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NEWS |
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Yo,
Smithsonian! Rocky Joins Icons on Display
Actor
Sylvester Stallone recently donated items from his Academy
Award-winning "Rocky" films to the Museum in a special
ceremony. The boxing robe Stallone wore to the climactic fight
with Apollo Creed in 1976's "Rocky"; the signature black hat
and a pair of autographed boxing gloves from "Rocky II"
(1979); and a pair of boxing shoes from "Rocky III" (1982) are
now all on display through January in "Treasures of American
History" at the National Air and Space Museum.
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“Technology in the 1800s”
by Director Brent D. Glass
The December issue of
the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s HISTORY NOW examines the
technology that catapulted America into modernity. Brent D.
Glass contributes an essay on inventions that transformed
agricultural and industrial production and altered Americans’
sense of time and space through improved transportation and
communication. Also check out the timeline in the “Interactive
History” section which features 19th-century inventions from
the Museum’s collections including leech jars, the John Bull
steam locomotive, the Morse telegraph, John Deere plow, a
Singer sewing machine, daguerreotypes, Edison's light bulb, a
Kodak camera, and more.
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Coins
Experience F.U.N. for the First Time
Some
never-before-seen pattern coins designed by Charles E. Barber,
the sixth chief engraver at the U.S. Mint, will be on display
for the first time in a traveling exhibition at the Florida
United Numismatic (F.U.N.) Convention January 4-7, 2007. Of
particular interest in "Charles Barber's Numismatic Art" are
the only two known 1891 pattern half dollars and sketches that
help reveal Barber's design process.
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TRANSFORMING THE MUSEUM |
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Rigging
Crew Does the Heavy Lifting
When you need to move
objects that weigh between 1,000 and 35,000 pounds out of the
Museum, crating is no longer an option. It’s time to bring in
the rigging crew to handle the complicated engineering work
and planning.
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Help
Save the Star-Spangled Banner
Start your new year
with a gift to the nation! Your tax-deductible contribution
will help ensure that the flag that inspired the national
anthem will be preserved and displayed for you and future
generations in a new, state-of-the-art gallery at the center
of a dramatically transformed Museum. Learn how you can help
protect a national treasure!
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EVENTS |
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Family
Day Activities: Commemoration of the Birthday of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr.
Meet Frederick Douglass, Ida B.
Wells, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr. (portrayed by
reenactors). Learn about the lives of these famous figures and
the characteristics that made them great leaders in the fight
for civil rights. See "The March,” a film produced by the
United States Information Agency, which highlights the August
1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This
kid-friendly event is produced in collaboration with The
Center for the National Archives Experience. Saturday, January
13, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. The Center for the National Archives
Experience.
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African
American Leadership in the 21st Century
Join
Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein as he moderates
a panel discussion with National Public Radio senior
correspondent and author Juan Williams, journalist and
political analyst Clarence Page, and attorney and activist
Riley Temple. The panel will analyze political and social
trends and offer insights about the next generation of African
American leadership and new strategies necessary to further
advance civil rights. Saturday, January 13, 2-3 p.m., The
Center for the National Archives Experience.
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"New
Culture: The Museum Renaissance": American Conversation at the
National Archives
Washington, D.C., is experiencing
an incredible boom in the creation and re-creation of its
museums. The Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein
and National Archives Experience director Marvin Pinkert will
lead a discussion and question-and-answer session with
National Museum of American History director Brent D. Glass
and leaders from the Newseum, the National Museum of
African-American History and Culture, the National Portrait
Gallery and the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. Panelists will
examine the relevance of museums in the age of the Internet,
explain the emphasis on creating “experience,” and contemplate
whether there are enough visitors to support this dramatic
expansion. Thursday, January 18, at 7 p.m., The Center for the
National Archives Experience.
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Smithsonian
Chamber Music Society: Masterworks of Four
Centuries
Three founding members of the Smithsonian
Chamber Players--Marilyn McDonald, violin; Kenneth Slowik,
viola da gamba; and James Weaver, harpsichord--present a
program of Baroque favorites, including the music of Bach,
Buxtehude, Marais, and Rameau. SCMS artistic director Kenneth
Slowik sheds light on the music and the life and times of the
featured composers an hour prior to the performance. Tickets
may be purchased in advance by series or individually at the
door when available. Sunday, January 28, 7:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m.,
Smithsonian Castle Commons.
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EXHIBITIONS |
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What
Size are Dorothy’s Shoes? Ask a Curator about “Treasures of
American History”
Last month you asked “What size
are Dorothy’s shoes?” and “Were there any notes taken in
Jefferson's bible?” See answers to these and other questions
about the objects in the “Treasures of American History”
exhibition. Or submit your own question to the curators. The
exhibition is on view at the National Air and Space Museum and
is also available online.
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Extended!
“Legendary Coins & Currency”
This exhibition,
on view in the Smithsonian Castle, explores 56 rare and
historically significant artifacts from the Museum's National
Numismatic Collection. More than half of them have never been
on view or have not been displayed for many years. Highlights
include: a 1913 Liberty Head nickel, one of the most
celebrated 20th-century coins; an 1877 U.S. $50 (“Half Union”)
pattern, the largest U.S. coin ever struck; and the 1907
Saint-Gaudens Ultra High Relief Double Eagle, often considered
one of America’s most beautiful coins. Through September
2007.
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ON THE WEB |
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Podcast: Stan
Winston, Groundbreaking Special Effects Artist
The
Museum offers a twice-monthly free podcast, “Prototype Online:
Inventive Voices,” from the Lemelson Center for the Study of
Invention and Innovation. In this episode, Stan Winston, the
special effects artist behind “Jurassic Park,” “Terminator,”
“Aliens,” and many other films, talks about his project with
MIT to create robots with artificial intelligence.
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Marine
Patent Models: American Invention at Sea
The online
exhibition "America on the Move" uses the Museum's
transportation collections to take you on a journey through
America's past. In this new addition to the Web site, see how
inventors, particularly in the nineteenth century, sought to
overcome the many challenges Americans encountered working and
traveling on the water. Among the 70 patent models featured
are Abraham Lincoln’s patent model for buoying vessels over
shoals, and many other models for boats, rafts, buoys,
garments, and floating furniture.
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FOR
EDUCATORS |
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Register Your Class
to Participate in Online Forum with Curators
Each
month “The Object of History” Web site features an artifact
from the Museum’s collections related to a major topic in U.S.
history, such as the American Revolution or Civil Rights. Each
object is accompanied by teacher materials such as lesson
plans, advice on how to use the site's resources in the
classroom, and additional Web resources that support
instruction on the main historical topics. Teachers who
register their classes will be able to submit questions for
the curators to answer during live events. Sign your class up
today.
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 Educators page
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FOR KIDS & FAMILIES |
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“Invention
at Play” Web Activities
Did you know that many
inventors get their best ideas while playing? Nuture your own
creative mind with our online activities.
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Featured
Family Object: $100,000 Gold Certificate
It may
look like the paper money you use every day, but this
certificate is worth $100,000! It’s the largest denomination
of paper money ever produced by the U.S. government. If you
found this in your pocket, what would you do with
it?
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Kids page
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SHOPPING |
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After you visit the “Treasures of
American History” exhibition at the National Air and Space
Museum, take some time to visit the store. On the store’s
upper-level, you will find American history-themed books. On
the lower level, browse merchandise related to “The Wizard of
Oz,” American presidents, and the “Teddy” bear.
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Copyright ©
National Museum of American History. All Rights
Reserved.
14th Street and Constitution Ave. NW, Washington
DC 20560
Brent D. Glass, director
Map
& Directions
Admission to the National Museum of
American History is FREE.
CONTACT US
General
Smithsonian Visitor Information: 202-633-1000
or see our Contact
List
Frequently
Asked Questions
Media inquiries: 202-633-3129 or
visit our Press
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