Did you know our greatest museum was funded by and named for an Englishman who never set foot in the United States? Read up on the origins of the Smithsonian and how it was born in our nation’s capital.
In 1958, President Eisenhower approved plans for a National Air Museum. See some of the fascinating and beautiful designs that didn’t make it.
This great old photo shows the Arts and Industries Building on the Mall under construction in 1879. And below we found an interesting 1878 rendering of what the building should look like. And finally, here’s a photo of the building
What a lovely old photo of the Smithsonian Castle in 1856. Click on it for incredible details.
What a fascinating old drawing from 1846. This is the proposed design for the Smithsonian Castle, Source: Smithsonian Archives
What an awesome photo from the Civil War era. You’re looking up what is Independence Ave. today. Source: Smithsonian Archives
What a beautiful view of the Mall from the Smithsonian. This was taken in the early 20th century. Source: Library of Congress
What an incredible 360-degree panorama of Washington from 1886. This image was taken from the top of the Smithsonian Castle. Don’t miss it!
Now this is a really super old photo of Washington from around 1857. Click on it for a much larger version to study it. I believe this is a view looking southeast, and the Washington Monument would be just out
This is a beautiful painting done by Jex Garnet Garnet Jex in 1936. Source: Smithsonian
