or a famous man of the West like Albert …

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Identifying Article Metadata in “The Avicultural Magazine”

enero 28, 2026

Identifying Article Metadata in “The Avicultural Magazine”

This blog post was written by Taylor Smith,
the 2019
Kathryn Turner Diversity and Technology Intern
in the Smithsonian Libraries’ Web Services Department. At the time of her internship, Taylor was an undergraduate Computer Science student at Bowie State University. Her work in the summer of 2019 consisted of developing and coding a method for identifying article metadata in
The Avicultural Magazine,
a leading journal for the keeping of non-domesticated birds in captivity.
As a biology major with an interest in computer science, I had a curiosity for wildlife and a newfound love for coding. I kept the two in mind when searching for internships, and luckily for me, I was led to the Kathryn Turner Diversity in Technology Internship for the summer of 2019. When I saw that the internship would focus on working with zoo articles relating to botany and wildlife, I knew this was perfect for me.
I had never held an internship before, let alone one that involves coding (which I had started learning that year). I had no idea what to expect when coming into this internship, but I learned a lot more than I could have imagined. Throughout this internship, I learned what metadata was and why it was so important. I learned why having digitized articles available online was so crucial. I also learned that making information accessible took a lot more work than anyone would think.
In my first week, I was introduced to the
Biodiversity Heritage Library
(BHL), an online digital library designed to make biodiversity literature available to the public. In this library, I was specifically working with
The Avicultural Magazine
. This was a journal created by the Avicultural Society in 1894 with the purpose of spreading information, advice, and updates on non-domesticated birds. The volumes are digitized by Smithsonian Libraries and Archives and processed through optical character recognition (OCR) for the convenience of zookeepers and other zoo curators. The only problem with this is that it takes scrolling through endless pages of articles to find the specific item you’re looking for. My job was to create code that finds metadata for these articles to make them much more accessible and citable.
Below is an example of a page with the beginning of an article.
J. Lewis Bonhote, “Field Notes on Some Bahama Birds”,
The Avicultural Magazine
, volume 9, number 1
(November 1902): 19.
At first, I had to write code that would open up the directory of all the articles, open up one file at a time, and look for titles, page numbers, authors, etc. I set to work, but it was not long before we found that Penn State University and the National University of Singapore actually had
a project named ParsCit
that went through the files and searched for said data. The results are placed into an XML file, which was helpful to the process but not exactly as we needed.
My job then became loading and parsing the XML files us…

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Vintage Furniture Finds from the Early 20th Century

enero 28, 2026

Vintage Furniture Finds from the Early 20th Century

Before online outlets and a certain Swedish superstore, imagine decorating and furnishing a new home in the early 20th Century. What did your furniture look like? What curtains or window hangings did you choose? How did you communicate with your neighbors? The
Trade Literature Collection
at the
National Museum of American History Library
includes a few catalogs related to these very things.
One catalog is titled
Spring & Summer Catalog
(1915) by
John Wanamaker
. In previous blog posts, we learned about
library pieces like armchairs and sofa beds
as well as
dining room furniture and tableware
. Now, let’s explore a few more items from this catalog.
John Wanamaker
, New York, NY.
Spring & Summer Catalog
(1915), front cover.
Several pages focus on bedroom furniture such as these Bedroom Suites manufactured from solid mahogany. The Bedroom Suite shown below included several pieces of furniture, but each piece was priced individually. This included bedframes (top and bottom, middle), dresser with glass (top right), chiffonier with glass (top, second from left), and dressing table (top, left). The dressing table came with a triplicate mirror, but those preparing for a special occasion might have preferred a tall or full-length mirror, such as the Cheval Glass (bottom right). Another piece in the suite was the Table Desk (bottom, middle). Perhaps it was used for corresponding with family and friends via letters. The top of the desk included small compartments to store stationery and supplies.
John Wanamaker
, New York, NY.
Spring & Summer Catalog
(1915), page 106, Bedroom Suites (Dressing Table, Chiffonier, Bed, Dresser, Bedroom Table, Table Desk, Twin Beds, Cheval Glass).
John Wanamaker
, New York, NY.
Spring & Summer Catalog
(1915), page 111, Brass and Enamel Beds.
Other choices included brass and enamel beds. The brass beds, shown above (top and middle rows), were available with a polished finish and most also had the option of a hand rubbed, satin finish. White Enamel Iron Beds are also illustrated above on the bottom row.
As for mattresses, one option was the Kurly-Kotton Elastic Felt Mattress (below, top middle). No space age foam or fancy fillings here – this elastic felt mattress was filled with cotton sheets laid by hand. The Single Border Spring (below, middle right) had 63 spirals and was compatible with wooden beds.
John Wanamaker
, New York, NY.
Spring & Summer Catalog
(1915), page 119, Mattresses and Springs.
John Wanamaker also sold draperies and window hangings. Someone setting up their new home in 1915 could chose these Irish Point Curtains (below, bottom left). Measuring 47 inches wide and 3 yards long, these had a plain net center and decorative border. Other window hangings incorporated floral decorations, such as No. 4 Fine Soft Voile (below, top right). Described as having a “graceful floral pattern,” it was available in pink, blue, and yellow.
John Wanamaker
, New Yo…

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Stewards of the Hungerford Deed

enero 28, 2026

Stewards of the Hungerford Deed

When the Smithsonian Institution was founded “for the increase and diffusion of knowledge,” it was difficult to know how impactful this mission would still be 175 years on. To this day, the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives strives to further this goal, sharing our knowledge to make discoveries and expand our understanding together with you, our community of supporters. The Hungerford Deed, which quickly became a treasure of our collections, exemplifies this work, as does the special opportunity to become a close supporter of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives by joining the Stewards of the Hungerford Deed. Read on to learn about how the Hungerford Deed illuminates the Smithsonian’s founding, and the impact you can make as a Steward.
The signature of Elizabeth Macie, James Smithson’s mother, on the Hungerford Deed, 1787, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 19-150.
The Deed is a 1787 property contract divvying up inherited lands between James Smithson’s mother and aunt. The insights shared by the Deed go beyond the legal decisions, illustrating a dramatic battle between the sisters and offering context via the family dynamics that shaped Smithson into the founding donor of the Smithsonian Institution. Like many archival discoveries, the Deed is an unpublished work that required
ample preservation
when it was anonymously donated to the Smithsonian in 2019. Preservation included carefully unfolding, stabilizing, and humidifying each
parchment page
so viewers can
examine the pages
, as interested parties might have three centuries ago. This process reveals and protects the original knowledge present in the Deed, contributing this knowledge to the collections that the Libraries and Archives safeguards as a resource for future generations.
The Hungerford Deed opened for the first time. Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Sharing knowledge often leads to exciting discoveries in collaboration with other scholars and curious minds. The Libraries and Archives is excited to facilitate this exchange through a virtual exhibition launching on August 10, offering a deeper dive into the Deed. Visitors near and far will be able to virtually turn the pages of the Deed and explore for themselves, with highlights of interesting facts and context right on the page to enhance their understanding. The Deed offers a wellspring of new information pertaining to the history of
women’s property rights
,
the British legal system
, and
Smithson’s genealogy
, and we are excited to make this knowledge available to
evolve understanding
alongside researchers.
The first page of the Hungerford Deed, 1787, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 19-150.
Our preservation, research, and outreach in connection to the Deed exemplifies just a few of the ways the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives protects and shares our collections. With scientific and cultural treasures ranging from oral histories to artists’ books, the Libraries and Arc…

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Exploring Bias and Library of Congress Subject Headings

enero 28, 2026

Exploring Bias and Library of Congress Subject Headings

I am currently wrapping up my first year as an MLS student at Emporia State University, with a concentration in archives. A sense of curiosity, a love of learning, and a passion for research led me to libraries and archives as a career. I am drawn to the idea of working for universal access to information and knowledge, and I intend to work to disrupt systems of oppression in our institutions. In Spring of 2021, I took a required course in my program that introduces students to basic concepts in cataloging and classification. While I had already chosen a concentration that fills most of my elective credits, I wanted to learn more about cataloging. The cataloging project, part of the
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ 50th Anniversary Internship program
, was the perfect opportunity to further develop my knowledge of descriptive work, while incorporating ethics of social justice.
For this project, I had the pleasure of working with Heidy Berthoud, Head of Resource Description, and Amanda Landis, Library Technician. We started with materials relating to ideas of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) within Smithsonian Libraries and Archives library collections and examined the
Library of Congress Subject Headings
(LCSH) being used for those materials in library catalogs.
We then considered where there were gaps in the assigned headings which did not fully convey the meaning of these works, or where subject headings being used were inappropriate or outdated. We would then draft proposals for new subject headings, with the goal of improving accuracy and inclusivity within LCSH.
People working in Card Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. [Between 1900 and 1920] [Photograph].
Library of Congress
.
As intern for this project, I conducted research needed to justify proposals and provided an additional critical eye as we searched for issues. I took particular interest in issues of gender and sexuality within LCSH, performing research to determine the relationships between terms as the hierarchy of LCSH exists at present. This led me to discover that a common sexual orientation, pansexuality, is currently absent from LCSH. I performed the research to draft a proposal for pansexuality as a new heading. I also performed research to support a change in the heading “sexual minority culture,” hoping to update it to “queer culture” (this heading exists in addition to “gay culture” and “lesbian culture”).
Mapping sexuality terms as present in LCSH [screenshot]. River Freemont.
Through this project, I learned a lot about the process and politics of proposing headings. There are an extensive number of complicated rules for constructing proposals, but it is also important to be mindful of how LC prefers things to be done, even if they are not requirements. Consistency within LCSH is a common factor in rejections, as well as the impact a change would have on the larger s…

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Assessing File Format Risk for Born-Digital Preservation Planning

enero 28, 2026

Assessing File Format Risk for Born-Digital Preservation Planning

This post originally appeared on the
Smithsonian Institution Archives’ blog.
Melissa Anderson’s internship was part of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ 50th Anniversary Internship program, with funding provided by the Secretary of the Smithsonian and the Smithsonian National Board.
When I entered the MLIS program at the University of Alabama
School of Library and Information Studies
in 2018 and became interested in digital libraries, I was surprised to learn that the information we create and store digitally is just as, and in some cases even more, fragile than unstable media or paper. Physical damage, deterioration of digital storage media, and the technological complexity and dependency of electronic records make them uniquely vulnerable to loss,
corruption
, and alteration. As keepers of records with historical, cultural, and legal value, archival repositories have a responsibility to identify at-risk digital objects and take preemptive action to preserve them in a format that is accessible to the broadest possible public for the
longest possible time
. As a Smithsonian Libraries and Archives 50th Anniversary intern in born-digital collections, I’m learning how to do just that.
At present,
more than half of the Smithsonian Institution Archives’ annual accessions
contain born-digital materials, most of which are acquired in mixed collections alongside print and analog media. To document and serve the Institution, the Archives collects documents, spreadsheets, images, audiovisual (AV) material, email, databases, designs, data sets, software, websites, and social media content. These electronic records span more than 40 years and are stored in a variety of media formats, some of which require urgent preservation to avoid information loss.
Gif slideshow of Digital Collections information.
The Archives’ employs a multi-pronged
born-digital preservation strategy
that follows professional standards and best practices including the
OAIS Reference Model
and
trustworthy digital repositories
. The three prongs are: bit-level preservation, migration of at-risk files to stable preservation formats, and emulation for access to records locked in obsolete formats. The first strategy creates an exact copy of a file’s content information and data structure and is applied to all digital objects on accession. Having two (or more) identical copies of every file and storing them in different locations mitigates the risk of loss due to media, system, or human failure and disasters like
fire
and
flooding
, but possession does not automatically equal access. Our ability to even open and view a file during processing depends on hardware and software that can read and render it.
Obsolescence affects both the machines and the software we use to create, store, and access digital files. Advancements in power, speed, efficiency, and cost lead to
rapid obsolescence of computer hardware
. Th…

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Packing for a Vacation in 1907

enero 28, 2026

Packing for a Vacation in 1907

Imagine it is the early 20th Century and you are packing for summer vacation. What did your luggage look like? Did you pack your clothes in a trunk? What were your options? Today we are familiar with rolling luggage on wheels, but trunks and suitcases over a hundred years ago looked quite different.
Catalogue No. 101
(1907) by
Herr, Thomas & Co.
provides a peek into the past, specifically the year 1907. Flipping through this trade catalog, we will learn about the types of luggage available in that time period. A few other items illustrated in this catalog might also have made a vacation fun and memorable.
Herr, Thomas & Co., Pittsburg, PA.
Catalogue No. 101
(1907), front cover [page 1], explanation of benefits of buying direct from the company.
Packing is not always easy. What do you bring and what do you leave behind? Do you really need that extra sweater? Maybe it would be easier if you just brought your entire dresser along. That might not be quite possible, but in 1907 there was a piece of luggage called the Dresser Trunk (below, top left). It was described as “embodying the latest ideas of travel comfort” and “combining the uses of both a trunk and dresser.” The Dresser Trunk was composed of three-ply veneer bass wood, covered with canvas, painted, varnished, lined with cloth, and the frame was reinforced with hard wood strips. It also had hand riveted wrought iron clamps, corners, hinges, and fastenings.
A convenient feature was its ability to open on the side. Instead of lifting everything on top to get to something on the bottom, the drawers made it possible to go directly to the location of a specific item without interfering with the contents of the rest of the trunk. In other words, the Dresser Trunk functioned just like a dresser with drawers. There were three drawers, one large and two of medium size. The large drawer included two compartments. There were also other compartments beneath the large drawer and in the lid. Wondering where that mirror was located? Inside the lid was a French bevel mirror. A Yale lock safely secured belongings inside the trunk. The Dresser Trunk measured 32 inches long, 21 inches wide, and 21 inches high with the lid closed or 42 inches high with the lid raised.
Herr, Thomas & Co., Pittsburg, PA.
Catalogue No. 101
(1907), page 74, Dresser Trunk, Suit Case, Leather Suit Case, Cabinet Bag, Trunk, Steamer Trunk, Hand Bag or Satchel.
Maybe bringing a Dresser Trunk is not quite what you had in mind for a vacation. In that case, Herr, Thomas & Co. also offered other trunks, such as the Steamer Trunk (above, middle right). Its interior was composed of a tray divided into a large and small compartment with four additional large compartments beneath the tray. It also provided security by using a Yale lock.
Other options included a simple suitcase, such as the ones shown above (middle left). The Suit Case advertised for $2.85 in this 1907 catalog included a cloth-lined int…

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Early 20th-Century Women Computers at the Smithsonian

enero 28, 2026

Early 20th-Century Women Computers at the Smithsonian

This post originally appeared on the
Smithsonian Institution Archives’ blog.
Nell MacCarty’s internship was part of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ 50th Anniversary Internship program, with funding provided by the Secretary of the Smithsonian and the Smithsonian National Board.
Some of the earliest women in science at the Smithsonian Institution worked for the
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
(SAO). These women, often called computers, contributed immensely to SAO’s research by performing mathematical calculations on solar observations collected around the world. Through their mathematical prowess, these women greatly contributed to solar research.
SAO Staff, including Nancy Prichard, then referenced to as Miss McCandlish, and Gladys T. Bond, referred to as Mrs. Bond, 1941, by Earl S Johnston, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7005, Image no. 94-4430.
The earliest women computers worked with the astrophysicist
Charles G. Abbot
, fifth Smithsonian Secretary and director of SAO. Abbot adamantly believed variation in solar radiation caused the weather. Under this theory, Abbot thought trends in solar radiation could be used for long-term forecasting. Women computers contributed to the mathematical analysis to prove his theories. However, many scientists historically disputed SAO’s solar research and today, Abbot’s theories are considered mostly erroneous. Despite this, the work of these women still contributed to astrophysicists’ understanding of solar radiation.
Observatory at Mt. Montezuma, Chile, 1920, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Image no. MNH-33668.
In 1906, SAO hired the first woman computer,
Florence A. Graves’
(1872-1938). Graves’ career with the Smithsonian Institution is detailed in volumes 2-5 of the
Annals of the Astrophysical Observatory of the Smithsonian Institution
, yearly reports on the research and personnel of SAO. Graves is credited by Abbot for her work reducing solar observations from the Mount Wilson Observatory. Her computations specifically aided in research about the sun’s energy spectrum and temperature. Volumes 3 and 4 of the
annals
included her calculations. World War II put a year-long pause in Grave’s career when the Smithsonian furloughed her so
she could serve as a nurse in France for the Red Cross
. She returned in 1919 and worked for another year before retiring in 1920.
Gladys T. Bond
(1896-1951) worked for over 30 years at SAO, from 1918 until her death in 1951. As detailed in volumes 6 and 7 of the
annals
, her colleagues appreciated her devotion to the work and comprehension of solar research.
A figure from Periodicity in Solar Variation, 1932, by C. G. Abbot and Gladys T. Bond,
Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collection
vol. 87 (1934),
Biodiversity Heritage Library
.
In 1920 Gladys married Albin Bond. At this time in the scientific field, it was unusual for married women to continue working, so much so t…

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Introducing Information Literacy Collections in Learning Lab

enero 28, 2026

Introducing Information Literacy Collections in Learning Lab

Smithsonian Libraries and Archives wants to help you gain a better understanding of
information literacy
and further your skills in this crucial area. In an age where there are myriad sources of information, unending news coverage, and a vast, often unregulated digital world, how can you tell which sources to trust for reliable information? We’ve just launched a series of interactive, online collections on
Smithsonian Learning Lab
that are dedicated to helping users think critically about how they identify, find, evaluate, and use information effectively.
Information Literacy collections available on
Learning Lab
.
As we’ve arrived at the Smithsonian’s 175th anniversary, we felt this was the perfect time to kick off this series of collections. While we reflect on nearly two centuries as a
trusted source
, we invite you to examine how and why the Smithsonian has this reputable status and use it as a case study to help you consider what makes a source trustworthy.
Education and trust with the public have been at the heart of what the Smithsonian does from the start. Founding donor James Smithson wrote in his will that the Smithsonian Institution would be a place for “the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” For 175 years, the Smithsonian has worked to fulfill that mandate and become a reliable repository of history, facts, and information in the United States and around the world. Here are some interesting tidbits from the Smithsonian Institution Archives that provide insight into this development:
George Brown Goode, director of the United States National Museum (later known as the
Arts and Industries Building
) from 1881 to 1896 and a leader in museum theory and practice, believed that “inherent in its mandate was the notion that the Smithsonian had a broad responsibility for the use of knowledge for the public good.” He worked with
Secretary Spencer Baird
to transform the Smithsonian from a random collection to a trusted institution for exemplary objects, records, research, and education. Together, they, along with many other researchers and staff, established the legitimacy of the Smithsonian as a long-lasting, reliable resource.
Photograph of George Brown Goode. Smithsonian Institution Archives,
Record Unit 95, Box 9, Folder: 28B
.
Gaining the
public
’s trust
would come through
transparency
, like
making
things such as
datasets and annual reports accessible to anyone.
But beyond that,
the intention
was
to support
Smithsonian’s mission to increase and diffuse knowledge. From the outset, one of the Smithsonian’s primary purposes was to build access to knowledge through the mutual exchange of scholarly publications. In 1849, the Smithsonian and its fledgling library created the International Exchange Service to share resources between peer scientific and literary societies. By publishing lists of correspondents, the participating learned societies, and the periodicals rece…

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Spotlight on Jessie G. Beach, Smithsonian Department of Paleobiology Staff Member

enero 28, 2026

Spotlight on Jessie G. Beach, Smithsonian Department of Paleobiology Staff Member

This post was written by Lezlie Hernandez, a Summer 2021 intern at the Smithsonian Institution Archives, sponsored by the American Women’s History Initiative. Her project focused on researching the history of Smithsonian women in science.
Jessie G. Beach (1887-1954) worked as a museum aid for the Smithsonian’s
Department of Paleobiology
at the United States National Museum (now called the National Museum of Natural History) for over 30 years. Beach attended Baylor University but earned both her BS and MA from George Washington University. After graduating, Beach began working at the Smithsonian as a typist in 1918, and on October 16, 1920,
she was promoted
to a museum aid and stayed in that position until her death in 1954. In her work, she completed a wide range of tasks that included labeling specimens, caring for exhibits, and assisting researchers with their manuscripts.
Jessie G. Beach worked with hydrozoan and specimens in the Department of Paleobiology.
Fossilized Cnidaria Hydrozoa, S. Jones, 1942, Department of Botany Collections, Catalog # USNM PAL 498530
.
Much of Beach’s involvement with the Smithsonian can be traced through the
Annual reports of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution
and the
Report on the Progress and Condition of the U.S. National Museum
. As Beach gained more experience, she took on more challenging duties.
Excerpt from
Report on the progress and condition of the U.S. National Museum for the year ending June 30
,
1923,
page 88, describing a trip by Jessie G. Beach. Biodiversity Heritage Library, Contributed by
New York Botanical Garden, LuEsther T. Mertz Library
.
In
1922
, she traveled abroad to consult museum workers on best cataloguing practices. On this trip, she visited France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, England, and Scotland.
In
1940
, she typed labels and numbered specimens from the biologic series of
Paleozoic invertebrates
, including the gastropod, sponge, and hydrozoan specimens.
In
1945
, she aided the head curator with updating many museum exhibitions. She cleaned and rearranged the exhibits. She also replaced and added labels of explanation to items.
In
1950
, she worked with the
bryozoan
specimens.
Beach was well known across the Department of Paleobiology. She was an aid for various department heads, including Charles E. Reeser,
Ray Smith Bassler
, and
William F. Foshag
. Beach assisted many researchers with their personal manuscripts. This was the case with Ferdinand Canu and Ray Smith Bassler with their work,
Bryozoa of the Philippine Region
published in 1929. In the introduction, they wrote, “The authors are greatly indebted to Miss Jessie G. Beach of the division of paleontology…” With her 36 years of experience, I would agree with the authors. We are greatly indebted to Jessie G. Beach for all her wonderful contributions to paleontology and the Smithsonian.
Excerpt from “Bryozoa of the Phi…

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Adventures in Advancement and Advocacy

enero 28, 2026

Adventures in Advancement and Advocacy

This post was contributed by Martha Ball, who has served as the Advancement Intern during the Summer of 2021. Martha is currently pursuing her M.S. in Library and Information Science at Simmons University, where she is concentrating in Archives Management. Martha’s
internship was part of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ 50th Anniversary Internship program, with funding provided by the Secretary of the Smithsonian and the Smithsonian National Board.
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives Advancement Intern Martha Ball. Summer 2021.
During my undergraduate studies in Washington, D.C., I was fortunate to be surrounded by world-class museums and cultural heritage institutions, often meeting my art history class at the National Portrait Gallery or partaking in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on weekends. As a visitor and eventually as an employee of such places of learning, I began focusing on the people who brought the collections and organizations as a whole to life. I often linger to read the donor wall in the lobby, take each visitor pamphlet no matter how personally applicable, and compare archives visitation policies. My inferences have informed my career as I now seek to learn what connects supporters to an institution, and how to strengthen this relationship to propel both parties into a future of increased impact.
I was first introduced to the concept of an advocate within the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons University. An advocate in terms of a library, archive, or museum is a supporter invested in the work of an organization, who shares our impact with others to organically spread the word. Smithsonian Libraries and Archives advocates are especially strong, as our supporters have connected with our mission so closely that they choose to focus on our organization out of the wide-ranging Smithsonian portfolio.
This opportunity to work with the Advancement staff at the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives has connected my interests, empowering me to explore what makes an advocate. My projects have focused on the channel of supporters, from inspiring interested audiences to become involved to sharing a purposeful path for them to engage further with the Libraries and Archives’ work. I have focused on new audiences by creating a plan to develop the Libraries and Archives relationship with virtual program attendees, allowing Libraries and Archives to share future events and opportunities that fit these guests’ unique interests. Planning and writing stewardship materials, including acknowledgments and our donor newsletter, has encouraged me to understand how to connect with and excite existing donors, building on a relationship that for some has spanned decades. The Stewards of the Hungerford Deed and an upcoming email welcome series are two projects that have particularly expanded my understanding of advocates and advancement as a whole.
One of my central projects was to…

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New School Year, New Clothes, 1915 Style

enero 28, 2026

New School Year, New Clothes, 1915 Style

The beginning of a school year brings many new things. New classes, new supplies, and perhaps new clothing. What did school outfits look like over one hundred years ago? Let’s take a trip back in time to the year 1915 to find out.
Trade catalogs provide a window into the past, sharing clues of what was available to consumers at a specific time. This particular trade catalog is titled
Spring & Summer Catalog
(1915) by
John Wanamaker
. At first glance it appears to primarily focus on women’s clothing, but with a closer look you will find a few pages illustrating children’s clothing.
John Wanamaker
, New York, NY.
Spring & Summer Catalog
(1915), front cover.
One page illustrates girls’ dresses. Several gingham dresses along with a party dress are pictured, but one dress is described as a “practical school dress.” It is worn by the girl carrying a doll (below, upper left). The dress was plaid with a pleated skirt and wide belt. Its front panel was trimmed with white braid and crochet buttons. Other decorative elements included a velvet bow at the neck and dotted Swiss collar and cuffs, both with scalloped edges. Sizes ranged from 6 to 14 years.
For a fancy occasion, the “party dress of white voile” might have appealed to a young girl. Shown below (to the right of the school dress), the party dress included lace trimmings along the collar, sleeves, and skirt which was pleated. To complete the outfit, a decorative pastel bow was attached to the side at the waist. It was available in sizes 6 to 14.
John Wanamaker
, New York, NY.
Spring & Summer Catalog
(1915), page 39, young girls’ dresses.
Now let’s take a look at girls’ school and “best” coats. Shown below (upper left), the “practical coat for school wear” was available in black and white check, navy blue, or Copenhagen blue serge for sizes 6 to 14 years. Decorative details included slashed pockets and turned back cuffs with a wide belt buttoning on the side.
John Wanamaker
, New York, NY.
Spring & Summer Catalog
(1915), page 37, Girls’ School and “Best” Coats.
Another page illustrated school boys’ outfits, such as Norfolk suits. One of these Norfolk suits is illustrated below (bottom left). The suit had three patch pockets and came with extra knickers. It was available in brown, gray, or tan mixtures and for sizes 7 to 18 years. A matching hat was available in gray, brown, or tan tweed or cheviot. For those rainy days, the tan raincoat and hat, illustrated below (bottom right) may have come in handy.
John Wanamaker
, New York, NY.
Spring & Summer Catalog
(1915), page 95, School Boys’ Outfits.
John Wanamaker
also sold playtime clothing for younger children who might not yet be school age. This included a worsted sweater available in rose, white, or Copenhagen blue for sizes 1 to 6 years (below, bottom, second from left)
Several dresses were also available. A bloomer dress with separate bloomers is shown below (top middle). Made of checked gingham a…

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Upcoming Event: At Home with Smithsonian Libraries and Archives – Magnificent Obsessions

enero 28, 2026

Upcoming Event: At Home with Smithsonian Libraries and Archives – Magnificent Obsessions

Smithsonian Libraries and Archives invites you to join our next free, online webinar:
“At Home with Smithsonian Libraries and Archives: Magnificent Obsessions”
on Tuesday, October 5
th
at 5 pm ET.
Without obsessed collectors gathering their favorites over the years, much of our cultural heritage would be lost. Often it’s the small details of a child’s worn book, a treasured cookbook, or a guide to the World’s Fair that contemporary scholars use to understand the full picture of history.
Magnificent Obsessions: Why We Collect
,
currently on view in the National Museum of American History, tells the captivating stories of the book collectors whose diverse interests and passions helped shape—and continue to contribute to—the libraries of the Smithsonian. Through rare books, manuscripts, and other intriguing items from across the varied libraries, the exhibition highlights the personal motivations and enduring impact of book collectors who were compelled to share their “magnificent obsessions” with the nation.
Join curators
Mary Augusta Thomas
and
Stephen Van Dyk
as they share the stories of some of these fascinating collectors and incredible objects, as well as behind-the-scenes insights into the process of developing
Magnificent Obsessions
.
Please join us on Tuesday, October 5 at 5 PM ET
.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the program.
Optional auto-generated captions will be available during the program. We will be recording the program and will also be live streaming on Facebook for a broader audience.
Register here.
In Memory of Anthony John Mourek, a Magnificent Collector
Library and archive collections have been a part of the Smithsonian since its beginnings. This program, which will highlight the history of several important collections, is part of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Institution’s founding.

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Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty Named Director of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

enero 28, 2026

Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty Named Director of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives is pleased to announce Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty as our new director, effective November 6. An expert in the stewardship, interpretation, and acquisition of collections, Evangelestia-Dougherty brings a rich background driving public outreach and cultivating robust print and digital collections across diverse subject matters.
Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty, newly appointed Director of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. (Photo courtesy of Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty.)
Evangelestia-Dougherty will bring strategic leadership to the recently integrated Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, which is responsible for nearly 3 million library volumes and over 44,000 cubic feet of archival materials chronicling the history of the Smithsonian. She will oversee 137 employees, a national advisory board of 15 members, an annual budget of over $16 million, and 22 library branches and reading rooms located in Washington, D.C., New York City, Maryland, Virginia, and the Republic of Panama.
“The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives organization provides invaluable services that underpin the research, scholarship, and programs of the Smithsonian,” said Lonnie Bunch, the Secretary of the Smithsonian. “Tamar’s expertise and leadership will accelerate our digital presence and help us reach new audiences while continuing to support our world-class scholarship.”
“All work at Smithsonian Libraries and Archives arises from the central purpose of scholarship, intellectual curiosity, and continuous engagement,” Evangelestia-Dougherty said. “As director, I look forward to inspiring our audiences, sustaining the success of our staff, and reflecting the mission of the Smithsonian Institution through my leadership.”
Evangelestia-Dougherty has a proven track record of strengthening collections and digital initiatives. She is currently an associate university librarian at
Cornell University
where she initiated Cornell RAD, a new research hub for rare and distinctive collections. She is also a faculty member of the UCLA California Rare Book School. As director of collections and services at New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture from 2013 to 2014, Evangelestia-Dougherty led collection and programmatic development of five curatorial divisions. At the University of Chicago’s Black Metropolis Research Consortium, she served as executive director from 2011 to 2013 and as consulting archivist from 2007 to 2011. There, she successfully led initiatives to discover and make accessible archives related to the African American diaspora. In addition to her extensive work with rare and distinctive collections, Evangelestia-Dougherty is a published author and public speaker who has presented nationally on topics of inclusivity and equity in bibliography, administration, and primary-source literacy. She currently serves on the boar…

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Early 20th Century Chocolate and the Machines That Made It

enero 28, 2026

Early 20th Century Chocolate and the Machines That Made It

October might bring to mind costumes, pumpkins, treats, and candy. But have you ever wondered how all that chocolate is made? What types of machines are used? Let’s travel back to the early 20th Century to learn more about some of those chocolate-making machines.
This trade catalog is titled
Samuel Carey Chocolate Machinery
(circa 1915) by
Samuel Carey
. It includes machines for various steps in the chocolate-making process, such as roasters, melangeurs, mixers, refiners, coating machines, and more.
Samuel Carey, Brooklyn, NY.
Samuel Carey Chocolate Machinery
(circa 1915), front cover.
Samuel Carey, Brooklyn, NY.
Samuel Carey Chocolate Machinery
(circa 1915), title page.
At the time this catalog was printed, the factory for Samuel Carey was located in Glendale, Brooklyn, New York while their office was located in New York City. This particular catalog includes an exterior image of the factory in Glendale and an interior image of the factory’s erecting floor, both shown below. Let’s flip through this catalog to learn a bit about a few of the machines built at this factory.
Samuel Carey, Brooklyn, NY.
Samuel Carey Chocolate Machinery
(circa 1915), unnumbered page [3], exterior view of Glendale Factory.
Samuel Carey, Brooklyn, NY.
Samuel Carey Chocolate Machinery
(circa 1915), unnumbered page [5], interior view of factory’s erecting floor.
One machine was the Cocoa Bean Roaster. According to this catalog, there were several ideas in regard to roasting cocoa beans. It explains that some at that time felt slow roasting was best “to maintain the flavor of the cocoa” while others preferred rapid roasting. There were also preferences on whether steam should be allowed to escape or not during the roasting process. Samuel Carey built roasters that were capable of both rapid or slow roasting and the ability to control the escape of steam for either moist or dry roasting.
The Model Cocoa Bean Roaster which produced a moderate output is shown below. Due to the arrangement of the agitators within the drum of this machine, the batch was “constantly and thoroughly mixed.” This, as explained in the catalog, produced a uniform roast of the cocoa beans. It was also possible to test the beans at any time during the process.
Samuel Carey, Brooklyn, NY.
Samuel Carey Chocolate Machinery
(circa 1915), page 8, Model Cocoa Bean Roaster.
The 60 Inch Revolving Bed Melangeur accomplished the job of heavy paste mixing. As the catalog explained, its purpose was “to amalgamate the Cocoa Liquor and sugar together in such a form as to be received by the Finisher.” This particular melangeur (below left) included granite rolls and a granite bed. A handy feature was its deep pan. The inner, or revolving pan, extended upwards to within about 1 inch of the outer shell. This created a deep pan to prevent materials within the pan from spilling over the edge and creating waste. Underneath the pan was a large coil of …

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Digital Jigsaw Puzzles: Fall 2021 Edition

enero 28, 2026

Digital Jigsaw Puzzles: Fall 2021 Edition

Ready to fall into another round of digital jigsaw puzzles? We’ve put together, or rather,
taken apart
five new puzzles based on images in our collections.
Play them right here on our blog or use the links to play full screen. Each puzzle is set at about 100 pieces but they are customizable to any skill set. Click the grid icon in the center to adjust the number of pieces. All of the images are available in our
Digital Library
,
Image Gallery
,
Biodiversity Heritage Library
or
Smithsonian Institution Archives Collections
. Feel free to explore and make your own!
Miss our previous puzzles?
Find them here
.
Cover,
Aero Travelers
(1909).
Aero Travelers
is one of hundreds of pieces of aeronautical-themed sheet music collected by Bella C. Landauer (1874–1960). Landauer took an interest in aviation when her son became a pilot and scoured music shops to amass her collection. Landauer is featured with other notable enthusiasts who helped us build our collections in our current exhibition,
Magnificent Obsessions: Why We Collect.
Play online:
https://jigex.com/jLM64
Cover,
Aero Travelers
(1909).
Jigsaw Puzzle
Portrait of Robert Ridgway (1850-1929) in His Office
, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Image No. SIA_000095_B27E_010, detail.
Robert Ridgway
was a bird expert mentored by Smithsonian Secretary Spencer Fullerton Baird. In 1874, Ridgway was appointed ornithologist on the staff of the United States National Museum. He was appointed Curator of the Department of Ornithology in 1880. This photo gives us a peek inside Ridgway’s book-filled office in the South Tower of the Smithsonian Institution Building, or Castle. Ridgway himself was a prolific author and illustrator of bird books and developed
several guides
to help fellow natural history writers accurately depict color.
Play online:
https://jigex.com/LdUNG
Portrait of Robert Ridgway (1850-1929) in His Office,
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Image No. SIA_000095_B27E_010, detail.
Jigsaw Puzzle
Tafel XXVII,
Die Nordamerikanische Vogelwelt
(1891).
Speaking of Ridgway, our next piece of puzzle art is courtesy of the ornithologist himself. This illustration of
Spiza americana,
or the
dickcissel
, was drawn by Ridgway and featured in the book
Die Nordamerikanische Vogelwelt.
Written by Henry Nehrling, it was a guide to American birds published in German in 1891. The dickcissel is a small, sparrow-sized bird found in grasslands and prairies.
Play online:
https://jigex.com/aoRGQ
Tafel XXVII,
Die Nordamerikanische Vogelwelt
(1891).
Jigsaw Puzzle
First page,
The absurd A.B.C
(1874).
Generations of young people have been captivated by Walter Crane. Crane was one of the most influential book illustrators of the 19th century, creating iconic versions of “Beauty and the Beast”, “The Frog Prince”, “The Sleeping Beauty” and more. This illustration from the first page of
The absurd A.B.C.
borrows bits from several well-known nurse…

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Tracing Anthropologist Zelia Nuttall Through Smithsonian Collections

enero 28, 2026

Tracing Anthropologist Zelia Nuttall Through Smithsonian Collections

Anthropologist Zelia Maria Magdalena Nuttall was an expert in Mesoamerican people and artifacts. A remarkable Mexican American scholar, she helped change the conversation around pre-Columbian cultures. Many of
her publications are held in the collections of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
and traces of her work can be found in repositories around the Institution.
Nuttall was born in San Francisco in 1857 to a family with both wealth and deep Mexican ties. Her father, Robert Nuttall, was an Irish physician. Her mother, Maria Magdalena Parrott, was born in Mexico, the daughter of a diplomat banker. It is said that Zelia first became intrigued with Mesoamerican civilizations when her mother gifted her a copy of
The Antiquities of Mexico
, a beautiful facsimile of ancient codices compiled by Lord Gainsborough. Though her family eventually left California for Europe, Nuttall’s natural curiosity was complemented by a solid education by private tutors, and she was fluent in both Spanish and German.
Portrait of Zelia Nuttall holding a fan.
Courtesy University of California, Berkeley, Bancroft Library
.
Nuttall took her second trip to Mexico in 1884, accompanied by family. She collected small terra cotta heads near Teotihuacan, which would become the subjects of her first article, published in
The American Journal of Archaeology and of the History of the Fine Arts
in 1886
. Contemporary anthropologists had not given them much attention, considering them puzzling novelties. But Nuttall marveled at the diversity of them, praised their craftsmanship, and attempted to classify and explain them.
Shortly after, she became acquainted with Frederick Ward Putnam of the Peabody Museum of Harvard and was offered the role of Special Assistant in Mexican Archeology. She published several articles and books towards the end of the 19
th
century, including
Ancient Mexican feather work at the Columbian historical exposition at Madrid
(1895) (available online via the
Library of Congress
). In 1901, she published a lengthy comparison of cultures and religions in
The fundamental principles of Old and New World Civilizations
(available online via
Brigham Young University
). The book, supported by Putnam, suggested that since many cultures around the world shared similarities, perhaps ancient European and Asian civilizations interacted with ancient Americans. Though later discredited, the concept did help adjust perceptions of Mesoamerican cultures, often considered unrefined, and place them on the same level as the Egyptians and Greeks.
“Feather Piece: Head-Dress (Standard) Preserved at Ethnographical Museum, Vienna”,
Ancient Mexican feather work at the Columbian historical exposition at Madrid (
1895).
One of Nuttall’s most notable works is her namesake
Codex Nuttall
, a translation and facsimile of a 13
th
century Mixtec folding screen book. Nuttall traveled to England to research the orig…

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Some Archival Career Advice

enero 28, 2026

Some Archival Career Advice

In honor of
American Archives Month
, we’re highlighting career tips from archivist Jennifer Wright. Jennifer leads the
Archives and Information Management Team within our
Smithsonian Institution Archives
.
The
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
receives dozens of inquiries every year from students and recent graduates about the archives profession and how to become an archivist. Since this is such a popular topic, we decided to make our responses to the most common questions available to a wider audience. While the responses below are intended to address the archival profession in general, they ultimately reflect my own experiences and those of my immediate colleagues.
Records storage at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
What does an archivist do?
Archivists perform a wide variety of tasks. In a smaller archives, a few individuals may do everything while, in a larger archives, archivists may specialize in specific aspects of the work. Traditionally, an archivist works with donors or the staff of its parent institution to acquire new collections; organizes and rehouses collections (also known as processing); describes collections and writes finding aids; and assists researchers in using the collections. Some archivists specialize in the acquisition, management, description, and preservation of born-digital files, web-based content, photographic materials, or audiovisual recordings. Other aspects of the job may include records management, digitization, metadata creation, public outreach, research, writing, or teaching.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I enjoy learning about a wide variety of topics within the collections I process. I also enjoy going behind the scenes and exploring our museums and research centers from the inside out.
What qualities are employers looking for in an archivist?
Many employers will be looking for applicants who can work both independently and on a team; demonstrate strong research and writing skills; exhibit attention to detail; are creative problem solvers; and show a natural curiosity. Many positions will require data management, digitization, and digital preservation in addition to working with digital files for the purposes of appraisal and reference. A solid background in basic technical skills will be essential. Some employers may also be looking for knowledge of a particular topic related to their collection, such as local history or aviation. Intern, volunteer, or other hands-on experience will often be a critical factor in deciding which applicant to hire. The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives offers several
internship programs
each year, as do other archival repositories around the Institution.
Diskettes from the Smithsonian’s Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations.
What degree do you need to be an archivist?
Many, but not all, employers will require a Master of Library Science, a Master of Library and Information Science, “or equivalent.” A Master…

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Upcoming Event: What Was James Smithson Doing in the Kitchen & Classroom?

enero 28, 2026

Upcoming Event: What Was James Smithson Doing in the Kitchen & Classroom?

The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives invites you to join us for our 2021 Dibner Library Lecture, featuring Steven Turner,
“What Was James Smithson Doing in the Kitchen & Classroom?”
Wednesday, December 1st at 5 pm ET
Register Now
James Smithson was an 18th century English chemist, geologist, and mineralogist – and also the founder of the Smithsonian Institution. Most of what we know about Smithson’s science comes from his twenty-six published articles, which Steven Turner studied in his recent book,
The Science of James Smithson
(Smithsonian Books, 2020). Turner argues persuasively that Smithson was much more accomplished than previously thought. And he shows that Smithson made important contributions to a wide range of scientific fields, including: chemistry, mineralogy, geology, botany, electricity, and even meteorology.
One of the surprises of Turner’s study was the extent to which Smithson’s scientific writings also offer clues about his personal interests and beliefs. In this year’s Dibner Library Lecture, Turner will dig deeper into some of the lesser-known tales of Smithson’s work, like how Smithson’s interest in cooking helped him solve a scientific puzzle. He’ll also discuss the unexpected story of Smithson’s interest in scientific education – a lifelong interest that may have led to the founding of the Smithsonian.
About the Speaker:
Steven Turner is a historian of science and for 32 years was curator of Physical Sciences at the Smithsonian Institution. His research interests include the history of physics, the history of chemistry, and the uses of scientific instruments. For many years he edited the science history journal
Rittenhouse
, and he contributed to numerous exhibits and web projects. Towards the end of his career, he became interested in the English chemist, James Smithson, the founder of the Smithsonian Institution. Because Smithson’s scientific writings are famously difficult to follow, in addition to conventional historical research, Turner made extensive use of replications of Smithson’s experiments, many of them with the same tools and natural materials that Smithson would have used – which sometimes yielded surprising insights. Turner’s book,
The Science of James Smithson,
was published in the fall of 2020.
Registration
Register for this program via
Zoom
. You’ll also get an opportunity to opt in to receive emails from us, including invitations to future programs.
We are committed to providing access services so all participants can fully engage in these events. Optional real-time captioning will be provided. If you need other access services, please email
SLA-RSVP@si.edu
. Advanced notice is appreciated.
This program will be recorded and made available following the event. You will find it on the event page and on our
YouTube channel
.
This program is part of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ commemoration of the
175th anniv…

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Kitchen Essentials from Centuries Past

enero 28, 2026

Kitchen Essentials from Centuries Past

What comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving? Family gatherings, time with friends, relaxing, traveling, or maybe a delicious meal? Those meals require work, and today we have the luxury of modern kitchen appliances. But imagine the time it took to prepare a meal in the 19th Century. This 1868 trade catalog gives us a small glimpse into possible kitchens of the past.
The trade catalog is titled
Illustrated Catalogue of Stoves & Hollow Ware
(1868) by
Burdett, Paris & Co.
Their products were manufactured at the Troy Stove Works in Troy, New York. On the front cover, we discover a clue about the company’s history. It tells us that Burdett, Paris & Co. were successors to another company named
Potter, Paris & Co.
Burdett, Paris & Co.
, Troy, NY.
Illustrated Catalogue of Stoves & Hollow Ware
(1868), front cover.
Burdett, Paris & Co.
, Troy, NY.
Illustrated Catalogue of Stoves & Hollow Ware
(1868), unnumbered page [1], title page.
As we turn the page, we learn more from a circular, or letter, dated January 30
th
, 1868. It was written by Potter, Paris & Co. The firm of Potter, Paris & Co. was dissolved at the end of 1867 at which time Mr. George C. Burdett of Burdett, Son & Co. bought “the interest of Mr. Potter.” The new company became known as Burdett, Paris & Co. and planned to continue the business “with all the facilities of the old house, having bought their Foundry, Stock and Patterns.”
Burdett, Paris & Co.
, Troy, NY.
Illustrated Catalogue of Stoves & Hollow Ware
(1868), unnumbered page [2], Notice to Customers with circular written by Potter, Paris & Co. and Terms and Prices written by Burdett, Paris & Co.
The letter continues by explaining that the new store would be located at 253 River Street, just a few doors away from where Potter, Paris & Co. had been located. Products were manufactured at Troy Stove Works. An image of the works is shown on the back cover of this catalog. According to that page, the foundry had been erected just a few years earlier, in the fall of 1865.
Burdett, Paris & Co.
, Troy, NY.
Illustrated Catalogue of Stoves & Hollow Ware
(1868), back cover, Troy Stove Works.
Now, having learned a little about the company, let’s explore some of their stoves. One stove was called “Our Old Home.” Its fuel was coal or wood. It included a quite convenient feature. The roasting arrangement, shown below, made it easier for the cook to baste. Meat was suspended from a movable self-supporting rack which could be pulled out. A dripping pan, attached to a movable crane, was positioned below the rack and could also be pulled out. This allowed the cook to baste meat when it was outside of the oven. The meat could also be placed on or removed from the rack when outside of the oven.
Burdett, Paris & Co.
, Troy, NY.
Illustrated Catalogue of Stoves & Hollow Ware
(1868), unnumbered page [11], “Our Old Home” stove showing meat using the roasting arrangement.
Another stove is named the “Goo…

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A Coffee Break with James Smithson

enero 28, 2026

A Coffee Break with James Smithson

We’re looking forward to hosting Steven Turner, author of
The Science of James Smithson
, for our Annual Dibner Lecture on December 1st, 2021. Turner will explore a few lesser-known tales of Smithson’s work in a talk entitled
“What Was James Smithson Doing in the Kitchen & Classroom?”
Ahead of his lecture, Turner shares his recreation of Smithson’s coffee recipe.
In 1823, James Smithson wrote a short article about a novel method he’d developed for making coffee. The article, first published in the
Thomson’s Annals of Philosophy
, Vol. XXII, was reproduced in
Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections
in 1881. Smithson maintained that this method had several advantages. It was economical, since it extracted all the flavor in the coffee beans, without letting any escape. And it didn’t require any special equipment so, he wrote, it would prove “of no small conveniency to travelers who have neither kettle, nor coffee-pot.” Finally, after the coffee was filtered it could be put back in a clean jar and kept warm in the boiling water. As long as it remained sealed, the coffee inside would not lose its flavor. It would remain hot and “ready at the very instant called for.”
First part of Smithson’s coffee recipe, “An Improved Method of Making Coffee”, as published in
Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections
(1881).
Technically, this method of making coffee is an infusion, and it resembles the coffee produced with a modern French Press. However, in Smithson’s method the water is not quite so hot and it stays in contact with the coffee for much longer – so it extracts different compounds than other methods and the coffee tends to be milder and less bitter.
How to make “Smithson’s Coffee”
Ingredients:
1/4 to 1/3 cup roasted coffee beans
About 2 cups of water
Method:
Grind coffee beans in a mortar and pestle (medium to course grind). A coffee grinder also works.
Combine coffee and water in a glass bottle and then seal with a cork. Leave the cork slightly loose.
Place the bottle in a pan of water and bring to a boil. Tighten the cork once the water in the bottle gets hot.
Leave the bottle in the boiling water for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the coffee looks done.
Remove the bottle from the water, filter the coffee and enjoy.

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The Varied and Artistic Uses of Decorative Tissue Paper

enero 28, 2026

The Varied and Artistic Uses of Decorative Tissue Paper

That time of year is upon us. The season when we see lots of gift bags stuffed with brightly colored tissue paper. The simple act of fluffing a piece of tissue paper and placing it in a bag seems to brighten any present. But how about using tissue paper to create art? This trade catalog from over a century ago might spark our creativity.
The catalog is titled
Art and Decoration in Dennison’s Crepe and Tissue Paper
, 22nd Edition (1913, Reprinted 1914) by
Dennison Mfg. Co.
In 1914, at the time this catalog was printed, there were Dennison stores or offices throughout the United States and in Canada, London, Berlin, and Buenos Aires.
Dennison Mfg. Co.
, Framingham, MA.
Art and Decoration in Dennison’s Crepe and Tissue Paper
, 22nd Edition (1913, Reprinted 1914), title page.
Dennison Mfg. Co. sold crepe paper, decorated paper, and tissue paper among other things. Their tissue paper was available in 134 shades and colors. They also sold crepe paper, including decorated crepe paper in a variety of holiday, seasonal, or floral designs and patterns. Besides decorations, these materials could be used for creating art. Personal instruction for such things as making flowers out of crepe and tissue paper was provided at their stores in the Art Departments.
Dennison Mfg. Co.
, Framingham, MA.
Art and Decoration in Dennison’s Crepe and Tissue Paper
, 22nd Edition (1913, Reprinted 1914), pages 6-7, Dennison’s decorated crepe paper.
As the catalog mentions on page 3, it is “primarily a book of suggestions.” The ideas for using crepe and tissue paper are numerous, everything from party, fair, and parade decorations to costumes to creating artwork.
To add a festive touch, a host in the early 20th Century might have created party favors or fashioned crepe or tissue paper flowers to decorate a serving dish. The choices are many and varied. Perhaps a rope basket with daisies along the handle, serving cups decorated with carnation petals or orchids, a basket trimmed with violets, or a Jonquil serving cup, all illustrated below. Handmade party favors might have included hats, crowns, hair ornaments, or even a child’s wand, also shown below.
Dennison Mfg. Co.
, Framingham, MA.
Art and Decoration in Dennison’s Crepe and Tissue Paper
, 22nd Edition (1913, Reprinted 1914), page 42, Serving cups and baskets decorated with crepe and tissue paper.
Dennison Mfg. Co.
, Framingham, MA.
Art and Decoration in Dennison’s Crepe and Tissue Paper
, 22nd Edition (1913, Reprinted 1914), page 60, crepe and tissue paper party favors.
Another creative use of crepe or tissue paper is artwork. Pictures or scenes, such as these winter and natural landscape ones below, can be made out of paper. The catalog suggests starting with a background and then layering paper on top of each other. The sky might be created by layering shades of blue paper, lighter shades over darker shades, and adding white irregularly shaped paper for …

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Holiday Cooking with Hannah Glasse

enero 28, 2026

https://www.youtube.com/embed/1LOawWvXt0U

Holiday Cooking with Hannah Glasse

The holiday season has kitchens humming around the world, whether it’s churning out a favorite cookie recipe or prepping a celebratory meal with loved ones. In the 1700s, kitchens in England regularly consulted Hannah Glasse’s
The Art of Cookery
Made Plain and Easy
for tried-and-true recipes. Among Glasse’s readers was a food lover near and dear to our hearts: Smithsonian founder James Smithson. Whether he knew it or not, Smithson had a bit in common with Glasse. Both were the illegitimate children of privileged Northumberland fathers, and each would leave a lasting cultural legacy.
Smithson’s copy of
The Art of Cookery
Made Plain and Easy
can be found in our
Joseph F. Cullman 3
rd
Natural History Library
. This edition, printed in 1770, is one of 124 titles from Smithson’s private book collection which came to the Institution with his personal belongings. Our copy contains several notes in Smithson’s own hand. Of special interest to us is the list of recipes noted on the back pastedown, such as “
Scotch Collops
”, which may have been Smithson’s favorites.
Rear pastedown,
The Art of Cookery
Made Plain and Easy
(1770).
When it was first published in 1747,
The Art of Cookery
Made Plain and Easy
was not originally attributed to Glasse but rather simply to “a Lady”. What set Glasse’s work apart from other “cookery” books of the time was the intended audience. Glasse hoped to reach cooks of the “lower sort” not well-trained chefs in grand houses. She purposely avoids instruction in the “high polite style” and eschews contemporary French terms in favor of more recognizable phrases, like “little pieces of bacon” instead of “lardoons”, with an emphasis on practicality and frugality.
Title page,
The Art of Cookery
Made Plain and Easy
(1770).
Though many of the recipes were first printed in other sources, Glasse’s work is notable for compiling so many recipe options and methods, and in some cases simplifying instruction. According to Anne Willen’s account in
Great cooks and their recipes,
Glasse’s book became one of the most successful publications of the 18
th
century – reproduced in over 20 editions by 1800. But despite the book’s popularity, Glasse filed for bankruptcy in 1754. She did write at least two additional books, but little is known about the end of her life. She died in 1770.
Thanks to our
Adopt-a-Book
program and generous
donor John H. Dick
, our copy of
The Art of Cookery
Made Plain and Easy
has received conservation treatment, been fully digitized, and is available online. Senior book conservator Katie Wagner describes the book and her experience working with it in this
YouTube video:
Flipping the digital pages will leave you absolutely in awe of not only the time and effort that went into an average Georgian-era meal but also the odd preparations and food pairings that might confuse a modern palate. Eels, rabbits, and pigeons were popular sources of protein. And from oysters to walnuts, the…

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Giftable Adopt-a-Books for the Holiday Season

enero 28, 2026

Giftable Adopt-a-Books for the Holiday Season

Did you know you can honor friends and family, enable important research, and skip the mall this holiday season?
Adopting
an item from the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives is a unique way to celebrate your loved ones while providing essential funding to support our work. Whether your gift funds the preservation of volumes from hundreds of years ago, the purchase of new titles for our collection, or increased accessibility to items on our shelves, your adoption enables all that we do.
While you can’t wrap up your adopted books and put them under the tree, your purchase will be honored with a digital bookplate and the warm feeling of knowing you’ve helped further critical work at the Smithsonian Institution. From our list of
adoptable items
, we think you’ll find something for just about everyone on your list.
For the Green Thumb:
Biggle orchard book: fruit and orchard gleanings from bough to basket
By Jacob Biggle. Philadelphia: W. Atkinson Co., 1911.
Cover,
Biggle orchard book: fruit and orchard gleanings from bough to basket
(1911).
This pocket-sized book is part of the Biggle Farm Library, a collection of volumes that cover a gamut of agricultural topics from gardening to beekeeping to raising pigs and horses. The author, Jacob Biggle, states that his book “aims to tell the inquiring reader just what he or she needs to know—no more, no less.” The book starts with advice about the proper planning and siting of an orchard where he advises putting on “your thinking cap” and taking your time. He also covers planting and pruning trees, pest and weed control, picking, and packing fruit for market.
For the Interior Design Enthusiast:
Ceramica Industrial “El Aguila, S.A.” : hecho en Mexico
By Ceramica Industrial “El Aguila, S.A.”. México, D.F. : Ceramica Industrial “El Aguila, S.A.”, [1941].
“Paños”,
Ceramica Industrial “El Aguila, S.A.” : hecho en Mexico
, [1941].
This catalog is from the Mexican “Eagle Industrial Ceramic Co.” With beautiful full-color chromolithographic illustrations of the tiles, it demonstrates the various uses of their designs for fountains, seating, open spaces, and other decorative design applications, as well as samples of individual tile patterns. It includes examples of classic Arabesque, Moorish, and Mediterranean majolica tile designs. The forward and introduction discuss the history and tradition of tiles and their use in Mexico, describing them as “the combination of bricks and glass…the tiles of old Europe came to our land with colors of the skies, clouds, seas, and suns…they stand tall today in our homes and parks.”
For the Amateur Chef:
Marion Harland’s cook book of tried and tested recipes
By Marion Harland (1830-1922). Chicago, IL: L.W. Walter Co., 1907.
Cover,
Marion Harland’s cook book of tried and tested recipes
(1907).
There were few writers of the 19th century as prolific or variegated as Mary Virginia Tehune, who was best known by her nom de plume M…

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ICYMI: Five Most Popular Posts of 2021

enero 28, 2026

ICYMI: Five Most Popular Posts of 2021

There was plenty of news in 2021 and most of it was, well, not great. So, you’ll be forgiven if you overlooked an article or two on this very blog. In case you missed them, here are five of our most popular blog posts of the past year. This assortment highlights interesting collection items as well as the important work of our staff. As we say goodbye (and good riddance?) to 2021, we invite you to cuddle up by the fireplace and catch up.
Sleuthing Captain America’s Shield
Did you know that our
Ask A Librarian service
answers hundreds of questions from Smithsonian researchers and the general public throughout the year? Recently, an inquiry about a fictional scenario had staff investigating real-life Smithsonian policy. Alan Katz explains “Can they do that with Captain America’s shield?”.
Shield used by Chris Evans as Captain America in Captain America:The Winter Soldier, National Museum of American History 2018.0107.01.
Libraries Then and Now: The Ideas We Share
Our monthly trade literature feature often brings back fond memories via vintage catalogs, and this post really got librarians and library users right in the feels. Alexia MacClain explores borrower cards, date stamps, and other classic supplies from
Classified Illustrated Catalog of the Library Department of Library Bureau
(1899).
Library Bureau, Boston, MA. Classified Illustrated Catalog of the Library Department of Library Bureau (1899), page 79, Lever Dater, Self-Inking Library Dater, and Self-Inkers.
Digital Jigsaw Puzzles: January Edition
Our
series of digital jigsaw puzzles
, all based on images in our collections, have been popular throughout the pandemic. We kicked off 2021 with an assorted set of snowy scenes and bright patterns, as satisfying to put together today as they were a year ago.
Exploring Bias and Library of Congress Subject Headings
Subject headings are important tools for library classification. But the terms used can sometimes leave gaps or become outdated, particularly when it comes to topics of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Intern River Freemont describes their experience researching and drafting proposals to update Library of Congress Subject Headings with the goal of improving accuracy and inclusivity.
People working in Card Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. [Between 1900 and 1920] [Photograph]. Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/97513719/.
Introducing Information Literacy Collections in Learning Lab
Launched in August to coincide with the Smithsonian’s 175th anniversary, our newest resources in
Smithsonian Learning Lab
are dedicated to improving information literacy. Sara Cardello discusses this series of interactive, online collections that are intended to help users think critically about how they identify, find, evaluate, and use information effectively.

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Summer 2022 Internships Opportunities with Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

enero 28, 2026

Summer 2022 Internships Opportunities with Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

We’re excited to announce a new round of internships for Summer 2022. These opportunities provide hands-on experience in a range of subject areas and are open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Each unique project offers a chance to explore current topics in archives, libraries, and information science and learn from experienced Smithsonian Libraries and Archives staff.
Most are virtual/remote opportunities, but one project includes on-site work in our American Art and Portrait Gallery Library. All include a stipend. The application deadline is
February 13th, 2022
.
Programs include:
Education
: For students interested in museum education or similar fields, this intern will assist in creating educational resources from our collections.
Kathryn Turner Diversity and Technology Internship
: A special opportunity for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Professional Development
: For a current MSLIS student or recent grad, experience evaluating and working with Library of Congress Subject Headings.
Summer Scholars
: Three projects for both undergraduates and grad students, including opportunities to work with art and artists files, web and social media archiving, and oral histories.
Learn more about academic appointments and related policies on our
Internship and Fellowship page
. Curious about the work of past interns? Read more about their
experiences
.

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Go West! Then Back to the Future.

enero 28, 2026

https://www.youtube.com/embed/dQW-kzEKiDc

Go West! Then Back to the Future.

History is full of narratives and those narratives have a history. As a high school history teacher, I went into my
Neville-Pribram Mid-Career Educator fellowshi
p
with a motivation to help my students better understand where popular history narratives come from so they can better predict where they are going. Look to the past to predict the future? Easy peasy, right?
Michael Skomba, 2019 Neville-Pribram Mid-Career Educator Award Recipient.
As a mostly world history and
big history
teacher studying at the
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Library
, I naturally flocked to the 1893
The Book of the Fair
by Hubert Howe Bancroft. The
Book
was a popular recounting and survey of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, a non-critical celebration of American achievement. During my fellowship, I corresponded with a Bancroft authority, Dr. Travis Ross of Yale University, who I believe said it the best and I kept going back to his analogy with my students; the
Book
was analogous to a popular Netflix show as they were both “algorithmically perfected to maximize the market for an expensive work.”
I have been trained to teach in the discipline of Big History. French Historian Fernand Braudel believed that the most useful historical questions and analysis come from studying the “deep currents” of history; this translates to the study of ordinary people rather than just icons and focusing on transdisciplinary thinking as opposed to solely highlighting political and military history. A source such as
The Book of the Fair
allowed for a popular history that flipped geographic scales and meshed with a big history mindset. A big history pedagogical approach focuses on a cohesive cosmological, geological, and human narrative that goes so deep below the waves that they make Jacques Cousteau look like a vacationer snorkeling with his kids.
Cover of
The Book of the Fair
(1893).
The 2019 fellowship at the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Library forced a timely self-interrogation for the impending ‘real history’ conversations. As anyone who has picked up a newspaper or turned on a TV in the past couple of years can tell you, the culture wars have come to history class. As a teacher, I have spent barbeques and holiday parties being asked by those on both sides of the aisle if I am teaching the ‘real history.’ I have been prepared for these fleeting moments on the axis of good conversation and self-actualization by staying out of the “waves.” It revealed that despite my global lens, I needed to zoom in and refocus. My American history lens was more of an implicit kaleidoscope– I had been stuck in the waves of American “
Mythistory
.”
I had not yet gotten the memo about the
revisionist thinking about the history of the American West
. I had lived and taught in the Eastern Navajo Nation. I had spent time telling the
Diné Code Talker’s story
. Regardless, some of the old American West tropes remained hidden in my psyche, lodged so…

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19th Century Furniture Options for Style and Storage

enero 28, 2026

19th Century Furniture Options for Style and Storage

Every dwelling has its own unique qualities. How do you make your space reflect your personality? The furniture, decorations, and wall hangings all combine to make it feel like home. Let’s flip through the pages of a trade catalog and discover the possibilities of furnishing a home long ago.
The trade catalog is titled
Illustrated Catalogue and Price List of Hat Racks, Ladies’ Desks, Hanging Racks, Book Shelves, Fancy Stands, &c.
(Undated) by
Lazier Brothers
of Cleveland, Ohio. This piece is undated but we believe it was published sometime in the 1800s. The catalog includes a variety of furniture. There are pieces that musicians might find useful, pieces for those who like to write, those who like to read, and much more.
Lazier Brothers
, Cleveland, OH.
Illustrated Catalogue and Price List of Hat Racks, Ladies’ Desks, Hanging Racks, Book Shelves, Fancy Stands, &c.
, [Undated], front cover.
As you walk through your front door, what would you want nearby? Maybe a piece of furniture that is decorative but also functional. Perhaps a place to hang your coat or hat, a place to sit, or somewhere to put down your bag. The No. 38 Hall Rack appears to provide those very things. Illustrated below left, it was rather tall, standing at seven feet in height and measuring 32 inches in width.
For those rainy days, it included an umbrella rack, complete with an iron pan and six solid brass pins, most likely to hold umbrellas upright. It also came with a built-in seat. On either side of the German Plate Glass towards the top, there were several hooks. These might have provided spots for hanging hats or coats. The Hall Rack was available in solid walnut, antique oak, or imitation mahogany finish.
Lazier Brothers
, Cleveland, OH.
Illustrated Catalogue and Price List of Hat Racks, Ladies’ Desks, Hanging Racks, Book Shelves, Fancy Stands, &c.
, [Undated], page 3, No. 38 and No. 26 Hall Racks.
As we step farther inside, we might discover a desk for writing correspondence or conducting personal business. The No. 57 Ladies’ Desk, shown below left, was made of antique oak or imitation mahogany. It included a large drawer for storing items along with a cloth cover on top and what appears to be a railing along the back of the desk. This might have been a convenient feature to prevent papers from falling off the edge.
In a musician’s home, a music stand was most likely essential. The No. 56 Music Stand, illustrated below right, was almost three feet tall, measuring 31 inches in height with a 12 x 18 top. It featured two pockets for storing sheet music or other papers. Made of antique oak or imitation mahogany with a polished finish, it was described in the catalog as “new and handsome.”
Lazier Brothers
, Cleveland, OH.
Illustrated Catalogue and Price List of Hat Racks, Ladies’ Desks, Hanging Racks, Book Shelves, Fancy Stands, &c.
, [Undated], page 6, No. 57 Ladies’ Desk and No. 56 Music Stand.
How about furnit…

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Smithsonian Libraries and Archives & Wikidata: Using Linked Open Data to Connect Smithsonian Info…

enero 28, 2026

Smithsonian Libraries and Archives & Wikidata: Using Linked Open Data to Connect Smithsonian Information

This post is part of our
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives & Wikidata series
.
Libraries have created and curated metadata that describes their collections for a very long time. It is the very essence of the cataloging and metadata profession. This past year, because of the pandemic, the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives initiated a unit-wide pilot project to explore if and how a linked open data platform offered by Wikimedia Foundation could reconceptualize how authority control could be transitioned to identity management.
Propelled by the
basic principles prescribed by Tim Berners-Lee
, library staff laid the groundwork to transition from a text-centric to a data-centric orientation in 2019. This involves changing bibliographic description to structured data, based on a linked open data standard and preparing the Libraries and Archives’ MARC data, the current standard used for machine-readable cataloging records, for transformation to RDF triples. RDF, or Resource Description Framework, uses URIs (
Uniform Resource Identifiers
) for objects and property in a structured way. This allows for the creation of rich networks of meaningful data and takes us from the flat world of the textual into a new world of possibilities with linked data.
When news surfaced about the wikifying of the German National Library’s (DNB) GND and the French National Library’s (BnF) FNE authority data, we began investigating Wiki projects as another option for a library linked open data project for name authority data. DNB and BnF have both moved their authority workflow out of their respective integrated library systems and into an open system, by means of a Wiki platform named Wikibase, a powerful MediaWiki software extension. The DNB and BnF Wikibase models performed as a potentially open and global knowledge repository similar to Wikidata. It seemed like their process was replicable for the Smithsonian environment.
Could our library authority data in MARC 21, an early 20
th
century standard, transition to an open platform that could stand the test of time, such as Wikidata? Our authority data in Horizon (our integrated library system) is well-curated and maintained. However, many of the obstacles to name authority creation for Smithsonian persons in the MARC 21 environment still hinge on the system infrastructure and authority training requirements from the Library of Congress. In addition, authority data is siloed in Horizon and not easily shared, even within the Institution itself.
Many of the authorized names in Horizon represent entities present in collections maintained by other Smithsonian units, namely the databases of the Institution’s various archives, museums, and galleries. Each of these units manages their own name datasets for their carefully curated collections. Each has its own conventions on how names are constructed, based on the s…

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Upcoming Event: Women at Work

enero 28, 2026

Upcoming Event: Women at Work

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating and disproportionate effect on working women, especially those of color and in the LGBTQ+ community. But even before the pandemic “
overtook the globe in early 2020, inequities were holding women back in the workplace.
” Yet women have still managed to contribute to America’s most defining moments and will certainly help tackle the biggest challenges we face, whether it’s the ongoing pandemic or the climate crisis. How can we learn from the past to better inform our future? How can we eliminate barriers for women to create a more equitable society for everyone?
In the
second program in our Women’s History with Smithsonian Libraries and Archives series, sponsored by Deloitte,
historian Hannah Byrne and Director Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty will share little-known stories from our library and archival collections of historical women at work in STEAM, who, in many cases, dealt with other critical moments in history. Then, Under Secretary for Science and Research Ellen Stofan will moderate a panel of leaders from the Biden administration and Deloitte to discuss their experiences and understanding of the modern situation of women at work and how we can continue to make progress for women.
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 5 pm ET
Register for this program
“Women at Work” panelists include:
Jedidah Isler, PhD, Assistant Director, STEM Opportunity & Engagement, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Jennifer Klein, JD, Co-Chair and Executive Director of the White House Gender Policy Council
Beth Meagher, US Federal Health Sector Leader, Deloitte
Julie Su, JD, Deputy Secretary, US Department of Labor
Moderated by Ellen Stofan, PhD, Under Secretary for Science and Research, Smithsonian Institution
Registration
The event will be hosted as a Zoom webinar, and registration is required.
Register here.
How to Join the Live Event
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from Zoom containing information about joining the program.
We are committed to providing access services so all participants can fully engage in these events. Optional real-time captioning will be provided. If you need other access services, please email
SLA-RSVP@si.edu
. Advanced notice is appreciated.
This program will be recorded and made available following the event. You will find it on this page and on our
YouTube channel
.
Top, from left to right: Sophie Lutterlough, Jackie Cochran, and Louise Daniel Hutchinson. Bottom, from left to right: Adela Gomez, Alixa Naff, and Chien-Shiung Wu.

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Significant Collection of Arion Press Publications Comes to Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

enero 28, 2026

Significant Collection of Arion Press Publications Comes to Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

Cover with authentic embedded buffalo nickel,
American Buffalo
by David Mamet, illustrated by Michael McCurdy. Arion Press, 1992
The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives is pleased to announce a significant acquisition of fine press books published by the
Arion Press
in San Francisco. Thanks to a gift from Dr. Ronnyjane Goldsmith, over a hundred titles will soon be added to the
American Art and Portrait Gallery Library.
Arion Press was founded in 1974, but tends much older roots of the former type foundries and presses it has grown from, such as the Grabhorn Press and Mackenzie & Harris. Since its inception, Arion has become one of the most sought-after and noteworthy presses in the United States.
Arion’s publications are handcrafted with fine paper, with hand-cast and handset type, each book individually bound and sewn. With this attention to detail and fine materials, each book is published in editions of only a few hundred copies, many with even smaller deluxe runs.
“Clara and baby” illustration by Kara Walker, in
Porgy and Bess
, Arion Press, 2013
A uniquely interesting aspect of Arion’s work is the collaboration with fine artists, particularly international and American artists who are not generally known for book illustration. Each book is planned and crafted with the artist making a significant contribution to the final design and production, often resulting in interesting uses of materials, bindings and housing, and wholly new illustrations. These artists include Bruce Conner, Richard Diebenkorn, Julie Mehretu, Martin Puryear, Laurie Simmons, Kiki Smith, Wayne Thiebaud, and Kara Walker—many artists whose works are collected at the
Smithsonian’s art museums
.
Illustration in
The World is Round
by Gertrude Stein, illustrated by Clement Hurd. Arion Press, 1986
Arion’s collaborations develop in myriad ways, with the publisher seeking artists and recommending texts, or authors writing new works to engage with a particular artist, or the artists themselves bringing ideas of inspiring texts to illustrate. Many of the artists who have worked with Arion have expressed their joy in the partnership. American artist
Jim Dine
noted “My association with…Arion Press is so great I want it to go on as long as I live.”
[1]
Dine has had his work incorporated in at least nine Arion publications, five of which are now in the collection of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.
Stitched cover of
Sampler
by Emily Dickinson, illustrated by Kiki Smith. Arion Press, 2007
The collection was donated in 2021 by author and entrepreneur Dr. Ronnyjane Goldsmith. Goldsmith began collecting Arion Press publications more than 20 years prior, when she first encountered the
Constitution of the United States of America
, Arion’s 1987 collaboration with the Library of Congress in celebration of the U.S. Bicentennial. She ultimately bought three copies of Arion’s
Constitut…

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An Interview with Director Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

enero 28, 2026

An Interview with Director Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

Smithsonian Libraries and Archives recently welcomed
Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty
as our inaugural director. Join us as we get to know the new leader of our organization!
1.) What is your earliest memory of either libraries or archives?
I have fond memories of both libraries and archives. When I was a little, libraries played a very important role in my life and that of my family. My mother loved books and saw libraries as a treasure trove of information – and most importantly, they were free. She was a single mom. We were poor and could not afford a lot of books. I was fortunate that we owned a set of encyclopedias – quite rare for being an African American little girl growing up on the West Side of Chicago. No one else I knew had a set.
I remember my mother taking me to the Chicago Public Library to complete a school report on Benjamin Franklin, and also running around looking at books as my brother attended Black Panther meetings in one of the Library’s community rooms.
Therefore, my family saw libraries as an important benefit to us as American citizens. Later on, my mother fell on hard times, and we were homeless for about a year. We were shuffled from shelter to shelter, and from good neighbors to church members, but there were times in between when we slept at the Chicago Public Library for heat, or when the lights got turned off, or to get cool in the heat of summer. Because of this I experienced firsthand that libraries serve a lot of functions in society. I always say that libraries helped raise me.
My first memory of archives and special collections is quite different. My brush with archival research came when I was a sophomore in high school. As a Chicago Public School requirement, every high school sophomore had to enter the Chicago History Fair. Students had to present a history project using Chicago area archival collections and other primary sources. Along with my Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center partner, Leslie Casimir, we had to consult the collections of the Chicago Historical Society (now Chicago History Museum) in order to research the Aragon Ballroom. I wore gloves and they brought out big archival drawings for my project. So that was a different experience for me; I didn’t understand why I had to put on gloves, or formally check in, or show my ID. It was a completely different process than using regular materials. I also observed the reading room as beautiful, and it all felt very important and ceremonious – with “esteemed” white men pictured on the wall. I remember thinking, “Wow – this is like attending church!”
Director Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty stands outside the doors of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives offices.
2.) Tell me about your background in your own words. What attracted you to the field of libraries and archives as a career?
The path to my career was a challenging process. My mother wanted me to…

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Color Our Collections for 2022

enero 28, 2026

Color Our Collections for 2022

Calling all coloring enthusiasts! #ColorOurCollections is back for 2022 and we have ten new coloring pages just for you. Whether you want to bring polychromatic glory to old black-and-white photos or scribble in vintage fashion plates, you’ll find a little something for everyone in our new packet.
Download it now
!
During
Color Our Collections
, organized by the New York Academy of Medicine, cultural institutions from around the world provide inspiration and free coloring sheets for artists of all ages. At-home artists can share their creations on social media by tagging the organization and using the hashtag #ColorOurCollections. Our coloring book uses images that are freely available in our
Digital Library
,
Biodiversity Heritage Library
, and
Smithsonian Institution Archives
collections.
Curious about the stories behind the pictures? Here’s the scoop on the first two pages.
Coloring page featuring Robert Ridgway Bird Head Drawings #189, #197, #209, #222. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7167.
Download the full coloring book
.
Robert Ridgway Bird Head Drawings
#189
,
#197
,
#209
, #
222
.
Smithsonian Institution Archives
Record Unit 7167
.
These little birdies were illustrated by
Robert Ridgway
and Henry W. Elliott for publications by Spencer Baird, Dr. Thomas M. Brewer, and Ridgway. A bird expert mentored by Baird, Ridgway was appointed ornithologist on the staff of the United States National Museum in 1874 and earned a role as curator by 1880. Ridgway became a prolific author and illustrator of bird books and developed
several guides
to help fellow natural history writers accurately depict color.
Coloring page featuring “Equus marinus monstrus” from
Monstrorum historia
(1642).
Download the full coloring book
.
Ulisse Aldrovandi
“Equus marinus monstrus”
Vlyssis Aldrouandi patricii Bononiensis Monstrorum historia
Bononiae : Typis Nicolai Tebaldini, MDCXLII [1642]
This lively merhorse is one of several fantastic beasts in Ulisse Aldrovandi’s
Monstrorum historia
(1642). The work features illustrations of mythological creatures as well as reported genetic anomalies.
Monstrorum historia
was gifted to the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology by
Dr. J. Bruce Beckwith
along with 800 works related to teratology. It’s featured in our current exhibition,
Magnificent Obsessions: Why We Collect
.
You’ll rarely hear us say this but in this instance it’s true:
We hope you enjoy coloring in our books!
Share your creations via social media and tag us (@SILibraries on
Twitter
and
Instagram
). We can’t wait to see what vibrant combinations you come up with.
Cover of Color Our Collections 2022 coloring book.
Download the full coloring book
.
Further Reading:
Color Our Collections for 2021
2018 Color Our Collections Coloring Pages
Color in a New Light Coloring Pages
Smithsonian Libraries Coloring Page Volume 2

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Explore the Past with a Learning Tool of the Future

enero 28, 2026

Explore the Past with a Learning Tool of the Future

When the Smithsonian’s
Arts and Industries Building
reopened in November 2021, it launched
FUTURES
, an ambitious, interactive exploration of what lies ahead for humanity. This building-wide exhibition is on view until July 7
th
, 2022 and highlights artworks, technologies, and ideas that look towards the future. Included in the exhibition is “Women in America: Extra and Ordinary”, an innovative classroom tool developed by Sara Cardello, our Head of Education. Stories from this resource will also be featured in our next online program,
Women at Work
on February 15
th
, 2022.
“Women in America: Extra and Ordinary”
is part of our
Traveling Trunk
s program. Intended for educators and students, the trunks are immersive, multimedia library kits that connect Smithsonian Libraries and Archives collections with other Smithsonian content around a common theme. The “Women in America: Extra and Ordinary” theme features twenty-four women who lived in America from 1785-2013. Their stories are extraordinary while honoring the strength of the everyday.
“Women in America: Extra and Ordinary” Traveling Trunk in FUTURES.
In the
“Futures that Unite”
section of the FUTURES exhibition, you’ll find our “Women in America: Extra and Ordinary” Traveling Trunk, including eight selected stories that celebrate women in science. Each woman is represented by a card. Touching a card to a nearby speaker brings a woman’s story to life with a biographical description. Touching the accompanying cassette tape plays a related song from
Smithsonian Folkways
.
“Women in America: Extra and Ordinary” interactive cards and cassette.
The stories of our past are powerful tools. They can be reminders of our successes and cautions of our failures. Entirely too often our history has been written by and for a single perspective, marginalizing women and people of color. This display helps honor eight lesser-known women in STEM and continue their legacy. You might encounter Eloise Berry, the first female scientist for the Forest. You may hear from Sophie Lutterlough, who rose from an elevator operator to working in the Entomology department in the National Museum of Natural History. Or you may be awed by Chien-Shiung Wu, a nuclear physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first nuclear weapons.
Graphic of
Sophie Lutterlough
from “Women in America: Extra and Ordinary”.
Our Traveling Trunk program is not currently lending to schools due to the ongoing pandemic. This spotlight in FUTURES allows us to engage with visitors from around the world, sharing these lesser-known stories of women in science from our collections. We hope visitors experience and learn from the extraordinary stories of women, both extra and ordinary.
Interested in hearing more about these remarkable women? Join us on February 15
th
for our free, online program,
Women at Work
. Our director, Tamar Evangelestia-Dougherty will explore their legaci…

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Unveiling 1915 Spring Fashion Through Mail Order

enero 28, 2026

Unveiling 1915 Spring Fashion Through Mail Order

Today in the 21st Century, we have several options for shopping. Two options that might immediately come to mind are visiting stores to shop in person or ordering online from home. But one nearly forgotten option is the mail order catalog. With the availability of the internet, we might not receive these as frequently as in the past, but browsing the
Trade Literature Collection
reveals mail ordering has been around for quite some time.
Generally, when consumers purchase something via mail order, they complete an order blank, or form. The form is typically found inside the catalog. On the order form, they list items, quantity, and specific details relating to the products they want to order. Some catalogs also include a pre-addressed envelope, like the
envelope found within John Wanamaker’s
Fall & Winter Catalog 1915-16
(1915-1916) highlighted in a past post
. Pre-addressed envelopes make it convenient for customers to mail their order form with payment to the company.
Another post highlighting a Herr, Thomas & Co. 1907 catalog
explores the general mail order process in a bit more detail.
Now let’s examine a mail order catalog, paying close attention to item descriptions and specific details customers might have needed to complete an order form in 1915. This catalog is titled
Spring & Summer Catalog
(1915) by
John Wanamaker
.
John Wanamaker
, New York, NY.
Spring & Summer Catalog
(1915), front cover.
The clothing section appears to primarily focus on women’s apparel and accessories. Several pages illustrate items for girls and young women, such as a sports suit, pictured below left. This was a two-piece set with matching skirt and coat, both made from homespun mixture. Its flared skirt fastened on the side and included two pockets, as did the coat which was embellished with a high waist belt. The collar of the coat could be worn open, as shown below, or buttoned high.
Keeping the mail order process in mind, let’s study the product description to locate details that a mail order customer might have needed to complete an order form. One of these details is the item or product number used to identify a specific item. We see that this particular sports suit is identified as 143W1.
Most likely, customers also specified on the order form their preference for fabric, design, or color of the article of clothing. This particular suit was available in homespun mixture, as shown in the illustration, but the description notes other options were also available, including black and white check and navy blue or black serge. Sizes appear to be listed by ages such as 14, 16, 18, and 20 years. We will take a closer look at sizes when we turn to another page in the catalog.
One more thing a mail order shopper might have noticed is the weight of the item when packed. This sports suit weighed four pounds packed. Perhaps, this was useful for customers to estimate cost of shipping.
John Wanamaker
, New York, …

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Smithsonian Libraries and Archives & Wikidata: Plans Become Projects

enero 28, 2026

Smithsonian Libraries and Archives & Wikidata: Plans Become Projects

This post is part of our
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives & Wikidata series
.
Over the past two years, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives has embarked on a linked data journey along with many other libraries in the
Program for Cooperative Cataloging
(PCC) Wikidata pilot project. From October 2020 to August 2021, the Libraries Wikidata team experimented with creating and maintaining name authority in a completely new way, including plans to install a decentralized Wikidata instance (Wikibase) that would meet the Smithsonian policies and best practices. This is the second part in the
Wikidata blog post series
, be sure to
read our previous post
for additional information.
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ Wiki initiation commenced with a Wikidata workshop held in November 2019 with Andrew Lih, currently the Wikimedian-In-Residence for the
American Women’s History Initiative
. The outgrowth of the workshop was a name reconciling project using carefully curated name data. During the pandemic, this process was expanded to include additional staff and two name datasets: 1) the Art and Artist Files database and 2) a portion of Smithsonian American Art Museum’s artist names from its database.
Wiki Platform
For the last two years, the Libraries’ Wiki project has mainly focused on Wikidata and Wikibase, and briefly experimented with Wikimedia Commons for images as part of the Smithsonian’s PCC Wikidata Pilot Projects (Oct 2020- Sep 2021).
Wikidata
Wikidata, launched in 2012, is a global and open knowledge repository of structured data that serves as a hub for linking resources. This linked open data information cloud attracts and integrates authority data from many libraries. Wikidata quickly became the authority knowledgebase of choice in libraries and commercial institutions for names for people, places, etc. Its structured data gives many developers a way to create tools to query and present findings on trending topics, such as the resources which impact or are impacted by the pandemic, COVID-19 (
http://coviwd.org
)
Wikidata has become a high-demand library authority identifier clearing house. The PCC Policy Committee recognized the platform could play a role in its effort to transform authority control into identity management. In September 2020, called for a pilot among the PCC member libraries. The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives assembled a team to participate in October 2020 as telework projects during the pandemic.
The Wikidata team prioritized the following goals in order to create cohesive processes for names (identity) management for the Smithsonian’s collections,
The creation and curation of names for CPF (corporate bodies, persons and families), collections, and publications for the Institution.
Adopting replicable workflows to SI units that would work beyond the Libraries and Archives’ cataloging or metadata professionals.
Increasing professional curio…

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The Bamboo Expert Who Rediscovered a Missing Grass

enero 28, 2026

The Bamboo Expert Who Rediscovered a Missing Grass

Argentine grass expert Dr. Cleofé E. Calderón (1929-2007) collected species, published descriptions of rare and unusual plants, and led workshops that helped shape the field of bamboo taxonomy. Affiliated with the Smithsonian for much of her agrostology career, Dr. Calderón’s legacy can be traced in collections across the Institution, including publications, field books, and photos in Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.
Visiting Argentine botanist Cleofé E. Calderón with plant specimens and microscope. Detail of digital contact sheet. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 11-008 [OPA-90]
Dr. Calderón was a botanist from the University of Buenos Aires who came to the Smithsonian Institution to study bamboo. In the 1960s she visited Washington, D.C. and stopped by the
U.S. National Herbarium
in the Department of Botany at the National Museum of Natural History. The connections she made during that visit led to a close working relationship with Curator of Grasses, Dr. Thomas R. Soderstrom.
Dr. Tom Soderstrom and Dr. Cleofé Calderón, 1975, by Kjell Sandved, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Acc. 95-013, Image No. SIA2013-04116.
With support from several Smithsonian offices and the National Geographic Society, Dr. Calderón traveled worldwide to research and collect specimens. Her work had a special focus on Central and South America, particularly Brazil. In 1976, she and colleagues spent ten weeks studying and collecting bamboo in the Mata Atlântica forest of eastern Brazil, an area known for its plant diversity. It was during this trip that Dr. Calderón made one of her most important botanical discoveries–observing and collecting
Anomochloa
, a genus of grass that scientists had not seen living since the 19th century.
Specimen of
Anomochloa marantoidea Brongn
collected by Cleofé E. Calderon in Brazil in 1976.
National Museum of Natural History
.
Dr. Calderón’s
field books
in our Smithsonian Institution Archives help us understand what she saw during her travels. These 17 field books created between 1967 and 1981 provide context for the many specimens she observed and collected. Her detailed notes were part of her thorough documentation process, which also included capturing photographs with two cameras. Dr. Calderón recorded taxonomic names of specimens, temperatures, altitude/elevation, flowering, and inflorescence. In 2019, Smithsonian Transcription Center volunteers helped transcribe
Dr. Calderón’s field books
to make them even more useful to modern researchers.
During her work with the National Museum of Natural History, Dr. Calderón contributed about 1,000 plant specimens to the U.S. National Herbarium and was known for her thoroughness and high-quality pressings. Many have been digitized and are available through the Smithsonian’s
Collection Search Center
. According to her obituary in
Bamboo Science and Culture,
her specimens “are of great significance to grass systematics due…

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Fannie Farmer Knew Her Pies

enero 28, 2026

Fannie Farmer Knew Her Pies

Cover,
The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book
(c.1918).
Fannie Merritt Farmer, who was born in 1857, suffered a paralytic stroke in her teenage years that stalled her dreams of a formal education. After she regained the ability to walk, she worked as a governess and developed an interest in nutrition and cooking. At the age of 30, Farmer enrolled at the Boston Cooking School, a philanthropic endeavor to help young women learn a socially acceptable trade at a time when there were limited options. Farmer did so well that she joined the staff upon graduation and became principal just two years later.
Farmer first published
The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book
in 1896 and it would become a household staple for over a hundred years. The book includes recipes of course, but also nutritional information on common ingredients, tips about party-planning, housekeeping advice, and even health and safety information. Farmer wanted to share recipes but was also the science behind them, explaining cooking processes and including more precise measurements than many previous cookbooks. She hoped her book would “awaken an interest through its condensed scientific knowledge which will lead to deeper thought and broader study of what we eat”. Farmer was an early Alton Brown!
This 1919 edition,
from the collection of the
National Museum of American History Library
, is thought to be the last one written solely by Fannie Farmer herself. It features more than 130 illustrations of recipes, table decorations, and utensils. Our copy was previously owned by Florence E. Sparks, who added some of her own handwritten recipes on the endpages and tucked loose recipes inside. This copy was adopted through our
Adopt-a-Book program
by Clarice J. Peters in 2016 which supported the book’s digitization.
In honor of Pi Day (March 14
th
, i.e. 3/14), our staff tried two different recipes, both with tasty results. Read on for pie inspiration from Fannie Farmer and
The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book.
Or dig into the book online to find your next dish!
Lemon Meringue Pie
Tested by Anne Evenhaugen
Left: Lemon Meringue Pie. Right: Lemon Pie IV recipe from
The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book
(c.1918).
Baker’s Note: We chose to make Lemon Pie IV (page 470) with the associated Meringue II (page 480). It didn’t require many ingredients—eggs, sugar, and lemon. We cut a few corners, for example, instead of following one of Fannie’s “paste” recipes, we used store-bought crust dough. And instead of beating our eggs for our meringue with a “silver fork,” we used our stand mixer! But otherwise, we followed the recipe nearly to the letter, with a moderate oven (that is 375 F for the modern reader!). The verdict of our family was that Farmer’s recipe was delicious. Even the person who normally doesn’t like lemon meringue said it was great–not too sweet! I would make this again since it was so easy, and both kids helped.
Lemon Pie IV
Ingredients:
3 eggs
2/3 cup …

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Gilded Age Girls: Exploring the Travel Diaries of Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt

enero 28, 2026

Gilded Age Girls: Exploring the Travel Diaries of Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt

Curious what might life have really been like for two wealthy, unattached New York City sisters at the turn of the 20
th
century? Fictional sisters Ada and Agnes from HBO’s new series,
The Gilded Age
, could have been inspired in part by real sisters, Sarah (1859-1930) and Eleanor (1864-1924) Hewitt. Also known as “Sallie” and “Nellie”, without them the
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
, and its
library
, would not exist. A new exhibition celebrating this remarkable duo,
Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt: Designing a Modern Museum
, includes select pages from their never-before-seen travel diaries. Even better than seeing those few pages in person, now you can travel right alongside these two intrepid women from the comfort of your own home through six recently digitized volumes of their
diaries
. Plus, you can help transcribe their contents to make them even more accessible to researchers around the world!
Diaries of Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt, on display in
Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt: Designing a Modern Museum
.
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is the only Smithsonian unit founded by women. Granddaughters of industrialist and philanthropist, Peter Cooper (1791-1883), Sarah and Eleanor were pioneering women of significant means who shared their grandfather’s spirit of contributing to the greater good of American society through education. In 1895, the Hewitt sisters created the first museum of decorative arts and design in the United States—the Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration. They also started a night school that worked closely with the museum’s collection, establishing an active space for design education that helped shape the American aesthetic.
Left:
Photograph of Sarah Cooper Hewitt
. Collection of Edward Parmee. Right:
Portrait of Eleanor Garnier Hewitt
. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Bequest of Erksine Hewitt, 1938-57-737.
Sarah and Eleanor’s museum became what is now Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Since becoming a part of the Smithsonian in 1968, Cooper Hewitt has told the story of its founders, yet a key component remained locked away in twenty-three diaries held in the library. Due to their extremely fragile condition, access to the diaries was restricted and their contents were unknown. To help reveal what Sarah and Eleanor documented, in 2020, Cooper Hewitt Museum and Smithsonian Libraries and Archives received a joint Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative award to support the conservation and digitization of Sarah and Eleanor’s travel diaries to make them truly accessible for the first time.
Open page from
Travel diaries of Eleanor Garnier Hewitt and Sarah Cooper Hewitt U.S. v. 1.
These small notebooks contain over four thousand pages of hand-written and typed notes mostly by Eleanor, recording their travels across Europe, the United States, and Mexico from 1913 to 1924. The Hewitt sisters kept d…

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The Hewitt Sisters’ Diaries: Conservation and Digitization Behind-the-Scenes

enero 28, 2026

The Hewitt Sisters’ Diaries: Conservation and Digitization Behind-the-Scenes

This post was written by
Katie Wagner, Senior Book Conservator, David Holbert, Digital Imaging Specialist, and Jacqueline E. Chapman, Head, Digital Library and Digitization. Learn more about the diaries of the Hewitt Sisters in
a previous post by Jennifer Cohlman Bracchi
.
In February 2020 the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives was awarded an American Women’s History Initiative grant to conserve and stabilize the
23 diaries kept by the Hewitt sisters
during their travels. These diaries would eventually be featured in the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum’s exhibition,
Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt: Designing a Modern Museum
.
To support their long-term preservation, research use, and future exhibition, the diaries would be stabilized and rehoused by a contractor focused exclusively on this detailed conservation work. Afterwards, the items would be digitized by our Digitization team to provide broad access and to prevent unnecessary handling of the fragile objects.
Left: A Hewitt Sisters’ diary binder, displayed closed prior to treatment. Right: A Hewitt Sisters’ diary binder, displayed open prior to treatment
What started as an exciting and straightforward project for a contractor to work on-site alongside our Preservation team, became a more challenging operation when just a month later pandemic safety protocols came into place.
To complicate matters, prior to the pandemic, six of the 23 volumes had already been sent from their usual location at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Library in New York City, to our Book Conservation Lab (BCL) in Landover, MD in preparation for the exhibition. With the closure of our on-site facilities during the pandemic, retrieving and relocating the remaining volumes to the BCL was not immediately possible.
The decision was made to hire two contractors, one near the Landover location and one in New York, to conserve the diaries in their own studios, prioritizing the six diaries needed for the exhibition. The complex physical nature of these diaries demanded an innovative approach to rehousing them to maintain the integrity of the original format.
Left: An example of ephemera found in one of the diaries, prior to treatment. Right: A calling card found in a diary, prior to treatment
Most of the diaries were housed in commercial two-ring binders covered in leather that had degraded over time. Covers were detached, and in some cases, missing. The diaries included many scraps of ephemera from acidic newspaper clippings to calling cards, to sketches. The inclusion of these items caused some of the binders to become overfilled leading to detached pages.
Smithsonian Libraries and Archives conservators worked closely with the contractors to ensure that both the pages and the ephemeral pieces maintained their original order for research purposes, preserving both the physical pages and pieces as well as the intellectual content an…

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Turning a Quarantine Into a Journey With Xavier de Maistre

enero 28, 2026

Turning a Quarantine Into a Journey With Xavier de Maistre

Porthole of “Journey Round My Room” by Xavier de Maistre, photographs and special edition box by Ross Anderson, Arion Press, 2007
In a love letter to his apartment, Xavier de Maistre writes of his walls, windows, and furniture in
Journey Round My Room
,
as if he would rather be there than anywhere else in the world. Joyful descriptions of the objects and activities in his room, such as the “quiet pleasure conveyed to his soul” during the act of dusting a painting, or the ruminations on his bed and its “agreeable colors” (rose and white) that add “not a little to the pleasure” of lying in it. As he alights his focus on particular objects, he recounts stories and memories they evoke, such as an entire chapter dedicated to just his traveling coat, “made of the warmest and softest stuff I could meet with. It envelops me entirely from head to foot, and when I am in my arm-chair, with my hands in my pockets, I am very like the statue of Vishnu one sees in the pagodas of India.”
A journey of 42 days, Chapter III, “Journey Round My Room” by Xavier de Maistre, photographs and special edition box by Ross Anderson, Arion Press, 2007
De
Maistre’s
work is nearly 200 pages of such
contented
observations
of his small space. As the world has spent more than two years enmeshed in the COVID-19 pandemic in periods of isolation in our homes,
Journey Round My Room
may
feel
like a
familiar experience in 2022
. However, this work was written
in 1790, during the time of the French Revolution,
by a soldier sentenced to house arrest for 42 days, a literal
quarantine
.
A young soldier, de Maistre engaged in an illegal duel, and as punishment, was placed under house arrest in Turin, seeing only the servant who brought his meals (and dressed him and made his bed—quite decadent.) It was during this confinement to just his own room that de Maistre wrote this love letter to his surroundings. Likely an attempt to thwart boredom and unhappiness at his situation, his writings were a whimsical travel diary of his close quarters, published by his brother in 1794 as
Voyage Autour de ma Chambre
.
“Rooms” inside the shadowbox model of the special edition cover, “Journey Round My Room” by Xavier de Maistre, photographs and box by Ross Anderson, Arion Press, 2007
The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives has a beautiful copy of the 2007
Arion Press
edition of
Journey Round My Room
, as a part of the
recent gift
to the American Art and Portrait Gallery Library from collector Dr. Ronnyjane Goldsmith. The book is bound in pink and white cloth, a nod to the “agreeable” rose-colored surroundings of de Maistre himself. Ross Anderson contributed more than a dozen ghostly photographs of a generic room, using a low-resolution cell phone, and printed in gray tones on translucent paper.
Of particular note for the Smithsonian’s copy is the limited special edition’s housing—a 3-dimensional
apartment
for the viewer to “journey” throu…

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Mid-19th Century Reaction to a Laundry Invention

enero 28, 2026

Mid-19th Century Reaction to a Laundry Invention

Today the task of laundry is simple. We load machines with clothes, add laundry detergent and softener, and check settings. But essentially, the modern washing machine and dryer do the job for us. However, in the mid-19th century, long before our modern appliances, it was not so easy. Laundry was time-consuming and labor-intensive, so perhaps this pamphlet describing a “really wonderful invention” sounded intriguing.
It proposed a method “to accomplish a large family wash before breakfast” without machines and without rubbing. The folded pamphlet is titled
Twelvetree’s Washing Pamphlet
(ca 1850) by
H. Twelvetree
, and as we can reason from one of the testimonials found within, H. Twelvetree was most likely Harper Twelvetree (or
Twelvetrees
).
It does not provide step-by-step instructions, details, or illustrations to describe this new method for washing clothes. Instead, it provides only general information about the plan along with testimonials and references of those who tried it. We might call this folded pamphlet an advertising circular, as it encourages mid-19th century readers to inquire for more information and to obtain the details from H. Twelvetree.
H. Twelvetree, New York, NY.
Twelvetree’s Washing Pamphlet
(ca 1850), front cover/unnumbered page [1], general information about washing plan.
Since this particular item does not share that detailed information, we might be wondering a few things. What can this advertising circular reveal about the plan itself? How can a “large family wash” be accomplished before breakfast in the mid-19th century? And what did people at the time think of this idea?
Twelvetree’s Washing Pamphlet
(ca 1850) explains that this method was discovered by Professor Leibig who, for a sum of money, gave permission for the proprietor, H. Twelvetree, to use it. The washing plan combined “economy of time and money, with safety and simplicity.” Ordinary individuals, high officials, and institutions were already using it. There is also a mention that the washing plan had been tested by hundreds of editors of newspapers and periodicals, including some who are listed as references in the list below.
H. Twelvetree, New York, NY.
Twelvetree’s Washing Pamphlet
(ca 1850), page 4, list of references including newspaper editors and clergymen.
The pamphlet shares a few basic components of the plan. It required no rubbing, no machines, and no extra washing utensils. Previous knowledge was not necessary. It required water, but the substance used for washing was cheaper than soap. It did not include acid, turpentine, or camphene. It did not have an unwelcome odor. And, as the pamphlet claims, it would not injure those performing the wash or destroy the fabric being washed.
There are also two pages of testimonials which provide more information, particularly in regards to how people felt about using this new method. Similar emotions and feelings are found throughout the test…

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Join Us for Adopt-A-Book Events in April

enero 28, 2026

Join Us for Adopt-A-Book Events in April

Mark your calendar for this year’s Adopt-a-Book events! Join us on
April 20
th
and
April 26
th
, 2022
for a closer look at our collections and the opportunity to support their preservation and acquisition.
Each year, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (formerly Smithsonian Libraries) staff organize
Adopt-a-Book
events where items are “put up for adoption,” and interested supporters can adopt an item by way of a donation. The adopted item serves as an emblem of their commitment to that backing. Many who choose to adopt an item pick a book or archival document that speaks to their personal interests, like a dedicated home baker who might adopt a historical cookbook, or an avid gardener who might choose an illustrated botanical catalog.
In the past, events have been held in person, and attendees were able to see the items available to be adopted up close and to hear about the books directly from Smithsonian staff. Last year, in a virtual format, the Smithsonian Institution Archives joined the events for the first time, bringing our collections from the Smithsonian’s history to Adopt-a-Book audiences.
The Smithsonian Institution Archives is taking the lead for 2022’s virtual events! With that role, we are also expanding the types of items up for adoption. Our archival collections (and our library collections, for that matter) don’t hold just books—and not just paper-based items, either. This year we are excited to include photographic collections and audiovisual materials alongside field journals, correspondence, and botanical illustrations from the Archives, as well as a variety of books from eight library locations.
Adopt-a-Book Salons Save the Date graphic, featuring Adelia Gates botanical illustration, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7312.
One of the items I am most excited to feature from the Archives is a drawing from the architectural records of the Smithsonian. Done on translucent paper by the architectural firm Babb, Cook & Willard, the drawing was used to sketch out design elements of an elevator in Scottish-American steel tycoon and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie’s turn-of-the-century New York City mansion, now the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. The elevator depicted was among the first of its kind in New York residences and is now kept in
the collections of the National Museum of American History
. The drawing is also interesting because of a large ink spill that obscures part of the detail, which has caused large losses and widespread embrittlement of the paper. We don’t know how the ink got spilled over the drawing, but it’s fascinating to imagine Carnegie consulting the elevator’s details at his desk and becoming distracted or startled—knocking over his inkpot in the process!
The large area of loss, or missing drawing, in this elevator diagram appears to have been caused by an ink spill. Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 637. Image courtesy of Wil…

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Sonic Strategies in the Library

enero 28, 2026

Sonic Strategies in the Library

This exhibition and blog post were curated and written by
Joana Stillwell.
Sonic Strategies
in the Library
accompanies the newly opened exhibition
Musical Thinking: New Video Art and Sonic Strategies
at
the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Musical Thinking,
by Curator of Time-Based Media, Saisha Grayson,
focuses on video art that uses sonic strategies including scores, improvisation, and interpretation, as well as styles, structures, and lyrics that speak to American life. The works selected for this accompanying exhibition at the
American Art and Portrait Gallery Library
(AA/PG) include books from the collection as well as materials from the artist files. Nine selections ranging from the early nineteenth century to the 2010s reveal the ongoing and evolving relationship between visual art and music and sound.
Music: A Mere and Colorful Memory
Before the advent of recorded sound, music was a medium only available to a live audience, and only recollected orally, or venerated in the visual arts. Painting was considered the main art in the early twentieth century and its ability to capture the essence of music was the focus of Luna May Ennis’
Music in Art
(1904). This is embodied by the beautiful red and gold cover which centers a ribboned and stylized painter’s palette, while the border is compiled of different types of stringed instruments, pan flutes, and white flowers. The book is organized among themes of myth and enchantment, youth and love, worship and are punctuated by illustrations by Donatello, Raphael, Rubens, and more. The book reads as art historical analysis but through the perspective of a viewer trying to relive “the sound [that has died] with
the vibration of the strings [and] with the breath of the singer becom[ing] a mere memory.”
Analogous Scale of Sounds and Colours from George Field’s Chromatics
George Field’s
Chromatics, or, an essay on the analogy and harmony of colours
(1817) contains rich hand-colored wood-engravings with letterpress captions. Field was known as a chemist and for being especially skilled with pigments but fell short on being a color theorist after ignoring Isaac Newton’s ideas regarding color and light. Regardless, this book reveals his artistic sensibilities while expressing his theories on the relationship between the spectrum of colors and the scale of musical tones.
The Potentiality of Scores
By the twentieth century, music and sound recordings were readily available, which heightened the exceptionality and spectacle of the event or live performance. John Cage, a seminal influence on music, sound art, performance art, and more, was fascinated by the ability of music to make the listener more aware of their present. Cage argued any vibration of a particular moment could be considered music. While living in Europe as an art student he “noticed [on a street in Seville] the multiplicity of simultaneous visual and audible events all going together in one’s experien…

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Through the Loupe: Rick Prelinger

enero 28, 2026

Through the Loupe: Rick Prelinger

This is the
fifth in a series of ongoing blog posts
from Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ Audiovisual Media Preservation Initiative (AVMPI), spotlighting the labor of Smithsonian media collections staff across the Institution, and the first to feature a past Smithsonian worker. Among several current professional roles, former Smithsonian contract audiovisual consultant Rick Prelinger runs the non-profit
Prelinger Library
in San Francisco with his partner Megan.
AVMPI Co-Presents: Radio Preservation Task Force
On April 30
th
, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ pan-institutional
Audiovisual Media Preservation Initiative
(AVMPI) co-presented the fourth day of the
Radio Preservation Task Force
(RPTF) conference with the Library of Congress. The theme of the 2023 conference was “
A Century of Broadcasting: Preservation and Renewal
,” and Day Four’s proceedings were titled “
Sunday at the Smithsonian
,” comprising a radio/sound art performance, presentations by Smithsonian staff about SI radio collections, and a conference-capping ‘Listening Party’ that shared archival radio clips from a dozen international archives. A brochure of the program, designed by AVMPI’s Video Preservation Specialist and go-to graphic designer, Brianna Toth, can be accessed
here
.
Included in the day’s array of radio-related and Smithsonian-proud programming was a ‘response’ conversation between sound performers Anna Friz and Jeff Kolar with audiovisual archivist, and recent Emeritus Professor of Film and Digital Media at the
University of California – Santa Cruz
, Rick Prelinger. For over 40 years the self-described “library experimenter” Prelinger (
@footage
) has been a visionary figure in the field of film archiving and information science. The
Prelinger Library
he founded with his partner Megan in 2004 should be at the top of your list of places to visit when in San Francisco. Prelinger’s career has spanned working as a typesetter, running his own stock footage licensing company, working as an archivist at The Comedy Channel and HBO, serving as a board member and contributor to the legendary Brooklyn magazine
Stay Free!
, making films and footage performances, and teaching at several universities. I have been fortunate to know Rick personally since the late 2000s, previously encountering and obsessing over his commercially-released VHS compilations of incredible ephemeral films and television commercials when I worked at Chicago’s
Facets Video
in 1999. However, there was one professional role of Prelinger’s I was unaware of and, during the RPTF’s April 30
th
morning on-stage sound check, Rick disclosed it: he once worked for the Smithsonian (!?).
Rick Prelinger (at left) with this blog post’s author (at right).
Smithsonian Institution – Office of Telecommunications
Frankly, I had a hard time fully concentrating on the remainder of the day’s activities after Rick recalled a paid gig working for the Smithsonian’s Office of…

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Traveling Trunks Available for Borrowing

enero 28, 2026

Traveling Trunks Available for Borrowing

As we gear up for the upcoming school year, the Education Team at Smithsonian Libraries and Archives wants to remind you of our growing fleet of
Traveling Trunks
! These interactive educational resources are available for teachers and schools across the country.
This program is free of charge and trunks can be lent for up to four weeks.
We have been working hard to add more themes over the past year and currently have three different trunks to lend, with a fourth available in October.
Nice Tú Meet You
focuses on Latinx cultures from Central America and the Caribbean through the regions’ music and stories. Four fictional teen narrators tell their families’ histories and how it connects to their current lives in America.
Extra and Ordinary
is narrated by a fictional archivist tasked with researching for a new exhibit. Learners will have the chance to look at the archivist’s research – recreated letters, pictures, and objects from the Smithsonian collection – about twenty women living from 1785-2013 in the United States.
Flights of Friction: Fact or Fiction? (coming September 2023)
takes learners back to the 19th century to uncover sensational mysteries of the past. Guided by a passionate and curious librarian, learners will use information literacy skills to look into the legitimacy of authors, sources, newspapers, and their stories.
Art History Mystery (coming October 2023)
partners with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden to bring learners a clue-style journey of uncovering hidden messages in art, based on activism.
Materials from the “Flights of Friction: Fact or Fiction?” TravelingTrunk.
Traveling Trunks
do
rely on users being able to scan QR codes and watch videos. We recommend your group has
at least four Wi-Fi or cellular-enabled smart devices
to engage in this program.
Interested in bringing a Traveling Trunk to your school? Learn more about the program and see how to reserve a trunk on our
Education webpage
.

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Processing Personalities: Ephemera Research at the AA/PG Library

enero 28, 2026

Processing Personalities: Ephemera Research at the AA/PG Library

It’s interesting to think of how much of our everyday culture goes unnoticed, lost to time and simple decomposition. The newspaper someone tossed yesterday turns to mush in a landfill pile. The gilt invite you saved from your alma mater’s 15
th
reunion is lost in a pile of documents, kids’ art projects, and bills. The sticky note with your to-do list gets stuck to the bottom of your shoe and wears away as you walk to work one day. We often don’t take the time to think about these little pieces of paper, these tiny fragments of memory and thought that we churn out every single day, though these can very often be the most crucial clues about who we are.
The value in the
Art & Artists’ Files
at the
American Art and Portrait Gallery Library
(AAPG) lies in their attention to these everyday ephemera, the things left behind and that, when pieced together in a variety of different ways by staff members and researchers, tell a myriad of intimate and often novel stories of artists and institutions. Each file includes ephemera on a particular subject (an artist, corporation, or subject): exhibition announcements, clippings, press releases, brochures, pamphlets, photographs, resumes, artist’s statements, exhibition catalogs, and more, a panoply of snippets from the lives and works of American artists (with an expansive definition of “American”). For some of the lesser-known artists in the Files, these small slips of paper are the only available materials we have for research and study.
The beautiful mint green cover of a copy of Photo Era magazine from 1900, found amongst the NMAH Photo History ephemera.
As a
Summer Scholar intern
at AA/PG, I had the opportunity to sort through seventeen boxes of woefully unorganized ephemera, attempting to merge the subject files on photographers and inventors from the
Photographic History Collection
of the National Museum of American History with AA/PG’s Art & Artists’ Files. The types of ephemera in these boxes ranged from patents for photographic technology (from multiple countries), photocopies of master’s theses, photographs and slides, and handwritten letters to whole magazines, exhibition catalogues, self-published books, and anything else on paper you can think of. I knew that attention to detail and scrupulous documentation would be necessary for keeping track of everything for this project, so I set five goals for the process and result:
Clear out the backlog of old ephemera held by the AA/PG
Add relevant and potentially valuable research material to Art & Artists Files
Gain experience processing “archival” or ephemera materials.
Create accessible records for wider range of photographic artists in the collection.
Establish a repeatable personal process for doing this sort of work if it comes across in my career in the future.
Some of the many storage boxes for my processing of the NMAH ephemera (there were originally 17!)
The main challe…

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In Search of the Perfect Blue

enero 28, 2026

In Search of the Perfect Blue

The color blue has had a long history in the Western world. The ever-changing role of blue has been used in bookbinding and the book arts to color manuscripts, maps, and scientific illustrations. Colorants used in inks, paints, and dyes have come from a variety of natural sources, including clays, gems, plants, and insects. Blue pigments were first made from imported minerals from Central Asia, eventually shifting to local resources within Europe. The exhibition,
Nature of the Book
, explores the use of natural materials in bookmaking during the hand-press period (1450-1850), touching on how this rare pigment was initially reserved for religious works, later changing focus to favor European royalty and nobility. As blue’s color gained popularity for a wider audience by the end of the 18th century, new shades and formulas were created; in fact, the first synthetic pigment was a blue that offered greater access to a more affordable version.
The earliest and rarest blue was obtained from the precious stone lapis lazuli, also known as lazurite. The mineral, primarily mined in Afghanistan, was for centuries shipped a great distance into Europe through Venice. It was ground to a powder and laboriously processed to create a vibrant pigment. Because it was so costly, artists chose to use it sparingly. The calcite content in lazurite, a silicate mineral, was positively identified by x-ray fluorescence in a blue paint sample on parchment in a 15th-century illuminated
philosophical work
from the
Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology.
This reveals that the pigment was only used as a top coat and provides evidence of its value. Europeans called this color Ultramarine because of its brilliant resemblance to the sea and, as such, the color remained a favorite and was most extensively used in hand-colored manuscripts through the 15th century.
Detail. Boethius,
On the Conservation of Philosophy,
15th century.
Azurite, a blue copper ore, was a less expensive alternative to rare lapis lazuli. Though available by trade from sources as far as Asia, azurite was popularly used in European illustrations into the 17th century owing to the convenience of some local regional mining. Ultramarine and azurite blue were used to beautify and convey prestige or value in books; the symbolism of blue represented the mystical powers of sky and water. Combined with the relative expense to achieve this, the use of blue was often reserved for those of high-ranking status, as featured in a hand-colored
1604 Spanish petition for nobility
. The blue pigment used in the illuminations has been positively identified as azurite. The bound manuscript is displayed alongside a specimen collected from Germany and loaned from the Department of Mineralogy in the National Museum of Natural History.
Detail. Petition for noble status (manuscript), Spain, 1604.
Azurite with malachite and siderite, Germany. NMNH B7994, National Museum of…

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Diving into the Zoological Gardens and Aquariums Ephemera Collection

enero 28, 2026

Diving into the Zoological Gardens and Aquariums Ephemera Collection

The Zoological Gardens and Aquariums Ephemera Collection began as an all-call for interesting memorabilia relating to zoos, aquariums, gardens, or the societies that support such institutions. Many items were received, cataloged, and filed in cabinets located in the former library space at the
National Zoological Park
(Rock Creek Park, Washington, DC). A previous attempt was made to rehouse, organize, and digitize parts of the collection, but the project was left incomplete. The collection was eventually moved to the
National Museum of Natural History Library
so that the items could be properly archived and stored.
“Illustrated Guide and Catalogue of Woodward’s Gardens” (1873), bearing signature of Smithsonian ornithologist Robert Ridgway.
When I arrived at the Natural History Library’s main location at the beginning of the summer of 2023 for my internship, I got my first look at the Zoological Gardens and Aquariums Ephemera Collection. After performing a short survey assessment of the collection, my supervisor Bonnie Felts and I came up with a game plan to rehouse and document the collection. During our discussion, we decided that our end goal for the project was to conserve as many of the items as possible and make them discoverable for future research.
View-Master reel for the San Diego Zoo.
I found that the collection included a wide variety of diverse pieces from various time periods. While some items do not have a date included on the object, the collection appears to range from about 1873 to 2008 according to the items that do have dates listed. The objects in the collection are mainly guidebooks, maps, pamphlets, postcards, and reports, but there are also disparate items such as stickers, coloring books, and view master slides. As I went through the collection, it was interesting to review the objects that people thought important enough to save. Some of these items are over a hundred years old and represent a piece of history not only to the Smithsonian, but to the people who spent time at these institutions.
“Popular Official Guide to the New York Zoological Park” in a new enclosure.
As someone who is just stepping foot into the library and archives space, it was an incredible learning experience to be able to work with this collection. It was empowering to take part in the hands-on work of rehousing the collection mainly because it was a collaborative experience. Instead of being given a concrete task list, my supervisor was open to my input on how best to conserve and house the various objects in the collection. We worked together to create a system not only to rehouse the items, but to make sure those items were able to be found later in our finding aid. My favorite piece of the rehousing process of the internship was learning how to make a four-flap enclosure for some of the larger delicate artifacts. The hands-on learning of rehousing the collection i…

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Exploring Yellowstone in 1919

enero 28, 2026

Exploring Yellowstone in 1919

Camping, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors are common summer pastimes. This trade catalog from 1919 shows how visitors in the early 20th Century might have explored the wonders of Yellowstone National Park.
The trade catalog is titled
Yellowstone National Park in Your Own Automobile
(1919) by
Yellowstone Park Camping Co.
Referring to the national park as a “motorist’s paradise,” this brochure encourages tourists to visit in their own vehicle and camp, or lodge, at designated sites. The focus of the brochure is the summer season of 1919 which ran from June 20 to September 15.
Yellowstone Park Camping Co.
, Livingston, MT.
Yellowstone National Park in Your Own Automobile
(1919), front cover/unnumbered page [1].
According to this brochure, Yellowstone Park Camping Co. began providing accommodations for visitors beginning in 1915. However, it notes that these permanent summer camps located within Yellowstone National Park were “operated under government control.”
Old Faithful Camp, Mammoth Camp, and Canyon Camp (also sometimes referred to as Grand Canyon Camp) were the three main camps mentioned in this brochure. However, the map below appears to indicate two additional camps named Camp Roosevelt and Lake Camp.
As shown on the map, each camp was situated along a park roadway and nearby areas of interest, such as Old Faithful Geyser, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Mammoth Hot Springs. The camps provided lodging, food, and entertainment for guests with an atmosphere described as “clean, informal and pleasurable.”
Yellowstone Park Camping Co.
, Livingston, MT.
Yellowstone National Park in Your Own Automobile
(1919), unnumbered pages [11-12], Map provided by Automobile Blue Book Publishing Co. showing the locations and distances of Camps in Yellowstone National Park.
Visitors had the option of purchasing tickets at a Park Entrance or from “outside agencies.” As noted on the front cover, information offices were found in various cities: Livingston, MT, Salt Lake City, UT, Pocatello, ID, Yellowstone Station, MT, Cody, WY, and Denver, CO.
The park offered three-, four-, or seven-day tickets and half-price tickets for children under age 12. Tickets included both lodging and meals, though it appears to have been possible to pay separately for these amenities as well. There was even a separate cost for a bath. If visitors did not use a portion of their tickets, they had the option of redeeming that portion upon exiting the park.
The summer camps provided dining halls and social assembly halls for guests to use during their stay. These buildings were situated in the center of the camp along with the camp’s business headquarters. Surrounding the central buildings were the sleeping accommodations. These were nestled beneath fir and pine trees to create “a ’tent city,’ or village of cozy, electric-lighted canvas bungalows or private sleeping rooms.” Guest accommodations included one, two, or four sleeping rooms.
Cam…

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Lost in the Vertical Files

enero 28, 2026

Lost in the Vertical Files

My name’s Dawson, and over the summer I worked as an intern at the
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Library
in DC. I’m currently an Art History and Visual Culture student at Bard College. I applied to the internship last spring with only a little archival experience under my belt, and no idea of how I would live in DC if I even got the position. It was a total leap of faith, and I’m still a little surprised I landed on two feet. In the cover letter, I expressed my belief that “[w]orking with the library’s art and artist files is an opportunity for me to engage directly with the histories of modern American art, and the role of the nation’s emblematic contemporary museum in showing and shaping said histories.” At the time, I had no idea if that would really hold weight or not, but it ended up being more true than I could have expected.
Here was what the job was like, day-to-day, in short. The Hirshhorn has, since its inception, collected various ephemera connected to artists whose work the Hirshhorn was interested in obtaining or ultimately did obtain in its collection. Some of the ephemera even dates to before the museum, when Joseph Hirshhorn had the collection and not yet the institution to hold it. All this ephemera is now stored in the library’s vertical files, one file for each artist. Ephemera is media that is not intended to be preserved long-term – in our collection there are postcards from various artists’ exhibitions, newspaper clippings of reviews, interviews, and obituaries, artists’ resumes and bibliographies, press releases, and lots and lots of advertisements for exhibitions. I would date all of these pieces of ephemera, stamp them with a small “HMSG” insignia, and then sort them chronologically. A lot of these glossy advertisements and obscure clippings aren’t really the kind of media that most libraries preserve, yet they do reflect important auxiliary and parallel histories to more straightforward sources– offering a history of art advertisement, histories of galleries and institutions, and how artists and their art are depicted and remembered on the most immediate levels.
Intern Dawson Escott in the Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Library.
This was my job description on paper, but because of some experience at school working with metadata I took the opportunity to spend a lot of time updating the online entries in the Smithsonian’s
Art and Artist’s Files
database and on Wikidata (if you’re curious, you can find me on there with the username PalmyranRealness) to better digitally represent the Artist Files’ contents and publicize the material available at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Library for researchers. I feel strongly that most research in the present day is done online and in order for physical archives to remain used and helpful, there’s a definite need for them to have a digital presence. I updated birth and death dates, created files, clarified exactly which…

Noticias Smithsonian Libraries and Archives / Unbound

Curiosity Preserved the (AV) Memories

enero 28, 2026

Curiosity Preserved the (AV) Memories

“When did I get my first TV? When I was eight?”
*Mom laughs* “More like when you were one…”
Screenshot of Kayla Henry-Griffin as child from a collection of family Hi8 tapes.
Family and technology have always been in the picture for me. They are intertwined, connected, and that bond can never be broken. I have always been interested in how technology works and how I could use it not only in my artistic practice, but also how I can save family memories. I look towards pictures of my grandmother whom I never met to understand my family and how we are dispersed globally. I look towards camcorder-recorded home movies of me to understand my role and my place in the Henry/Griffin/Toney family. I picked up skills from the Mac computer in my childhood home, I learned about pop culture through the TV with the wooden cabinet in the living room, and I picked up my love of video games when I bought my first game at the age of eight (it was
Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life
for the console GameCube).
Screenshot of gameplay in Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life (Gamecube English version).
All of this to say- I have been immersed in audio-visual technology to the point that I wanted to preserve the memories behind it. All forms of technology are a vessel for me to get closer to how I memorize math equations to even how I recollect that major move I did from California to Mississippi. Of course, this took a while for me to truly understand that this was a personal and professional path I wanted to take on. At my alma mater, I created my own major to encompass my love for photography and optics (my degree literally says ‘Photography and Optics’). I learned about art conservation during this time and since then, I have been on this professional journey of preserving cultural heritage.
In 2018, I attended a
Software Preservation Network
(SPN) workshop in Texas that focused on emulation and preservation. I met a multitude of folks in the cultural heritage field that worked with non-traditional materials from VHS tapes to computer software like Microsoft Golf. After talking with someone who works for Strong Museum of Play, I was more than elated to hear that I could preserve video games if I wanted to. That moment, in combination with all of my heartfelt experiences with technology, led me to pursue this dream of preserving memories from non-traditional mediums.
During the pandemic, I attended the
Moving Image Archiving and Preservation
(MIAP)
program at New York University. During that time, I interned at various organizations (
Los
Herederos
,
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
,
Third World Newsreel
, and
The Museum of the Moving Image
) that shaped my philosophy on preserving cultural heritage. Even though I mostly worked with magnetic media in the internships, I also had experience with software-based art and film. I found a love for mysterious and obscure formats like the
HIPAC
, and soon learned that my love of video game…

Noticias Smithsonian Libraries and Archives / Unbound

Snacking While Out and About a Century Ago

enero 28, 2026

Snacking While Out and About a Century Ago

What do you do when you are out and about and have a craving for a quick snack? Shoppers, picnickers, theatregoers, or someone simply out for a stroll in the early 20th Century might have stumbled across a popcorn and peanut machine like one shown in this trade catalog.
The
trade catalog
is by
C. Cretors & Co.
and is both untitled and undated. However, we believe it was published circa 1924 by piecing together some information from the catalog, such as the company was established in 1885, it mentions 40 years of experience in building these machines, and it has a library stamp date of 1924 on the front pages.
C. Cretors & Co., Chicago, IL.
Untitled C. Cretors & Co. trade catalog
(undated), front cover.
These popcorn and peanut machines were suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Some ideas for locations included theatres, department stores, ballgames, fairs, parks, picnic areas, and even sidewalks. The machines were constructed of all-steel frames and finished with paint and varnish. The various metal parts were nickel-plated. After completion, each machine was tested by inspectors.
C. Cretors & Co., Chicago, IL.
Untitled C. Cretors & Co. trade catalog
(undated), page 3, Index and C. Cretors & Co. building.
The popcorn machines included a self-seasoning popper. This meant the flavor was “cooked right into the corn” during the popping process rather than being “smeared on afterwards.” This also saved time as additional buttering or salting was not necessary.
The machine was ready to begin popping within three minutes after the burner was lit. And then approximately every three minutes after that, it could pop 10-12 bags. The popcorn never encountered the burner’s fire or fumes which prevented it from having the taste or smell of gasoline.
C. Cretors & Co., Chicago, IL.
Untitled C. Cretors & Co. trade catalog
(undated), pages 22-23, general information about machines including images of a popcorn popper and machine shop where machines were built.
According to this catalog, the parts of the machine were easy to access which helped with cleaning. It recommends spending just “15 minutes daily” to keep it clean.
One full page of this catalog is devoted to information about steam engines and electric motors used in these machines. As the catalog points out, the electric motor (below, bottom right) might not be as beautiful as the steam engine, but it was a good option when a machine was positioned indoors or in front of a store. That is, if a nearby and ready supply of electrical current was available.
C. Cretors & Co., Chicago, IL.
Untitled C. Cretors & Co. trade catalog
(undated), page 24, steam engines and electric motors for the popcorn and peanut machines.
The Enlarged No. 6 “Earn-More” Machine is featured on the first page of this catalog (below). Though it was a stand-alone machine and not incorporated into a wagon or automobile, it was equipped with casters to make it mobile. With a name…

Smithsonian Libraries and Archives / Unbound

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Curiosity Preserved the (AV) Memories

Snacking While Out and About a Century Ago

Te has perdido