National Museum of American History

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has been called “America’s Attic.” The museum on the National Mall definitely exhibits an eclectic collection of artifacts dealing with American political, social, and cultural history.

First opened in 1964, the National Museum of American History reopened in December 2008 following a two year closure for renovation. A new central skylight and atrium opens up four floors of the museum, though it meant removal of the popular Foucault pendulum.

The exhibit space at the museum has been redesigned into theme areas. Rather than trying to present a linear history of the USA, the exhibits tie together artifacts representing the American experience in a variety of areas through time. The them galleries include “America on the Move” (Transportation), Science and Innovation, American Lives, American Ideals, Entertainment, Sports, and Music, and American Wars and Politics.

“Landmark Objects” anchor the two wings of each floor and introduce the themed exhibits. The objects include Horatio Greenough’s monumental sculpture of a seated George Washington, the 1831 John Bull steam locomotive, the telescope used by America’s first woman astronomer, Clara Barton’s Red Cross ambulance (wagon), Disney’s Dumbo, and the lunch counter from the 1960 Greensboro, NC, civil rights sit-in. (The 1841 statue of George Washington wearing a toga and sitting Zeus-like is one of my favorite objects in this museum.)

The signature artifact on display at the museum is the original Star-Spangled Banner, the American flag that flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the British bombardment in 1814. It is the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write his poem that became the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner”, the national anthem of the USA. The museum’s renovation has created a new display area for the flag.

The museum is far from stuffy. Items of popular culture on display include the Ruby Slippers worn by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz, a Dumbo ride car from Disneyland, Elvis’ guitars, one of singer Celia Cruz’s dresses, and Julia Child’s Kitchen from the TV cooking show. An always popular exhibit is the display of the First Ladies’ inaugural ball gowns.

I do find that displays tend to reflect whatever subjects the curators happen to be interested in at the time or outside sources of financing will fund. Some exhibits, like the one on Rachel Carson’s work on pesticide control, don’t appear to have been refreshed in many years.