Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Engineering Structures in America

See approximately 50 photographs of infrastructure that demonstrate the contributions of American consulting engineers during the past 100 years.

November 16, 1981 – July 29, 1982

American History Museum

Student Artists and the Space Shuttle

See 50 paintings, drawings, and mixed-media works by 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students from Washington, D.C., public schools that depict or relate to the Space Shuttle.

March 1, 1982 – May 30, 1982

Air and Space Museum

Dr. Ingersol Moten Johnson

Follow the path or Dr. Ingersol Johnson (1900-1981) a District of Columbia physiotherapist, chiropractor, and naturopath.

March 1, 1982 – May 12, 1982

American History Museum

The Changing American Farm, 1831-1981

This exhibit features four large pieces of machinery: an authentic 1837 John Deere plow, an early cottonseed planter, and two full-scale replicas: a Cyrus McCormick reaper and a John Froelich 1892 tractor (the first successful gas-operated tractor).

May 15, 1981 – May 5, 1982

American History Museum

1982 Friends of the National Zoo Photography Contest

See 50 photographs--winners and other entries in the annual competition sponsored by the Friends of the National Zoo.

April 1, 1982 – April 30, 1982

National Zoo

Deep Ocean Photography

Explore a two-mile-high volcanic seamount deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean through 24 black-and-white photographic murals.

January 22, 1982 – April 13, 1982

Natural History Museum

Orchid Paintings by Regina Hughes

Enjoy 37 watercolor paintings of orchids from the National Orchid Collection and from private collections.

February 13, 1982 – April 11, 1982

Natural History Museum

Lighting Up America: From Candle to Kerosene

Enjoy approximately 60 lighting devices, including candle holders and grease and oil lamps from the recently acquired collection of Preston R. Bassett.

October 1, 1981 – March 31, 1982

American History Museum

1982 Zoo Employee Art Show

Enjoy animal-oriented works in a variety of media--from pottery to pencil through photography--submitted by Zoo and FONZ personnel and volunteers.

March 1, 1982 – March 31, 1982

National Zoo

Starfishes of the Atlantic Ocean

Take in the first comprehensive study of starfish found in the Atlantic Ocean with starfish, photographs, maps, and related publications.

September 15, 1981 – March 31, 1982

Natural History Museum

Mathematical Activities in 18th-Century America: Benjamin Banneker

This exhibition commemorates the 250th anniversary, November 9, of the birth of Benjamin Banneker, scientist, mathematician, and free black man, who worked with Andrew Ellicott to survey the federal city.

November 10, 1981 – February 28, 1982

American History Museum

Botanical Prints by Henry Evans

Enjoy 40 works by one of America's best known botanical printmakers. Self-taught as a printer, botanist, and artist, Evans' botanical prints are distinguished by a unique style and technique.

December 12, 1981 – February 7, 1982

Natural History Museum

Nikola Tesla, Inventor and Electrical Engineer

Nikola Tesla, American inventor, is best known for his development of polyphase alternating current, the system now used worldwide. On view are pictures of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, where Tesla first presented his system to the public.

October 15, 1981 – January 31, 1982

American History Museum

Space Shuttle Art

See 28 works of art documenting the development of the Space Shuttle project, commissioned by NASA to record key events in the U.S. space program.

November 1, 1981 – January 3, 1982

Air and Space Museum

Revelations of Nature

Using close-up lenses, Greenwell reveals seldom observed and little known details in wildflowers, insects, birds, and mammals of the Washington area.

October 10, 1981 – December 6, 1981

Natural History Museum

Hearing Aids

Marvel at 25 objects, mostly 19th-century hearing devices-- trumpets, speaking tubes, ear scoops--from a recently acquired collection as well as selections from the permanent collection.

November 2, 1981 – December 3, 1981

American History Museum

The Photophone

Speak and hear yourself over an operational model of the 1880 photophone invented by Alexander Graham Bell.

June 1, 1981 – December 1, 1981

American History Museum

Mast, Foos & Co. Iron Wind Turbine Engine (windmill)

See a recently acquired windmill made by Mast, Foos & Co. around 1898.

November 1, 1981 – November 30, 1981

American History Museum

Atomic Clock (Hydrogen Maser)

Observe the original Hydrogen Maser, the most stable and precise of atomic clocks, invented by Norman F. Ramsey of Harvard University.

August 25, 1980 – November 15, 1981

American History Museum

Meat Inspection - 75 Years

See meat inspection equipment, photographs, and an autographed copy of "The Jungle," by Upton Sinclair, in this exhibition commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Meat Inspection Act of 1906.

September 30, 1981 – November 6, 1981

American History Museum

In Touch: Printing & Writing for the Blind in the 19th Century

Presented are mechanical devices and methods representing the history of printing and writing for the blind from 1780 through the 19th century.

September 22, 1980 – October 18, 1981

American History Museum

Highlights in Radio Astronomy

This exhibition presents the highlights of the development of radio astronomy, one of the most sophisticated astronomical aids.

August 11, 1981 – October 14, 1981

American History Museum

Two Contemporary Bird Painters in Oregon Territory

Oregon birds in their natural habitats from the coast, mountain, and desert are the subject of 40 oils and watercolors by professional bird painters, L.B. McQueen and Jon Janosik.

August 8, 1981 – October 4, 1981

Natural History Museum

The History of Contact Lenses

The development of the contact lens is illustrated with examples of contact lenses dating to the early 20th century.

July 1, 1981 – September 30, 1981

American History Museum

The Fleetwood Scroll Saw

Featured is a Fleetwood Scroll saw, designed for the amateur of the 1870s. Made of ornate cast iron and foot-powered, it allowed the user to produce detailed cabinetry.

July 17, 1981 – September 15, 1981

American History Museum