James Smithson
New Analysis Reveals More Details About Smithsonian Founder's Illegitimate Family Tree
The newly recovered 1787 Hungerford Deed, detailing a contentious squabble over property and prestige, can now be viewed in a new virtual exhibition
This Property Contract Sheds New Light on James Smithson's Gift to the Smithsonian
The 1787 Hungerford Deed, donated to the Smithsonian in 2019, offers a glimpse into the family dynamics that shaped the founder's decision
Jeff Bezos Gifts Historic $200 Million to the Smithsonian
The Amazon founder's gift—the largest since the Institution was created in 1846—will support the Air and Space Museum renovation and a new education center
Celebrate the Smithsonian's 174th Birthday With a Look at Its First Collections
Historic museum specimens help us learn more about what a species once was like and what it could be like in the future
Who Was Alexander von Humboldt?
Smithsonian curator Eleanor Jones Harvey explains why this revolutionary 19th-century thought leader is due for a reconsideration
American Culture’s Unlikely Debt to a British Scientist
A fortuitous influx of cash launched the Smithsonian Institution and its earliest art collection
The Founder of the Smithsonian Institution Figured Out How to Brew a Better Cup of Coffee
Almost two hundred years ago, James Smithson devised a method for better brewing. We recreated it.
Amazon's Jeff Bezos Honored at Citizenship Ceremony
The Smithsonian awarded the internet mogul during a ceremony welcoming newly naturalized citizens
When Congress Looked James Smithson's Gift Horse in the Mouth
In 1835, the U.S. government debated what to do with the generous bequest coming from across the pond
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