AT THE SMITHSONIAN

Wednesday Roundup: Podcasts, Warhol and Archives

October 20, 2010

Just Close Enough To The Sun—This week, the folks at the "AirSpace" blog treat us to a few photos of that fiery red giant near and dear to our hearts, the sun. Using a telescope from the Public Observatory Project made especially for looking into the sun's harsh light, solar imaging expert Greg Piepol instructed blogger Erin Braswell on how to account for turbulence in the earth's atmosphere that often obscures photographs of the sun. The resulting pictures show a crisp outline of the star, including sunspots and a "prominence," or protrusion of hot matter coming from the sun's surface.

Piano Podcast—Michael Asch, son of Folkways Records founder Moses "Moe" Asch, hosts Smithsonian Folkways: Sounds To Grow On, a 26-part radio program of music from the label's original collection. Interspersed throughout the show is the story of Asch's father, who started his own record company in 1948, the products of which were later donated to the Smithsonian. Episode 23, Piano, features a variety of jazz and blues piano music from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Download the podcast from Folkways, along with the your pick of the 22 preceding installments.

Warhol Meets Jackson—In 1984, pop artist Andy Warhol did a portrait of Michael Jackson, which was published as the cover of Time magazine in March of that year. "Face to Face" has entries from Warhol's diary of those days, which provide a window into the mind of one of the 20th century's most famous artists. After reading the story behind the work, you may just be enticed to head on over to the Portrait Gallery to see the actual silkscreened portrait, which is hanging in the "20th Century Americans" exhibit.

Archives Fair—In conjunction with the month-long blogathon for American Archives Month, this Friday the American Archives will be hosting an archives fair, (free and open to the public) from 10 to 5 at the S. Dillon Ripley Center. The event will include lectures from the archivists about preserving, cataloging and ensuring accessibility to the precious collections at the Smithsonian. Today, "SIRIS" has posted interviews with Anne Van Camp, Director of the Smithsonian Archives; Wendy Shay, curator at American History, Archives Center; and Freer/Sackler archivist Rachael Christine Woody.