Smithsonian Snapshot

The verso of Galileo’s drawings of the Pleiades star cluster, makes an exceptional background for our shooting stars.

Snowflake study through photomicrography, 1890.

Happy Three Kings Day!

Las Posadas is a meaningful Christmas tradition in Spain and many Latin American countries.

This poster for the play Okay, Bye communicates a visual riddle.

Broadway’s Hamilton costume tells story of philanthropy.

Owls with a mission: Increase and Diffusion.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Halloween became a popular national holiday in the U.S., and crepe paper was commonly used for decorating.

Freer's ideas for a classical, well-proportioned building on a piece of hotel stationery.

Cats played an important role in ancient Egyptian culture.

Meditating on Heruka’s image enables practitioners to destroy all mental obstacles to enlightenment.

Hispanic advertising history includes Selena as spokesperson for Coca-Cola.

Not only are they real, narwhals are central to the Inuit people native to Greenland, Alaska, and Canada.

The dog days of summer would be a bit cooler for puppies if they could be unleashed to fly around the neighborhood.

Mario Moreno, professionally known as Cantinflas, was an iconic Mexican film actor, producer and writer.

Among the hunter-gatherers of sub-Saharan Africa known as the Khoisan, a myth has been passed on for generations.

Artists depict the realities of war.

Psychedelic posters capture the essence of an era.

¡Azúcar! Remembering the Queen of Salsa.

In 1966, Life magazine sent photographer John Loengard to document a day in the life of artist Georgia O’Keeffe.

Urban landscapes and the possibilities of revitalization.

A very, very rare squirrel.

Learn about creative, alternative approaches to confronting textile waste.

The hand gesture known as devil horns, or rock horns, gained popularity at 1970s heavy-metal concerts as a staple of audience appreciation.