Americana

The 20 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2014

From country music to herbal cocktails to horseshoe crabs to Rodin, our third annual list takes you to cultural gems worth mining

The Tooth Fairy Is a Very Recent, Very American Creation

The tooth fairy first appeared around the turn of the 20th century

Happy 50th Birthday, G.I. Joe

The world's first "action figure" turns 50 this week

From The Smithsonian Collections: Plastic Flamingos, c. 1980

The Tacky History of the Pink Flamingo

From its start in Massachusetts, of all places, to its inspiration of a John Waters film, the lawn ornament has some staying power

This 1956 photograph was taken during the short time that two Nite Owls sat cheek-by-jowl in Fall River, MA. Soon the old lunch wagon was carted away and demolished, replaced by the gleaming diner.

A Life Devoted to the American Diner

With a career spent chronicling the best of American diners, curator Richard Gutman knows what makes a great greasy spoon

After being refused service at a Greensboro, North Carolina Woolworth's, four African-American men launched a protest that lasted six months and helped change America.

Courage at the Greensboro Lunch Counter

On February 1, four college students sat down to request lunch service at a North Carolina Woolworth's and ignited a struggle

Lincoln's watch is a fine gold timepiece that the 16th president purchased in the 1850s from a Springfield, Illinois jeweler. It has been in the safe custody of the Smithsonian Institution since 1958—a gift from Lincoln's great-grandson Lincoln Isham.

Lincoln's Pocket Watch Reveals Long-Hidden Message

The Smithsonian opens one of its prized artifacts and a story unfolds

The only known image of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg was uncovered in 1952 at the National Archives. It was taken by photographer Mathew Brady.

Gettysburg Address Displayed at Smithsonian

Lincoln's timeless speech during the Civil War endures as a national treasure

After almost two centuries, the flag's frail state became plain. The icon's new high-tech home will protect it from exposure to bright light, humidity and ambient pollution.

Star-Spangled Banner Back on Display

After a decade’s conservation, the flag that inspired the National Anthem returns to its place of honor on the National Mall

A photo of the first Miss America winner, Margaret Gorman. This was the official photo of her as the winner.

American Idol

Once upon a time, Miss America reigned supreme

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Salem Sets Sail

After the Revolutionary War, ships from a little Massachusetts seaport brought the new nation wares from China and the mysterious East

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Magical Mystery Tour

In 1964 a psychedelic placard heralded the arrival of counterculture guru Ken Kesey and his entourage to America's cities

Capitol Discovery

Senate staffers come across a historic treasure in a dusty storage room

In the 1970s, Joe transformed into Atomic Man, a bionic bruiser whose fearlessness extended to cobras.

Macho in Miniature

For nearly 40 years, G.I. Joe has been on America's front lines in toy boxes from coast to coast

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Old House, New Home

For 200 years in Ipswich, it sheltered all manner of Americans; now it informs and delights them

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Hell's Bells

The 19th-century trolley bell may have ding-ding-dinged, but the factory bell clanged the workday

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Washington Slept Here

A look at the first president's "best bed" leads to a recollection of the real man and his exemplary life

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The Circus Is Coming!

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House Trailers Have Come a Long Way, Baby

The earliest models looked like horse trailers but today's mobile home is basically a house and the typical "trailer park" resembles a subdivision

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The History of the Doughnut

A look back at the men, women and machines that made America’s favorite treat possible

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