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Collections
The National Museum of American History collects artifacts of all kinds—from gowns to locomotives—to preserve for the American people an enduring record of their past.

The Museum has more than 3 million artifacts in its collection. Information and photos of selected objects are available in the online collections database. The database is a work-in-progress and new items will be added regularly. A separate database covers archival collections.
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Featured Object Groups
  American Samplers
  Balm of America: Patent Medicine Collection
  The Father of the Video Game: The Ralph Baer Prototypes and Electronic Games
  The Ferris Collection of Prints
  Mathematical Paintings of Crockett Johnson
  Mexican America
  National Numismatic Collection
  National Quilt Collection
  Portable Bathtubs: Tub Bathing from the Early 19th and 20th Centuries
  Printing Matrices for Narrative of the U.S. Exploring Expedition
  Teodoro Vidal Collection of Puerto Rican History




Related Links
Archives Center
HistoryWired: A Few of Our Favorite Things
Legacies: Collecting America’s History at the Smithsonian
Media Fact Sheets on Selected Objects
Featured Object Stories Written by Curators
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Smithsonian National Museum of American History