Smithsonian Snapshot

Use one of the Libraries' cool images to mail or email a postcard.

Thomas Edison's surprising connection to tattoos.

Kintsugi (golden joinery) and the art of embracing imperfection.

We the people celebrate the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787.

"Marvelous" costumes help tell the story of "Midge" Maisel, a Manhattan wife and mother who becomes a stand-up comedian.

Patricia Cowings is a scientist astronaut who helps astronauts go to space.

More than 30 years after his death, Jean-Michel Basquiat remains a strong presence in modern art.

Octavia Butler was a master storyteller and considered the godmother of Afrofuturism.

Chiura Obata's artwork captures the "Great Nature" of the American West.

The iconic casserole dish with military roots.

Sometimes a belt is more than fashion—it can tell a story.

The story of Frankenstein has been told many times—even in comics.

Having earned more than a dozen awards, Maj. Marisol Chalas is the first Latina National Guard Black Hawk helicopter pilot.

Decades after it was first introduced, this pencil sharpener can still be found in classrooms across the U.S. 

The fun and rough-and-tumble sport of roller derby.

Furry and the smallest of all armadillos, the pink fairy armadillo can fit in the palm of your hand.

The Apollo 11 patch is the only one in NASA's history that doesn't include the astronauts' names.

The Muppet Show's Swinetrek parody of Star Trek, Lost in Space and other space-themed shows of the 1960s and ’70s featured this extra.

Put a glide in your stride and a dip in your hip, and come on up to the Mothership.

The Smithsonian’s fifth Secretary Charles G. Abbot (from 1928–1944) was particularly interested in solar changes. 

A triceratops had a very bad day.

Surf's up! A dive into the legacy of the "Big Kahuna," considered the father of modern surfing.

The resemblance is uncanny....It may seem absurd now, but centuries ago manatees were mistaken for mermaids.

Captured by the Event Horizon Telescope, this image reveals the supermassive black hole at the center of Messier 87.