fuckyeahroadtrippostcards:

“The Museum of History and Technology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C.

Containing exhibits illustrating the cultural and technological development of our Nation from colonial times. Opened in 1964.”

wat is this place

I know that I’ve been bragging a lot about cool stuff I’ve been doing at work, but this is awesome.

Actually, I it’s really only that cool to me.

These guys doing the 3D scanning of the Gunboat Philadelphia are doing a good job of keeping the exhibit looking like a crazy science fiction movie with lasers and robotic arms and 3D models on laptop screens everywhere. Our in-house photographer was taking some shots of the process today and they’re going to look awesome!

I cleaned the Gunboat Philadelphia today! Which means that I was standing on the deck of a wooden boat built in the 1770s and under water for 150 years until it was retrieved from Lake Champlain. Which means that I obviously don’t need to diet in the new year.

smithsonianmag:

Sound Recordings Heard for the First Time Ever

Pioneers Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and Emile Berliner donated the recordings and other documentation to the Smithsonian in the late 19th century. Using equipment housed at the Library of Congress, those recordings are able to be heard for the first time.

This is awesome! Now I just need to get a grant to do this with some of the sounds film in Photo History…

(via americanroutes)

The Anacostia Museum has an interesting history.

Just another from the Smithsonian’s glory days.

ladydilettanti:

While the National Gallery made it through the earthquake unscathed, the decorative turrets of the Smithsonian Castle sustained significant damage and fifty jars of scientific specimens fell at the National Museum of Natural History.  According to their press release, the museum currently hold close to 1 million jarred specimens.    

Pictured: the destruction in the preserved bat storage area.

Below: a toppled bookshelf in the Botany Library.

More earthquake news from the Nation’s Attic

National Museum of American History, 1976.

YOU USED TO BE COOL.

todaysdocument:

Happy Birthday, Smithsonian Institution! 

We went looking and found this baby picture in our records.  

Happy birthday, you wonderful Institution you.

The package containing the Hope Diamond is presented to Smithsonian Secretary Dr. Leonard Carmichael, The donor, Harry Winston, shipped the diamond through the regular United States Postal Service via first-class mail; the postage cost him $2.44, plus $142.85 for $1 million dollars worth of insurance, November 10, 1958.

That is awesomely badass. Via The Bigger Picture.

tsunamis:

thedailywhat:

Art Project of the Day: From a series of Smithsonian promo posters designed by Jenny Burrows as part of a portfolio project.

[reddit.]

 SI, pick this series up. No, really.

Seconded.

(Source: thedailywhat)

Congratulations to my co-worker Dwight, who’s been working on this one for years!

mudwerks:suicideblonde:goldenfiddle:Original Kermit the Frog donated to Smithsonian