Calendar of Events: July 2019

OPENING:

"Everyday Luxury: Silk Quilts from the National Collection"
Opening July 30Closes January 2020
Nicholas J. and Eugenia Taubman Gallery
Second Floor, West
 
“Everyday Luxury” will show a rare selection of silk quilts from the museum’s late-19th century collection. The quilts in the exhibition were made to be seen and not slept under and were sometimes called “parlor throws.” They tell stories of American industry, art, fads and marketing. For more information, please visit: https://americanhistory.si.edu.

CLOSING:

"Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II"
Closing July 31
Albert H. Small Documents Gallery
Second Floor, East


President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 75 years ago, resulting in the imprisonment of 75,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry and 45,000 Japanese nationals in prison camps across the country, many being relocated far from home. The exhibition explores this history through the Executive Order 9066 document on loan from the National Archives and other objects.

"The American Revolution: A World at War"
Closes July 9
The Nicholas and Eugenia Taubman Gallery
Second Floor, West


The support of France and Spain during the Revolution not only secured an American victory, but had consequences that echoed far beyond American shores. Explore the American Revolution through a global lens in “The American Revolution: A World War,” which looks at the 1781 culminating victory at Yorktown through the Franco-American partnership that made it possible.

EVENTS:

Cooking Up History: Priya Krishna’s “Indian-ish” Cooking Demonstration
July 13; 1-2 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Plaza Demonstration Kitchen
First Floor, West

Guest chef Priya Krishna will join Smithsonian Food Historian Ashley Rose Young to share stories and recipes from her Indian American childhood that use inventive ingredients to recreate Indian dishes. Chef Krishna chronicles her mother’s inventive cooking in her new cookbook: Indian-ish: Recipes and Antics from a Modern American Family and will be signing copies of her book after the demonstration. For more information, visit: http://americanhistory.si.edu/topics/food/pages/cooking-history.

HISTORY ALIVE! THEATER PROGRAMS:

Women’s History Theater Programs are offered as part of the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Initiative, #BecauseofHerStory

  • Justice Must be Done
    Wednesdays; 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.
    "Within These Walls" exhibition
    Second Floor, West

    Attend an 1840 meeting of the Ipswich Female Anti-Slavery Society in abolitionist Lucy Caldwell’s Ipswich, Massachusetts home.

  • "Votes for Women"
    Thursdays and Saturdays; Noon, 1 and 2 p.m.
    Near the “American Democracy” exhibition
    Second Floor, West

    Meet a suffragist and learn about the fight for the 19th Amendment which granted most women the right to vote.

  • Meet the Wheelwoman
    Fridays; Noon, 1 and 2 p.m.
    First Floor, West

    Meet wheelwoman Louise Gibson as she takes her bicycle on a journey to discover opportunities for women in the 1890s.

Join the Student Sit-Ins
Begins June 13
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.
Wallace H. Coulter Unity Square
Second Floor, West

Centered on the Greensboro Lunch Counter exhibit, this program trains visitors in the practice of nonviolent direct action.

Shouts!
Begins June 23
Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays; 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.
Third Floor, West

Sing along with “ring shouts”— which originated from 19th century enslaved African Americans—and inspired new forms of religious and secular music.

DAILY PROGRAMS:

"Wegmans Wonderplace"
Open daily, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; closed Tuesdays
First Floor, West

The museum’s early learning gallery for children 0–6 connects important themes of the museum’s collections with children’s play and learning. Wonderplace provides young children with open-ended play opportunities that allow them to explore and learn at their own pace and interest level. For more information, please visit: https://americanhistory.si.edu/wonderplace.

"Spark!Lab"
Open daily, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; closed Tuesdays
First Floor, West

Spark!Lab reveals the real story behind inventors’ work through hands-on activities infused with historical content that help kids ages 6-12 explore the history and process of invention. Hosted by the museum’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation, Spark!Lab’s interdisciplinary activities appeal to varied learning styles and abilities and combine traditional STEM with art and creativity.

The activities of Spark!Lab change quarterly. For details about current Spark!Lab activities, please visit http://invention.si.edu/current-sparklab-activities.

Flag Folding
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 10 a.m.
Flag Hall
Second Floor, Center

Take part in folding a true-to-size replica of the Star-Spangled Banner while exploring the history of the flag that inspired the national anthem.

Interactive Carts
Daily; 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Throughout museum

Interactive carts throughout the Museum allow visitors to interact with history and learn more about our collections. Carts are available most days; daily schedules are available at the museum's Welcome Center on the second floor and the Information Desk on the first floor. More information on daily programs and events is available at http://americanhistory.si.edu/events.


ABOUT THE MUSEUM:

Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History explores the infinite richness and complexity of American history. It helps people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future. The museum is located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th streets, and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free. For more information, visit http://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.

Media only:
Rebecca Seel
(202) 633-3129
seelr@si.edu
 
 
Valeska Hilbig
(202) 633-3129
hilbigv@si.edu