Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Wishing all of you a very happy Thanksgiving. Here's a history of the holiday from our Encyclopedia Smithsonian

www.si.edu
Most Americans are familiar with the Pilgrim's Thanksgiving Feast of 1621, but few realize that it was not the first festival of its kind in North America. Long before Europeans set foot in the Americas, ...
Eva Maria Keiser
Yesterday at 9:16am
Daniel Kirkman
Daniel Kirkman
awesome. Thank you so much.
Yesterday at 9:24am
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Think you've got it tough preparing a huge Thanksgiving meal for a ravenous crowd of humans? The Smithsonian's National Zoo commissary staff has to feed more than 2000 animals representing 400 species every day, 365 days a year. What's on the menu tomorrow? The Zoo's head nutritionist, Mike Maslanka, gave us the inside... scoop: Some of the animals will receive Thanksgiving treats like sweet potatoes and pumpkins. Check out this video to see what it takes to feed the Zoo's hungry collection. Be sure to eat your leafy greens!

www.youtube.com
Mike Maslanka, head nutritionist at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, talks about what it takes to feed 2000 animals from 400 different species 365 days a year. Each one receives a diet specially designed ...
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Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution In town this weekend for Thanksgiving? All Smithsonian museums are open every day this week if you're looking for a fun family activity (or need a break from one). Any recent visitors care to share their favorite exhibits?

www.smithsonian.org
A visit to the Smithsonian Institution can forge memories to last a lifetime
Amelia
Amelia
How wonderful to have a museum visit on Thanksgiving!!
Tue at 3:37pm
Sue Murray Larsen
Sue Murray Larsen
will be heading there tomorrow
Tue at 5:03pm
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Are you ready for the holidays? Check out the National Museum of American History's "Holidays on Display" exhibit to get you in the mood! Focusing on parading culture and department store retail display, primarily between the 1920s and 1960s, this exhibit highlights photographs, postcards and illustrations of parade fl...oats and window displays—including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and Marshall Field & Company Christmas windows! Can't make it to the Museum - check out the exhibit online. Don't forget, the Smithsonian is open every day except Christmas day. What's your favorite holiday?

americanhistory.si.edu
The National Museum of American History is one of the Smithsonian Institution museums located on The Mall in Washington DC.
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Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Filmmaker John Ford shaped America’s memory and imagination of the West and created an indelible portrait of the American cowboy in the form of John Wayne. See the West—and westerns—anew, as the National Portrait Gallery presents “Reel Portraits: John Ford’s Frontier.” This FREE 2-day film series starts tonight at 7 p....m. Check the link below for tomorrow's show times. Do you love western movies - what's your favorite?

npg.si.edu
The National Portrait Gallery is dedicated tothe exhibition and study of portraits of people who have made significant contribution to American history and culture and to the study of the artists who created such portraiture.
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Steve Lemson
Steve Lemson
The Unforgiven is a modern classic.
November 21 at 7:57am
Daniel Terrebonne
Daniel Terrebonne
I think The Searchers was one of Ford's greatest masterpieces.
November 21 at 9:56am
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution This weekend, we'll be doing maintenance on our server which will shut down our Web sites for a period of time. However, you will still be able to access visitor information at the GoSmithsonian Web site

www.gosmithsonian.com
goSmithsonian is the official visitor’s guide to the Smithsonian featuring exhibit listings, maps, restaurants, shops, lodging, dining and a blog.
Michael Lofton
Michael Lofton
Congratulation to Taylor Swift, for all the awards you won. You deserve them.
November 20 at 1:19pm
Shawn A. Bivens
Shawn A. Bivens
Who is Taylor Swift?
November 23 at 4:03pm
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Live Q&A: For those of us still using our library cards, we all can relate to that smell of old books - that delightful, musty aroma that carries so many memories. Scientists have now discovered that smell tells it's own story! It now may be possible to understand both the composition and condition of old paper by anal...yzing that old-book smell! Would you like some tips on how to conserve your old books? Do you have any questions about book conservation? Leave them in the comments. The Smithsonian Libraries’ book conservator, Vanessa Haight Smith, is on hand to answer any of your book questions!

www.nytimes.com
Is the smell of old books musty, slightly acidic, even grassy quantifiable or useful?
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Katie
Katie
Thank you for the information.
November 20 at 12:02pm
Barbara Quinn
Barbara Quinn
Thank you for the info. on musty old books.
November 20 at 12:27pm
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Take a spin around the Smithsonian National Postal Museum - without leaving your desk! Roam in and out of the galleries with the museum's recently launched virtual tour! Hint: click the blue arrows on the ground to walk forward (much like Google Maps). Let us know what you think!

www.postalmuseum.si.edu
To view virtual tour properly, Flash Player 9.0.28 or later version is needed. Please download the latest version of Flash Player and install it on your computer.
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Good news for historic preservation fans! Rennovation has begun on the Smithsonian's incredible 19th C. exhibition palace, the Arts & Inductries building (which has been closed to the public for a number of years). Check out this post from the Around the Mall blog to get more detail of the plans and the building's hist...ory: http://ow.ly/DpfJ after clicking through the slide show

www.smithsonianmag.com
The building was constructed to receive exhibits and preserve the collections of the Natural Resources, Arts and Industries, belong to the federal government.
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Ariel Segal
Ariel Segal
Terrific! I remember doing a field study @ A&I when the Smithsonian Archives were located there.
November 18 at 8:22pm
Dan Sonnett
Dan Sonnett
I had an office with a leaky roof in A&I (who didn't) years ago. One of my colleagues had her office in a tower overlooking the Castle — the best office view I've ever seen!
November 19 at 7:27am
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a museum curator? When you visit an exhibit do you think, “I'd like to do that"? If so, National Museum of the American Indian would like to give you an opportunity to weigh in on the content of a whole group of new exhibitions, the Window on Collections, the hallway d...isplays on the third and fourth floors at the Mall museum. Put on your curator hat—what do you want to see on display in the exhibit cases? Be sure to let us know online!

go.si.edu
Window on CollectionsSurveyNational Museum of the American Indian__________________________________________________________________
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Michelle
Michelle
Not Really
November 17 at 5:20pm
Lisa Falk
Lisa Falk
Please visit the Arizona State Museum in Tucson: www.statemuseum.arizona.edu

How about objects related to games?
November 18 at 2:05pm
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Trivia: Why do clouded leopards routinely hang upside down by their hind legs? (In keeping with today's cute exotic cat theme). While you speculate on the answer, check out the Smithsonian's National Zoo clouded leopard cub web cam: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AsiaTrail/CloudedLeopard/cam.cfm or, in case they ar...en't visible, browse their photos: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/AsiaTrail/CloudedLeopard/photos.cfm

nationalzoo.si.edu
Brought to you by the National Zoo| FONZ.
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Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution How about a little dose of "awww" for your Monday morning? This photo is a winner in this year's Nature's Best Photography competition. The photos in the slide show below are on exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History until May 2. Have any other examples of incredible nature photography? Post a ...link to them in the comments so we all have an excuse to procrastinate this morning!

Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Check out the New York Times art review of "A Song for the Horse Nation", an exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York presenting the epic story of the horse's influence on American Indian tribes from the 1600s to the present.

www.nytimes.com
The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian brings to light a fascinating chapter in American history: the rise and fall of American Indian horse culture.
Len Wilson
Len Wilson
A funery mask
November 13 at 6:51pm
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Join Smithsonian forensic anthropologists as they study new cases from America’s historic past at Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History's Forensic Fridays! This is a rare opportunity to observe first-hand the basic methods used for documenting archaeological investigations and ask forensic anthropologists qu...estions. Today from 1 - 5 p.m. in the Forensic Anthropology Lab, part of the "Written in Bone" exhibition.

anthropology.si.edu
Written in Bone examines history through 17th-century bone biographies, including those of colonists teetering on the edge of survival at Jamestown, Virginia, and those living in the wealthy and well-established settlement of St. Mary’s City, Maryland.
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Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
Natural History is tweeting live from today's program. Check out http://twitter.com/nmnh for updates or to ask a question. Not sure how to use twitter? Leave your question in these comments, and we'll ask it for you.
November 13 at 12:05pm
Vina
Vina
I love this exhibit! It's fantastic!
November 13 at 2:56pm
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Institution Last month our fan, Stephanie, asked to learn more about Central Asia. This video from Smithsonian Folkways features female musicians from the region ("Bardic Divas") as well as glimpse of the traditions, landscape and everyday life of the region's people. From the nomadic and bardic cultures of the steppes to the clas...sical court traditions of the cities, the Music of Central Asia series celebrates musicians who display a mastery of older traditions and also embody a contemporary spirit of innovation.

www.youtube.com
For more information on the Bardic Divas or to purchase "Music of Central Asia vol. 4: Bardic Divas: Womens Voices in Central Asia", please visit.. http://www.folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.aspx?itemid=3184 ...
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Mario
Mario
One of the wonderful things about the Internet is that we are no longer restricted to the music of only the culture we happen to live in -- we cannot only listen to the music of Central Asia, as here, but thanks to people like Folkways and various online stores we can buy the CDs. And that's not even counting the fusion ... blues and throat singing, as in Ghengis Blues, work together beautifully, however unlikely this sounds.
November 12 at 11:02am
Stephanie Terry
Stephanie Terry
Thanks! This is great! I wish I could travel all over the world and hear all different kinds of music. But since I can't, thank you for bringing it to me at home!
November 13 at 3:06am