Articles

National Museum of American History

Banner Renovation

The National Museum of American History will undergo a dramatic makeover

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What's Up

American Art, African Culture and Mardi Gras

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Heck of a Story

A poignant homecoming launches a harrowing quest

David Hockney exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London

David Hockney and Friends

Though the artist doesn't think of himself as a painter of portraits, a new exhibition makes the case that they are key to his work

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Morning In America

Space shuttle-watchers took their place in the sun, not yet awakened to the true risks of exploring the heavens.

Hurricane Katrina

Crescent City Twilight

A photographer takes a pinhole view of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, which struck a year ago this month

William Wegman photographed by Roy Adkins

Artist William Wegman

Wegman speaks about photographing his Weimaraners, including Man Ray and Fay Ray

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Snap Judgments

The winners (and some runners-up) of SMITHSONIAN's annual photo contest take a bow

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Building the New Urbanism

Urban planners take a cue from pre-WWII cities and towns

Soda bottles make up the bulk of the construction of a 3,500-liter cistern that Andreas Froese (pictured) and schoolchildren built in Roatan, Honduras. When filled with sand, the bottles become nearly indestructible.

Waste Into Walls: Building Casas Out of Sand

A green technology guru heads to the dump in search of the stuff of dreams

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Interview with Louise Erdrich

Erdrich speaks about notable weather, Wal-Mart and writing

On March 25, 1911, 146 workers perished when a fire broke out in a garment factory in New York City. For 90 years, it stood as New York's deadliest workplace disaster.

Uncovering the History of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

The author behind the authoritative retelling of the 1911 fire describes how he researched the tragedy that killed 146 people

Beth Claypool, a Navy parachute rigger, holds a key find from the Laotian dig, the remains of a metal insole believed to be Bat Masterson's.

Lost Over Laos

Scientists and soldiers combine forensics and archaeology to search for pilot Bat Masterson, one of 88,000 Americans missing in action from recent wars

Scourges of the sea: Dashing Jean Laffite (left) and his swashbuckling brother Alexandre, although a study in contrasts, were equally intrepid.

Saving New Orleans

In a new book, the author of "Forrest Gump" paints an uncommonly vivid picture of an overlooked chapter in American history and its unlikely hero

Balloon Jupiter had to land after 30 miles; its mail (here) was sent on by train.

Airmail Letter

Stale Mail: The nation's first hot-air balloon postal deliveries barely got off the ground

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Wild Things: Life As We Know It

Figs, canary songs, whales with legs, ancient flowering shrubs and beaver dams

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Last Page: Weight of the World

The battle of the bulge goes global

Building Sustainable Cities

The 227-city U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement is just the beginning.

Ferns and bamboo grow densely where ancient trails (walked by Josh Rapp, to the left of Miles Silman) allow more light to penetrate the canopy.

Uphill Battle

As the climate warms in the cloud forests of the Andes, plants and animals must climb to higher, cooler elevations or die

Nature Works has figured out how to make plastic out of corn.

Corn Plastic to the Rescue

Wal-Mart and others are going green with "biodegradable" packaging made from corn. But is this really the answer to America's throwaway culture?

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