Smithsonian Treasures of American History

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Smithsonian can tell it. Featuring more than 150 prized objects

drawn from the breadth of the National Museum of American History’s

collections, Smithsonian Treasures of American History presents the “best of the best” in an engaging, easily accessible, illustrated format.

Highlights include: • Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine

The Star-Spangled Banner

The SMITHSONIAN’S NATIONAL MUSEUM OF A MERICAN H ISTORY dedicates its collections and scholarship to inspiring a broader understanding of our nation and its many peoples. The Museum creates learning opportunities, stimulates imaginations, and presents challenging ideas about our country’s past.

• The original manuscript of John Coltrane’s jazz masterpiece, A Love Supreme • The compass used by Lewis and Clark • An eighteenth-century Torah mantle brought to California during the Gold Rush • A baseball autographed by Babe Ruth • A radio microphone from FDR’s “fireside chats” • Television treasures, from the Lone Ranger’s mask to Mister Rogers’s sweater

American History

• The desk Thomas Jefferson used to draft the Declaration of Independence

Smithsonian Treasures

A

fun and lively look at American history and culture as only the

Smithsonian

KATHLEEN M. KENDRICK is a curator at the National Museum of African American History and PETER C. LIEBHOLD is a curator at the National Museum of American History. They are co-curators of the Treasures of American History exhibit.

• A Bible quilt made by former slave Harriet Powers

HISTORY/United States/General

US $12.95 / $16.95 CAN ISBN 978-1-58834-583-7

Jacket design by Mumtaz Mustafa All cover photographs: National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution

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$12.95

Smithsonian Treasures of American History The National Museum of American

Treasures

History—our country’s largest history museum and one of the Smithsonian’s most visited—preserves three million objects that capture the American story. From this vast collection, curators have handpicked more than 150 of the Museum’s most valued and amazing

American

treasures—from the hat Lincoln wore the night he was assassinated to Jacqueline Kennedy’s inaugural gown and Dorothy’s ruby slippers; from Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone to Edison’s light bulb and Albert Einstein’s pipe; from an early box

• Isaac Singer’s sewing machine patent model • Grant and Lee’s chairs from the Civil War surrender at Appomattox

USA

of Crayolas to one of the oldest pairs of Levi’s. Four separate sections devoted to

History

“Creativity and Innovation,” “American Biography,” “National Challenges,” and “American Identity” reveal fascinating juxtapositions and startling connections on every page. This visual cornucopia of the material culture of American history reveals the familiar, the famous, and the unexpected at every turn.


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AMERICAN BIOGRAPHY

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hrough its collections, the National Museum of American History preserves the stories of individuals who made

history. Drawn from the worlds of politics, business, science, sports, arts, and entertainment, these objects represent people

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whose experiences and achievements earned them a place in the national spotlight. Examined individually, the lives presented here reflect the circumstances of their times and provide a personal perspective on the past. Together, they comprise a fascinating and multifaceted portrait of American achievement.

Jacqueline Kennedy’s Gown, 1961 ade of silk chiffon and peau d’ange, this gown with matching cape was worn by Jacqueline Kennedy to her husband John F. Kennedy’s presidential inaugural ball. The first lady worked with Ethel Frankau of Bergdorf-Goodman to design the gown. A fashion trendsetter and cultural icon, “Jackie” brought a sense of youthful glamour and sophistication to life in the White House. After President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, the dignity and courage she displayed in mourning for her husband set a calming example for a bereaved nation.

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Opposite: Jacqueline Kennedy (1929–1994) Portrait by Richard Avedon (detail), 1961

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AMERICAN TELEVISION

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (Family Communications Inc.)

Mister Rogers’ Sweater, 1970s his red knit cardigan was worn by Fred Rogers, creator and host of the children’s program, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (PBS, 1968–2008). For more than 30 years, Rogers began each episode by changing into a sweater and tennis shoes and singing, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” An ordained Presbyterian minister, Rogers dedicated his television career to promoting children’s emotional and moral well-being. His show, with its friendly conversational style and trips to the “Neighborhood of Make-Believe,” encouraged young viewers to feel loved, respected, and special.

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Carrie Bradshaw’s Laptop, 1998–2004 Sex and the City (HBO )

anhattan newspaper columnist Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, used this laptop to record her observations on modern relationships in the risqué comedy series Sex and the City (HBO, 1998–2004). Frank, witty, and often outrageous, the Emmy Award–winning cable show won millions of loyal fans with its depiction of four women friends and their romantic urban escapades. It also established cable TV as a competitive producer of original programming. Sex and the City set fashion trends, from Manolo Blahnik shoes to cosmopolitan cocktails, and provoked cultural debates about sex, relationships, and gender roles.

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