Telegraph relays amplified electrical signals in a telegraph line. Telegraph messages traveled as a series of electrical pulses through a wire from a transmitter to a receiver. Short pulses made a dot, slightly longer pulses a dash. The pulses faded in strength as they traveled through the wire, to the point where the incoming signal was too weak to directly operate a receiving sounder or register. A relay detected a weak signal and used a battery to strengthen the signal so that the receiver would operate.
This relay includes a marble base and was made by Charles T. Chester of New York City. The electromagnet coils are fixed but the steel core can be moved to adjust the strength of the magnetic field.
Black belt worn by Kayla Harrison during the 2012 London Olympic Games when she became the first American (male or female) to win a gold medal in the sport of judo. Harrison began her judo career at age 6 and quickly rose to the top of the junior level field winning the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Junior US Open. in 2008, she became the third American to win the Junior World Championships and in 2010 only the fourth American to win the Senior World Championship. Harrison went on to become the only American to ever win an Olympic gold medal in judo at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
The 2012 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad were held in London, England with 204 countries, 5,992 men and 4,776 women athletes participating. With the inclusion of women’s boxing, these Games became the first with female competitors in every sport and the first at which each country entered, had a female representative. Women’s boxing debuted and mixed doubles in tennis was held for the first time since the 1924 Games. American Michael Phelps won his 22nd medal making him the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time. Every athlete to win a medal at these Games was drug tested and as of 2017, 31 medals had been rescinded due to doping. The United States won the medal count with 104.
The 2016 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with 207 countries and 11,238 athletes participating. These were the first Olympic Games held entirely in the host country’s winter season and the first to be held in South America. These Games were designed with sustainability in mind and many of the features of the Games were made from recyclable materials. The Refugee Olympic Team entered 10 athletes for competition made up of refugees from the European Migrant crisis. The Zika virus was a factor in competition as many athletes decided to forgo the Games for fear of catching the virus spread through mosquitos. Michael Phelps came out of retirement to compete in the Games and added more medals to his historic count. Katie Ledecky won four gold medals and teammate Simone Manual won two gold and two silver medals becoming the first African American to win an individual swimming gold medal. Simone Biles dominated gymnastics, winning four gold and the women’s team won the all-around competition. The United States won the medal count with 121.
Based on lore and church documents, this figure illustrates the Miracle of Hormigueros. In 1599, Our Lady of Montserrat appeared to Gerardo González, a farmer near Hormigueros in southwestern Puerto Rico. Attacked by a bull, González invoked the name of the Virgin. Immediately, the beast fell, its legs broken and its forehead touching the ground as if in prayer. In gratitude, González built and dedicated a church to Our Lady of Montserrat. This figure dates from the beginning of the 19th century.
Description (Spanish)
Esta figura describe el Milagro de Hormigueros basándose en la tradición y documentación de la iglesia. En 1599 la Virgen de Montserrate se le apareció a Gerardo González, un granjero, cerca de Hormigueros, en el suroeste de Puerto Rico. Se cuenta que González fue atacado por un toro e invocó el nombre de la Virgen, luego de lo cual la bestia se desplomó de inmediato con las patas quebradas y la frente apoyada en el suelo como en posición de plegaria. En agradecimiento, González construyó una iglesia y se la dedicó a la Virgen de Montserrate. Esta figura data de principios del siglo XIX.
About 32,000 Tejano music fans filled the seats of the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on March 14, 1994, to see their favorite regional musicians acknowledged at the 14th Annual Tejano Music Awards. The Queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez wore this leather jacket and satin brassiere combo during two performances that evening –singing “Donde Quiera Que Estés” with the Barrio Boyzz and fronting her band Los Dinos singing her iconic hit “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.”
While Tejano music was (and remains) immensely popular with working-class Mexican Americans, Selena took Tejano music to the mainstream. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez and her band, Los Dinos, incorporated cumbia and pop into their sound transforming this regional genre into an international phenomenon.
Inspired by other musical divas like Janet Jackson and Madonna, Selena’s sexy outfits broke with the outdated expectations of what female performers in Tejano music should wear. She took the shiny embellishments and form-fitting silhouettes of these pop stars and made it her own with working-class sensibility and a Texan flair.
Selena’s family donated this performance costume to the Smithsonian, and it is the same one in which she is depicted at the Selena Memorial statue in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Description (Spanish)
Desde el doo-wop y el country blues, hasta la polka y el hip-hop, los compositores de música tejana se han visto forzados por la frontera a entender el valor del intercambio cultural. La cantante Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (1971-1995) interpretaba una fusión de cumbia, pop y música tejana contemporánea. La joven estrella surgió y a duras penas llegó a la fama en los mercados de Estados Unidos y Latinoamérica, pero su carrera quedó truncada a la edad de 23 años, cuando fue asesinada por una ex manager a quien había despedido por robar. Selena fue un éxito comercial de un modo jamás imaginable por sus predecesores más tradicionales como el Flaco Jiménez, Freddy Fender o Little Joe. Este traje, integrado por botas de cuero, pantalones ajustados, corsé de raso y chaqueta de motociclista, ejemplifica la idiosincrasia de un estilo que oscilaba entre la rebelde sexy y la niña buena mexicoamericana. Procedente de Lake Jackson, Texas, Selena nació en el seno de una familia de músicos. Como creció hablando inglés, debió aprender a cantar en español por fonética para grabar sus primeros álbumes dirigidos al mercado de habla hispana. Irónicamente, su material crossover para la radio en inglés no salió al aire hasta el final de su carrera, poco después de su trágica muerte. Selena, quien pasó su niñez en medio de la banda de música familiar, actuando en celebraciones de bodas, restaurantes, ferias y otros modestos escenarios a lo largo de la frontera entre México y Estados Unidos, vive aún consagrada en la memoria de la gente como una de las grandes estrellas de la música tejana.
About 32,000 Tejano music fans filled the seats of the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on March 14, 1994, to see their favorite regional musicians acknowledged at the 14th Annual Tejano Music Awards. The Queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez wore this leather jacket and satin brassiere combo during two performances that evening –singing “Donde Quiera Que Estés” with the Barrio Boyzz and fronting her band Los Dinos singing her iconic hit “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.”
While Tejano music was (and remains) immensely popular with working-class Mexican Americans, Selena took Tejano music to the mainstream. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez and her band, Los Dinos, incorporated cumbia and pop into their sound transforming this regional genre into an international phenomenon.
Inspired by other musical divas like Janet Jackson and Madonna, Selena’s sexy outfits broke with the outdated expectations of what female performers in Tejano music should wear. She took the shiny embellishments and form-fitting silhouettes of these pop stars and made it her own with working-class sensibility and a Texan flair.
Selena’s family donated this performance costume to the Smithsonian, and it is the same one in which she is depicted at the Selena Memorial statue in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Costume worn by American figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi (b. 1971) as a member of the "Stars on Ice" tour, with whom she performed from 1992 - 2002..
Yamaguchi, a native Californian, became the first Asian American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating when she finished first in women's singles at the 1992 Winter Games (Albertville, Canada.)
The skater also won two World Figure Skating Championships (1991 & 1992.) She was also an accomplished pairs skater, winning two U.S. championships with partner Rudy Galindo in 1989 and 1990.
This dashiki, a garment with West African origins and associations, was made and worn by Fath Davis Ruffins. Born in 1954 in Washington, DC and raised in the city, Ruffins was educated at Radcliffe (BA) and Harvard for doctoral work and has been a curator the National Museum of American History since 1981. She made the garment herself in 1970 when she was 16. Derived from a Yoruba word, a dashiki is a loose-fitting, colorful tunic that was initially worn chiefly by men in West Africa but adopted in the U.S. by men and women alike, worn with either pants, a skirt, or matching headwrap (headwrap is not pictured here). During the late 1960s dashikis became popular in the United States because of young people who wanted to signal their connection with African cultures, Pan-African and Black Power movements.
Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated several experimental telephones at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. This unit features a single electro-magnet and could be used both as transmitter and receiver. Bell approached the problem of transmitting speech differently from other telephone inventors like Elisha Gray and Thomas Edison. They were mostly experienced telegraphers trying to make a better telegraph. Bell's study of hearing and speech more strongly influenced his work.
Althea Gibson (1927-2003) used this racquet when winning the woman's singles title at Wimbeldon in 1958. Gibson was the first African-American to play in, and win, Wimbledon. She hoisted the prestigous event's silver trophy twice (1957 and 1958.) She was also the first black woman to play in the U.S. Tennis Championships (1950) to win the U.S. Open, and to complete a Grand-Slam.
Gibson also broke the color barrier in professional golf when she joined the LPGA in 1964.
Althea Gibson (1927-2003) wore this tennis outfit while winning the woman's singles title at Wimbledon in 1957. In the match she defeated fellow American Darlene Heard.
Gibson was the first African-American to play in, and win, Wimbledon. She hoisted the prestigous event's silver trophy twice, in 1957 and 1958. She was also the first black woman to play in the U.S. Tennis Championships (1950,) to win the U.S. Open and to complete a Grand-Slam.
Gibson also broke the color barrier in professional golf when she joined the LPGA in 1964.
One piece, red satin body suit with "Raybestos" appliqued in white across the chest. This is part of a uniform worn by a member of the Raybestos Brakettes softball team in 1959. The Raybestos Girl All-Stars fast pitch softball team was formed in the summer of 1947 and as of 2013 had played 4,045 games, with 3,662 victories, 3 World Championships, 28 National A.S.A. Championships, 22 National Hall of Fame members, and 12 Olympians. The Brakettes, as they are referred to, is recognized as one of the greatest organized women’s sports franchise of all time.
This micro-miniskirt was part of a “futuristic fashion” collection designed by Rudi Gernreich, featured in Life Magazine in 1970 and displayed at Expo ’70, a world’s fair in Osaka, Japan, although never produced and sold commercially. Gernreich, born in Austria in 1922, emigrated to the U.S. with his mother in 1938, fleeing Nazi persecution of Jews and settling in Los Angeles. Along with his then-partner, activist Harry Hay and others, he was a founding member of the Mattachine Society, an early LGBTQ/gay rights organization, around 1950. Gernreich first worked as a dancer and in costume design in Los Angeles, eventually becoming known for avant-garde fashion designs. Many of his clothes were “unisex,” intended for men and women alike, as he sought to detach clothing from gender—designing skirts for men, pants for women—and remove the stigma of nudity. His body conscious and often minimalist designs can be interpreted as celebrations of the body and statements against sexual repression.