Smithsonian

The Institution's treasures were under 24-hour guard until World War II's end. The superintendent of the Shenandoah National Park selected five residents of Luray and the vicinity to serve as guards. "All fine men thoroughly conscientious in their duty," these guards were led by Lynn Black (far left, front row), and protected the collections against sabotage, theft and fire.

In the Event of War

How the Smithsonian protected its "strange animals, curious creatures" and more

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What's Up

Duke Ellington, animated movies and the old ballgame

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Hot Topics

An ice-diving course in Svalbard, Norway in only the tip of the Smithsonian science iceberg

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The Stranger and the Statesman

An excerpt from Nina Burleigh's book, The Stranger and the Statesman: James Smithson, John Quincy Adams, and the Making of America's Greatest Museum

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General Resent

In this interview, Ernest "Pat" Furgurson, author of "Catching Up with 'Old Slow Trot,'" says some people are still fighting the Civil War

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Wild Things: Life as We Know It

Gray seals, alligators and the world's largest flower

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What's Up

Visual music, Macbeth and people wearing hats

James Smithson by Hattie Elizabeth Burdette, 1872

Why This Wealthy British Scientist Saw So Much Potential in the United States of America

James Smithson's biographer offers insight into ideals born of the Age of Enlightenment that gave rise to the founding of the Smithsonian

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What's Up

A list of events and exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Castle

Eminent Domain

The Institution's Regents include the Vice President, the Chief Justice and other national leaders

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What's Up

Topper, 1st Class and No Popcorn

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What's Up

Body language, new stripes and prime real estate

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What's Up

The Tao of Tea, Beyond Pottery and Something in the Air

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What's Up

Orchids, Ice Floes and Kids with Cameras

The Smithsonian Castle

Field Trip!

Education experts help children, their teachers, parents and grandparents get the most out of a museum visit - real or virtual

Ben Franklin's "ditto" suit helped convey American values to the French

Dressed-Down Democracy

Franklin's 300th birthday this month reminds us of common ideals and artifacts that reflect them—from a simple suit to an iconic lunch counter

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Innovators of Our Time

We mark Smithsonian's 35th anniversary by revisiting scientists, artists and scholars who've enriched the magazine and our lives

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One of a Kind

From the beginning, Smithsonian has looked beyond the Institution

The Outwin Boochever contest: First of its kind in the U.S.

New Faces

Artists, emerging and renowned alike, will vie to display their works in the National Portrait Gallery when it reopens next July

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The Price of Ambition

From the beginning, the cost of increasing and diffusing knowledge exceeded even Smithson's generosity

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