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National Museum of American History

Coordinates: 38°53′29″N 77°01′48″W / 38.8913°N 77.03°W / 38.8913; -77.03
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National Museum of American History
National Museum of American History is located in Central Washington, D.C.
National Museum of American History
Location in Washington, D.C.
Established1964
LocationWashington D.C., United States

The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Dorothy's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. The museum is part of the Smithsonian Institution and located in Washington, D.C., on the National Mall.

History

The museum first opened in 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology. The building was one of the last structures designed by renowned architectural firm McKim Mead & White. In 1980, the museum was renamed The National Museum of American History to better represent a refocused mission: the collection, care, study, and interpretation of objects that reflect the experience of the American people.

Renovation

The front of the museum

The museum underwent an $85 million renovation from September 5, 2006 to November 21, 2008, during which time it was closed.[1] Skidmore, Owings and Merrill provided the architecture and interior design services for the renovation.[2] Major changes made during the renovation include:

  • A new, five-story sky-lit atrium that is surrounded by displays of artifacts that showcase the breadth of the museum's collection.
  • A new, grand staircase that links the museum's first and second floors.
  • A new welcome center, as well as the addition of six landmark objects to help orient visitors.
  • New galleries such as the Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Hall of Invention.
  • A new home for the Star-Spangled Banner that protects the flag in an environmentally-controlled chamber.

Layout

Each wing of the museum's three exhibition floors is anchored by a landmark object—a large, significant artifact that highlights the theme of that wing. Landmark objects include the John Bull locomotive, the 1865 Vassar Telescope, the Greensboro lunch counter, George Washington Statue, a Red Cross ambulance and a Dumbo ride car.

Artifact walls consisting of 275 feet (84 m) of glass-fronted cases line the first and second floor center core. The artifact walls are organized around themes including: arts; popular culture; business, work and economy; home and family; community; land and natural resources; peopling American; politics and reform; science; medicine; technology; and America's role in the world.

First floor

A Southern Railway locomotive on display in "America on the Move", one of the exhibits on the first floor of the museum.

The exhibitions in the East Wing of the first floor focus on transportation and technology and include "America on the Move" and "Lighting a Revolution." The John Bull locomotive is the signature artifact for this section of the museum.

The exhibitions in the West Wing of the first floor address science and innovation. They include "Science in American Life featuring Robots on the Road" and "Bon Appétit! Julia Child's Kitchen at the Smithsonian" as well as the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation's newest hands-on space, "Spark!Lab." The Vassar Telescope is the signature artifact for this section of the museum.

A café and the main museum store are also located on the first floor.

Second floor

Statue of George Washington created by Horatio Greenough

The exhibitions in the east wing of the second floor consider American ideals and include the Albert Small Documents Gallery featuring rotating exhibitions. From November 21, 2008 through January 4, 2009 an original copy of the Gettysburg Address, on loan from the White House, was on display. The Greensboro lunch counter is the signature artifact for this section of the museum.

Located in the center of the second floor is the original Star Spangled Banner Flag which inspired Francis Scott Key's poem. The newly conserved flag, the centerpiece of the renovated museum, is displayed in a climate-controlled room at the heart of the museum.

The exhibitions in the west wing of the second floor are focused on American lives and include "Within These Walls..." and "Communities in a Changing Nation: The Promise of 19th-century America." The George Washington statue, created in 1841 for the centennial of Washington's birthday, is the signature artifact for this section of the museum.

The second floor also houses the museum's new welcome center and a store.

Third floor

The exhibitions in the east wing on the third floor are focused on American wars and politics and include "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War" and "The Gunboat Philadelphia." The Clara Barton Red Cross ambulance is the signature artifact for this section of the museum.

The center of the third floor presents "The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden," an exhibition that explores the personal and public lives of the 43 different men who have held that office.

The exhibitions in the west wing of the third floor are focused on entertainment, sports and music and include "Thanks for the Memories: Music, Sports and Entertainment History," the Hall of Musical Instruments and "The Dolls' House." A Dumbo ride car is the signature artifact for this section of the museum.

Lower level

The lower level of the museum displays "Taking America to Lunch" which celebrates the history of American lunch boxes. The lower level is also home to the museum's food court, the Stars and Stripes Café, and ride simulators.

Archives

In support of the museum’s mission, the Archives Center identifies, acquires, and preserves significant archival records in many media and formats to document America’s history and its diverse cultures. Center staff arrange, describe, preserve, and make collections accessible in support of scholarship, exhibitions, publications, and education.

The Archives Center occupies over 12,000 feet (3,700 m) of shelving in the National Museum of American History building. Subject strengths include the history of radio, television, the telegraph, computing, and other aspects of the history of technology with a special interest in the history of invention; advertising, marketing, and entrepreneurship; commercial visual ephemera (post cards, greeting cards); American music (sheet music, jazz) and musical instruments. These, and a wide range of other subjects, are documented in business records, personal papers, and extensive holdings of motion picture film, video and sound recordings, historical photographs, and oral histories.

Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation

The Lemelson Center produces educational programs, popular and academic publications, exhibitions, podcasts and symposia about invention. The mission of the Lemelson Center is to document, interpret and disseminate information about invention and innovation, encourage inventive creativity in young people and foster an appreciation for the central role of invention and innovation in the history of the United States. The Center frequently provides a multi-year focus on some aspect of how invention has influence American society, such as its 2002 "Invention and the Environment" theme. Programs include a yearly symposium, presentations and guest speakers within and outside the National Museum of American History and often the publication of a book detailing aspects of the topical focus. The Center also provides free curricular material to classrooms through the United States, organizes traveling museum exhibitions (such as "Invention at Play"), provides research opportunities and fellowships for scholars, and finds, obtains and process archival collections related to invention on behalf of the museum's Archives Center. These collections consist of the papers and materials that document the work of past and current American inventors.


Electronics & data processing

In the science field, are referenced personalities such as :

— Seymour Cray (super-computers)

— Gordon Moore (historical creator of the famous Moore law, predicting rhythm of progress in electronics, thus in computing)

— Roland Moreno (inventor of the smart card)

— Robert Kahn et Tim Berners-Lee (creators of the internet protocol & web).

Past Exhibits

  • "24 Hours in Cyberspace" - unveiled on January 23, 1997, this exhibit celebrated the "the largest one-day online event" (February 8, 1996) up to that date, which originally took place on the then-active website, cyber24.com (and is still online at a mirror website maintained by Georgia Tech).[3][4] 24 Hours in Cyberspace was headed by photographer Rick Smolan.[5] The exhibit featured 70 photos from the project.[6]
  • "Treasures of American History", the National Museum of American History's temporary display at the National Air and Space Museum, closed in April 2008.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Press Release". National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
  2. ^ "America's Attic, Ready for a Second Act". The New York Times. November 20, 2008.
  3. ^ Mirror of Official site map
  4. ^ Mirror of Official Site
  5. ^ "24 Hours in Cyberspace" (and more)
  6. ^ The human face of cyberspace, painted in random images
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38°53′29″N 77°01′48″W / 38.8913°N 77.03°W / 38.8913; -77.03

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