In the Victorian era, whimsical seed cards like this one were all the rage, inspiring people to buy seeds and collect the cards that came with them.
Along with being collectors’ items, seed and nursery cards document the history of U.S. agricultural business and advertising. They tell a story about how American gardening has been shaped by history, social attitudes, the environment and innovation.
What story do you think this gentleman would tell?
These stunning images are a preview of the first special exhibition at our @nmaahc, which explores the stories behind more than 150 photographs and related objects from their collection.
The images, by established and emerging photographers from the 19th century to the present, show a range of American experiences. They challenge you to look beyond the surface to consider their significance in history, their cultural meaning, and your own perspective.
The first Cinco de Mayo celebrations didn’t include
margaritas, because they weren’t invented until the 1940s. By the 1970s, the margarita surpassed the martini as the most popular American cocktail.
This is the first frozen margarita machine, invented at a restaurant owned by Mariano Martinez. When blenders couldn’t keep up with the high demand for margs, he found inspiration in the 7-Eleven Slurpee machine. The original retired when
Martinez’
restaurant moved 34 years later, and now it’s in our National Museum of American History.
The
“First Lady of Song,” Ella Fitzgerald, was born 100 years ago today.
We’re
celebrating the centennial of her birth and the legendary career that followed
with this portrait on view at our National Portrait Gallery. Dizzy Gillespie, on the right, is all of us as he gazes at Lady Ella in song.
The photographer, William P. Gottlieb,
learned to use a camera so that he could include images in his weekly music
column for TheWashington Post. Today, his photos of jazz
musicians from the 1930s and ’40s are regarded as invaluable visual records of
jazz’s Golden Age.
Friday plans include a cold beverage? Meet the beer fridge
of 1899.
It’s from a catalog of by L. H. Mace & Co. of New York,
now in our @smithsonianlibraries. Early refrigerators used insulation (with an
inch between two sets of walls) and circulation to move cool air from the ice
chamber throughout the space.
Inside this refrigerator, there were places for kegs to rest
and shelves in the lower part of the refrigerator could be removed, making it
possible to chill two more kegs.
Photo: Photograph of Mae Reeves and a group of women standing on stairs, Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from Mae Reeves and her children, Donna Limerick and William Mincey, Jr.
African American women have been wearing fancy hats for generations to church. In 1940, Mae Reeves started Mae’s Millinery Shop in 1940 in Philadelphia, PA with a $500 bank loan. The shop stayed open until 1997 and helped dress some of the most famous African American women in the country, including iconic singers Marian Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald and Lena Horne.
Reeves was known for making all of her customers feel welcomed and special, whether they were domestic workers, professional women, or socialites from Philadelphia’s affluent suburban Main Line. Customer’s at Mae’s would sit at her dressing table or on her settee, telling stories and sharing their troubles.
Photo: Pink mushroom hat with flowers from Mae’s Millinery Shop, Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
In our Power of Place exhibition, we recreated a portion of Reeves’ shop to showcase this African American tradition. Our shop includes its original red-neon sign, sewing machine, antique store furniture and hats.
View artifacts from Mae’s Millinery Shop in our collection: s.si.edu/2oVlbFj
We love this 👒 history (and the word
millinery) from our @nmaahc.
Designed by Lillian Gary Taylor, the Liberty Queen’s Ware
set features a center shield with the American stars and stripes, surrounded by
the flags of the 11 Allied countries.
Women of all social classes were involved in World War I in
a variety of roles—military and civilian, paid and volunteer. Women like
Lillian Gary Taylor often used their wealth and connections to raise money for
the war effort. She sold more than 9,000 pieces, a few of which are now in our National Museum of American History.
A story “Mad Men” overlooked: Caroline R. Jones, who
spearheaded advertising that changed how Americans thought about some of the
world’s most popular brands.
Jones built a trailblazing career as an advertising
executive, starting as a copywriter in the early 1960s and eventually founding
multiple firms. Her clients included American Express, the National Urban
League and Kentucky Fried Chicken (her agency developed the slogan “We Do
Chicken Right!”).
Throughout her career, Jones struggled against the
assumption that her ads should only address African American consumers. Many
times her targeted ad campaigns were so successful that companies used them for
national work—but, in one case, replaced African American figures with white
models.
Jones
died in 2001, but her story lives on through items of hers at our National Museum of American History. More about her life on their blog.
Yes, whales have earwax and yes, we have 1,000 samples of it in our collection.
Like the rings of a tree, these waxy time capsules give scientists a timeline of data about a whale’s life and environment—opening up a whole new canal of ocean study.
This piece of whale earwax is among hundreds
of rarely seen specimens and artifacts in #ObjectsofWonder, a new exhibition at our National Museum of Natural History. It explores the breadth, scope and splendor of the world’s
most extensive natural history research collection and its surprising role in scientific
discovery. The exhibition is open through 2019.
For Women’s History Month, we’re joining our @nmaahc in sharing #HiddenHerstory, stories of women who have often been overlooked throughout history.
In this photo from the museum collection, Daisy Bates meets with seven members of the Little Rock Nine in her home. Bates played a significant role in the integration of the Little Rock Central High School in 1957, despite the death threats she received—one through the window of her home.
Bates, who was elected president of the Arkansas NAACP in 1952, was inspired by the Brown v. Board case to focus on education.
“You beautiful tropical fish.” This queen angelfish spotted at our marine station in Florida deserves all the compliments.
Galentine’s Day may have started as a holiday celebrating women on the TV show “Parks and Recreation,” but we have many real-life stories of female friendship and camaraderie throughout history.
The menu for President Lincoln’s second inaugural ball included terrapin (turtle), edible sculptures and beef à-la-mode, which thankfully doesn’t have anything to do with ice cream.
Learn more about the massive meal held in the building that now houses our
American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery.
