Smithsonian Snapshot

This neon artwork shows the viewer the U.S. by highway--no car needed.

In 1805, the first female aeronaut, Sophie Blanchard, took flight.

Babe Ruth was the ballpark sensation of his sensational era, the Roaring ’20s.

Why so grumpy, big guy?

Rippling lines and patterns that pulse with energy.

Written in Braille, this wallpaper reveals how it was created.

Roy Lichtenstein transformed a wide variety of source materials as part of his creative process, including comic-strip panels.

Perceiving ourselves perceiving art.

Some animated animals offer insights into perspective and color.

An AMSR effect?

A lunchbox that celebrates a Super Bowl.

Martin Luther King Jr. greets supporters in Baltimore.

A fossil whale gets its name from a classic work of literature.

"Say my name."

Dali originally used a real lobster, that eventually decayed, for his phone.

Tracking crabs in the Chesapeake Bay to protect them.

A tree from the Andean slopes can be found in the Smithsonian's gardens.

An intersection of science and fiction.

An 1850 photo shows the Smithsonian Castle during its construction.

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act.

More than a million wishes from various trees around the world have been collected so far.

Bartzella is one of the first peonies to have an herbaceous growth cycle and have truly yellow flowers.

This photo is part of an exhibition that considers image making and how personalities are constructed.

Darren Waterston reimagines James McNeill Whistler’s famed "Peacock Room."