The Washington Senators couldn’t win—but excelled at scouting Latino talent
Today, the Washington Senators are most remembered for their ability to finish in last place. Despite their successful early history marked...
Musician José Feliciano shook up a baseball tradition at age 23
José Feliciano will remain forever celebrated for his perennial Christmas classic "Feliz Navidad," one of his many hit recordings that have...
Advertising photography is more than a thousand words: Al Rendon remembers a photography session with Selena
Advertising agencies have relied on images to engage consumers since the late 19th century. Images convey both information and emotion in a...

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Picturing veterans
Of the more than 100 photos submitted to the museum’s Star-Spangled Banner Share Your Story Project on Flickr (which is still...
Caofeidian: China's city of the future or urban laboratory?
Last year on this blog, I wrote about the development of Dongtan, China’s planned eco-city near Shanghai. Once billed as the world’s...
Doughboy uniform in khaki and green with helmet and gas mask
Learning about sacrifice on Veterans Day
As Veterans Day approaches, I have found myself reflecting on the common practice of having grade school students interview veterans for...
You Asked, We Answer: Taking Care of Your Own Archives
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on The Smithsonian Archives’ blog, The Bigger Picture. As many of you may know, a couple...
Teaching history by telling stories
So much of what I do as a museum educator is about telling stories. For example, I write parent guides to help families read stories...
"Tapping" into innovation
On a recent trip to Wisconsin, I had the opportunity to spend a morning and afternoon in the City of Milwaukee. Now, I’m a regular visitor...
Sacred ground: Smithsonian Gardens commemorating Medal of Honor recipients
Editor’s note: This post is the third in a series of monthly posts exploring the work of Smithsonian Gardens and...
Political campaigning before Twitter and Facebook
Many of today’s political candidates harness social media to rally the electorate. But what did politicians do before the advent of...
Hallowe’en? Putting the apostrophe back
Hallowe’en is one of America’s most popular holidays, for a variety of reasons. Although it has clear antecedents in the ancient Celtic...
Remembering life on the Day of the Dead
My first job after college was teaching elementary students at a bilingual school in Mexico City. While the majority of our students were...
In black and white photo, a young girl looks at doll house with guidance of an older woman
The miniature world of Faith Bradford
Meet the Dolls. This miniature family consists of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Doll, their 10 children, two visiting grandparents, five servants, and...
Meet Marty Bienstock, Spark!Lab docent
You may have seen Lemelson Center docents in action in the lab; now learn how they came to be Smithsonian volunteers. Allow...
An Undercover Invention: Baseball Covers and Stitching
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on the Smithsonian Collections Blog as part of a 31-day Blogathon in October for...
You asked, we answer: What happened to the Pentagon flag from September 11, 2001?
Some of the most frequently asked questions we receive at the museum have to do with objects that were once on display but are no longer on...
Physicists at play: The 2010 Nobel Prize winners
“Physics is phun!” my high-school physics teacher loved to write, and certainly these Nobel Prize winners would agree. Dr. Andre Geim...
Backstage at the museum
Loyal readers of our blog are surely familiar with the museum's theater programs, especially Join the Student Sit-Ins. This...
The National Mall then and now
Last week on the museum’s Facebook page, we featured a photograph of the National Mall taken from the Washington Monument in 1965. We...
From the Victory Garden: If you like it hot
Editor’s note: This post is the second in a series of monthly posts exploring the work of Smithsonian Gardens and...
Memories of a wartime poster model
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on the Smithsonian Collections Blog as part of a 31-day Blogathon in October for...
Star-Spangled Banner flag on a platform, nearly horizontal. Dark room. The flag is battered but vivid. On the wall, the first stanza of national anthem in white.
You asked, we answer: Is the Star-Spangled Banner a poem or a song?
"Then in that hour of deliverance and joyful triumph, my heart spoke…" —Francis Scott KeyMany visitors have noticed that in our ...
Mariela Melero and Brent D. Glass stand near artifacts, including a yellow shirt for a doll that Mariela is holding, which were donated to the National Museum of American History by the Melero family
A tiny yellow doll's shirt: telling the story of immigration through objects
As chronicled in several of our past posts, the National Museum of American History regularly holds naturalization ceremonies in...
Exploring continuity and change through the history of the bicycle
Editor’s Note: We encourage teachers to integrate the museum’s online resources into their classroom teaching. Today’s post is written by...
Chulitos, a recipe made with the vegetable yucca
Don’t say “yuk” to yucca
Much of what we do at the museum is for the visitors: exhibits, programs, lectures, and performances. We want our guests to enjoy...
Making "Music for The World of Tomorrow"
Editor’s note: This post, written by Ryan Holladay, member of the D.C. music collective Bluebrain, is second in a series about...
Reminder: Tell us what you think about the blog
From time to time, we ask our blog readers about your preferences and interests so that we can serve you better. If you haven't already...
A personal British invasion
Back home in Britain, we have a lot of history. I’ve visited the Tower of London, Edinburgh Castle, and Westminster Abbey, and I’ve grown...
Pu pu platters versus birthday cakes
In my previous posts I’ve mentioned how growing up in a Chinese restaurant was a fantastic experience. Let me tell you about one...
Why commemorate the centennial of the Mexican Revolution?
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the National Museum of American History will hold a symposium and cultural festival, ...
"So whatever will happen": Music celebrates Haitian cultural identity
In the French Creole language, the song “Alayon bon peyi se Ayiti,” by Haitian composer Moise Abraham, can be translated “So whatever will...
Stories of the Mexican Revolution
Curators use objects to tell a story about an event, a period of history, a person, a group of people, or a movement. Because we have a...
Independent inventors, hidden in plain sight
At lunch a few days ago, I was sitting next to a retired engineer from the U.S. Department of Energy. When I told him about our work at the...
Haiti's voices of hope
I’ve now made half a dozen visits to Haiti over the past months, putting into place a Smithsonian effort to help Haitians save their...
Remembering September 11, 2001
Photo of World Trade Center towers against a clear morning sky on September 11, 2001. Gift of John Labriola. What I remember about the...
Time magazine cover with text: "AIDS The Growing Threat / What's Being Done"
A brief history of AZT
AIDS - The Growing Threat, What’s Being Done. Time Magazine, Aug. 12, 1985.Editor’s note: The museum is planning a special display of...
Back to our roots
Something wonderful is sprouting at the National Museum of American History. This past week I was introduced to the Victory Garden that is...
Digital native or digital immigrant (or does it matter?)
With today’s classrooms full of digital natives, teachers are considering how to incorporate technology into their classrooms....
Seeing, Hearing, Touching, Tasting, Feeling Cholesterol: Part II
Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part post. See yesterday's post for the background on this story. The hard science of...
Seeing, Hearing, Touching, Tasting, Feeling Cholesterol: Part I
One of the key jobs of the curator is rounding up and analyzing material culture, the objects that we shape and that shape us. Brochures,...
Rudolf Eickemeyer, Jr.: American photographer and amateur’s advocate
Ever subject to revision and review, history often has a way of catapulting one figure into fame at the expense of another’s descent into...
A no-brainer collaboration: "Music for the World of Tomorrow"
Every time I consider quitting Facebook, a surprising connection keeps me hanging on. That’s how “Music for The World of Tomorrow” became...
Group of Henson puppets
An old coat and a ping pong ball = Kermit?
Just how did an old coat and a ping pong ball contribute to what would become a global phenomenon? Add a whole heap of imagination, more...
Abbey Lincoln, singer emancipator (August 6, 1930-August 14, 2010)
Singer/composer Abbey Lincoln drew strength from emancipation–her own and the liberation of others fighting for social justice. When she...
An Idle Record of an Idle Summer
Ah, the joy to be savored in a relaxed, idle summer evening—ice-cold lemonade in hand, the condensation dripping off your glass, fireflies...
Treasure hunting
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is written by Harrow Strickland, a middle school teacher and summer teaching associate at the National Museum...
The Apollo Theater: "It's in the Cards"
For a good part of the twentieth century, Harlem’s Apollo Theater was one of the most prestigious, important, and well-known venues for...
"Who Will Chop Your Suey When I'm Gone?"
Can you believe that chop suey was once the most famous Chinese dish in America? The dish’s popularity helped fuel the growth of Chinese...
Collecting American science
Editor's Update: See the February 2011 issue of Prototype to learn more about this topic. One of the best parts about being a...
My scouting story
The Boy Scouts of America is celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year and the museum is joining the celebration by recognizing staff...

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