Tour Washington DC: Seven Interesting Pieces from the Smithsonian Museum Collection
The Smithsonian Institute is often referred to as the ‘largest museum in the world’ and is lovingly-called by Americans as ‘the nation’s attic.’ It is actually the United States’ primary trust and research institution for ‘increase & diffusion of knowledge among men’. The Smithsonian is composed of 19 museums, 21 libraries, nine research centers, and a zoo, including historical and architectural landmarks, mostly located in Washington DC. Additional facilities are located in Maryland, New York, and Virginia, as well as, more than 200 museums and institutions are affiliates in 45 US States, Puerto Rico, and Panama.
The Smithsonian, being the de-facto ‘national museum’ of the United States of America holds an extensive collection of items and artifacts significant to history, science, arts, and humanities. Currently, the institute holds, conserve, preserve, and stores more than 154 million items in their facilities and archives. Many of them are found in the museums located in Washington DC and draw millions of guests annually. These museums are also some of the top destinations for educational tours, family reunion tours, Christian history tours, or Black Heritage tours in DC.
Here is a list of the six of the most treasured possessions of the Smithsonian museums in Washington DC.
Apollo 11 Columbia Command Module
Recognized as one of the artifacts included as a ‘Milestone in Flight’ displayed prominently at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, the Columbia Command Module is the only piece of the Apollo 11 Spacecraft that returned to Earth. The module served as the living quarters of the three astronauts of the first successful moon-landing mission. It is where astronaut Michael Collins stayed while his comrades Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin explored the moon. It was formally turned over to the Smithsonian Institute in 1971 after touring the United States after its successful return to Earth in 1969.
Wright Flyer
The Wright Flyer, designed by the Wright Brothers in 1903, is “the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot aboard.” The successful flight of the Wright Flyer served as a pioneering event in the aviation industry. The flyer was the culmination of the Wright brothers; test flights using gliders from 1900 to 1902. It flew four times in 1903, the first of which was on December 17, 1903, with Orville Wright piloting and successfully flew for 12 seconds at a distance of 36 meters. The Wright brothers are recognized to pioneer many of the basic principles and techniques still being used in modern aviation. After several failed attempts to display the Flyer in the Smithsonian, it was inaugurated at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building in 1948 and then transferred to its place of honor at the new Air and Space Museum in 1976.
The Hope Diamond
The Hope Diamond is probably one of the most popular pieces of jewelry in the world and is one of the most precious items at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Collection. Its rare blue color brought about by traces of boron atoms in the gem’s composition contributed to its fame. Aside from the diamond’s unusual color and size, the legends and stories that surround this piece of gem made it world-famous. It was originally from the Kollur Mine of the Golconda Sultanate (now India). The diamond was cut and a significant piece was sold to King Louis XIV of France. Stolen in 1791, it was then cut and fell into the hands of a London banking family where it got its name, Hope. After going through several owners, the famed diamond made its way across the Atlantic when it was sold to a Washington socialite. The diamond was attributed to many misfortunes that befell its previous owner and got its reputation as ‘cursed’. It was last purchased by New York gem merchant Harry Winston in 1949, who toured the diamond for several years before turning it over to the National Museum of Natural History in 1959.
Abraham Lincoln’s Top Hat
The sixteenth President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, likes to wear his had significantly higher compared to his contemporaries. The particular hat in the possession of the Smithsonian Institute was acquired from Washington hat make, J.Y. Davis. President Lincoln had a black mourning band added to the hat to commemorate his son, Willis. The top hat has a special place in history as it was worn by President Abraham Lincoln to go to Ford’s Theatre on the morning of April 14, 1865, the day of his assassination. The US war Department preserved the hat together with the other things left at the theater on that tragic day. It was then turned over to the Paten Office for safekeeping with permission from Mary Lincoln. In 1867, it was given to the Smithsonian Institute but was not displayed to the public until 1893 when it was lent to the Lincoln Memorial Association. The top hat is currently stored at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and is occasionally displayed there.
Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers
Though it is not really made out of the precious stone ruby, this iconic red shoes is one of the treasures of American film history. The shoe on display at the Popular Culture wing of the National Museum of American History is one of the five surviving pairs made for the 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz. In the original book of L. Frank Baum where the film was based, Dorothy wore silver shoes, but for the movie adaptation, it was changed to ruby red to take advantage of the new Technicolor technique on filmmaking and to create a good contrast of the shoes to the yellow brick road. The pair in the possession of the Smithsonian Institute is said to be the primary shoes worn by Judy Garland, who played Dorothy, during filming the dance sequences of the movie as evidenced by the wear-and-tear on the shoes. Although called the ruby slippers, the shoes are actually covered in red sequence to make it lighter for filming. But that does not diminish the value of these shoes as one of the most important memorabilia of the American film industry.
1885 Statue of Liberty Souvenir
Even before its arrival in New York, the Statue of Liberty has been an icon and a popular souvenir item of the city. To prepare for its arrival and assembly, the American Committee produced thousands of models of the statue based on the final design of the French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. The six-inch and twelve-inch models of the Statue of Liberty were sold to subscribers to finance the construction of the pedestal where the full-sized statue stands today at the New York Harbor. According to newspaper ads from 1885, the smaller model was sold at one dollar apiece while the 12-inch version was priced at five dollars. These models were the predecessors of what is still a popular souvenir item of the Big Apple. The model on display at the National Museum of American History was a gift from the secretary-general of the American Committee, Richard Butler.
The Star-Spangled Banner
For many, ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ either refers to the national flag of the United States and the title of the National Anthem. But going deeper into the history of the national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner was first referred to as the garrison flag flown in Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore at the War of 1812 against British invaders. The soldiers stationed at the fort gallantly defended their position against the attacking British armada from the bay. Seeing the flag on the morning of September 14, 1814, after the battle was won, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the poem ‘Defence of Fort M’Henry’ which then was set to the tune of ‘To Anacreon in Heaven’ by John Stafford Smith. And from 1931, it became the official national anthem of the United States of America. The garrison flag flown over Fort McHenry in 1812 was kept in the possession of Major Armistead and stayed on his heirs until 1907 when his grandson lent it to the Smithsonian Institute for an exhibition and was formally gifted in 1912. Currently, the original flag is on permanent display on its own two-story chamber at the National Museum of American History where it hangs on a 10-degree slope and is dimly lighted for preservation.
The Smithsonian collection is so vast and diverse that a library would be needed to describe them all in writing. Still, the best way to experience these precious items and artifacts of human history is to see them for yourself when you tour Washington DC.
