Arts & Culture

An African-American cowboy sits saddled on his horse in Pocatello, Idaho in 1903.

The Lesser-Known History of African-American Cowboys

One in four cowboys was black. So why aren’t they more present in popular culture?

Spring in the gardens.

American South

The Southern Romance of the Nation's Oldest Public Garden

Three centuries of beauty and history are on display at the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

Because donkeys definitely belong on Valentine's Day cards.

Nothing Says ‘I Hate You’ Like a ‘Vinegar Valentine’

For at least a century, Valentine’s Day was used as an excuse to send mean, insulting cards

Atlas of Eating

Reuben Riffel on Becoming a Top Chef in Post-Apartheid South Africa

South African food culture fosters connection, he says

La Tour d'Argent restaurant offers dramatic views of the Paris skyline.

Atlas of Eating

Does the Classic Paris Meal Still Exist?

Two food lovers set out to learn whether the Paris dining experience of their youth can still be found

Now on display in the museum’s “Musical Crossroads” exhibition, the boombox is a striking symbol of the early years of hip-hop.

The Ballad of the Boombox: What Public Enemy Tells Us About Hip-Hop, Race and Society

Thirty years after Public Enemy's debut album, the group's sonic innovation and powerful activism resonate powerfully today

A bicyclist rides by the destroyed old mosque and tomb of Nabi Jerjis, also known as Saint George, in central Mosul in July 2014.

Commentary

Why We Need to Fight to Save Mosul’s Cultural Heritage

As the battle to save Iraq from ISIS continues, Smithsonian experts are helping local people preserve their history

“The Hirshhorn’s unique modernist architecture offers a striking backdrop for the orchids’ brilliant color,” says the museum's director Melissa Chiu.

Why Orchids Belong in an Art Museum

Washington's much-anticipated annual flower show moves to the Hirshhorn for the flora that loves to perform

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield

The Soprano Who Upended Americans' Racist Stereotypes About Who Could Sing Opera

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield was in many ways the nation's first black pop star

At the height of their popularity in the 1950s, children's coonskin caps like this one from the Smithsonian collections, sold at the rate of 5,000 per day.

The Invention of Vintage Clothing

It all began with the Davy Crockett coonskin hat craze and a bunch of Bohemians yearning to swathe themselves in decades-old fur

Atlas of Eating

Chef Margarita Carrillo Arronte on Why Mexican Cuisine Is a UNESCO Treasure

Meet the woman dedicated to preserving traditional Mexican cuisine

Stunning, Surreal Concepts Cast a Spell on the Fairy Tales Architecture Competition

Ukrainian architect Mykhailo Ponomarenko came in first this year for his sci-fi meditation "Last Day"

Take a Tour of France’s “Bestiary of Machines”

Enter Les Machines de l'île’s Mechanical Animal Theme Park

The Muslim equivalent of the "apple a day" proverb is “seven dates a day keeps the doctor away.”

Why the Scrumptious Date Is So Important to the Muslim World

The Prophet Muhammed said that Ajwah dates—grown in the Madinah region of Saudi Arabia—are from paradise

Detail from the stela of Mentuwoser, c. 1955 B.C., shows the steward preparing for a feast.

Atlas of Eating

For Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, Life Was a Banquet, But the Afterlife Was the Greatest Feast of All

Life after death for the Ancient Egyptian elite included lots, and lots, of food

Many Chinese restaurant names with words like golden, fortune, luck and garden are chosen for their auspiciousness—out of the owners’ desire for success.

Ask Smithsonian 2017

Why Do Chinese Restaurants Have Such Similar Names?

Consistency and familiarity is the tradition

The upcoming Museum of the American Revolution.

Nine New Must-See Museums Opening This Year

From the American Revolution to fashion design, these are the new museums to see in 2017

Atlas of Eating

Local Lens: Our Favorite Instagram Tongue Teasers

Hailing from Vietnam, Turkey and Italy, these photographers show that a love of beautifully arranged food knows no borders

Beatrix Potter Books

How Beatrix Potter Invented Character Merchandising

Faced with rejection, the author found her own path to fame and fortune

Atlas of Eating

When Happy Hour Was "Green Hour" in Paris

When the clock struck five, 19th-century Parisians turned to absinthe

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