Smithsonian Institution

Little Freya is now in excellent condition and living her best cheetah life. https://bit.ly/3BwpMY1

Gumdrop was the name of 18 individual pygmy hippopotamuses that lived at our Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. The Gumdrop dynasty began in 1927, when President Calvin Coolidge gifted a pygmy hippo, Billy, to the zoo. When Billy and his mate, Hannah, had their first surviving offspring in 1938, a little girl commented on the fact that the baby hippo resembled a big licorice gumdrop. And the rest was history. Between 1938 and 1955, Billy sired 18 offspring, all of whom were named Gumdrop followed by a roman numeral designating their place in the lineage. ??: Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (SLA) *Please note that these particular animals are not pygmy hippopotamuses. This is image has been used in past records to tell the story of the Gumdrop dynasty.

Technological change and rising literacy rates sparked an explosion in the number of newspapers available to readers before the Civil War. https://bit.ly/48dlwt3

Look closer... Upon first glance, this 2012 piece by artist Juana Valdes may appear to be cloth rags hanging next to each other in a row. In actuality, each “rag” is a unique, handmade ceramic made from the bright and translucent material, bone china. The 15 ceramics are each unique in color and its sequence represents diversity in skin tones. Valdes created this piece by drawing on her own experience as a dark-skinned Afro-Cuban woman to address issues of race, gender, labor, class, and colorism in the African Diaspora. The piece, “Redbone - Colored China Rags” is in the collection of our Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. ??: “Redbone - Colored China Rags” by Juana Valdes. Collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, ? Juana Valdes. Image courtesy of Spinello Projects, photograph by Diana Larrea. #SmithsonianHHM

Hoot! This is the fall volunteer opportunity you’ve owl been waiting for. 乁(? ? ?)ㄏ

Pop some popcorn and stay up late with us tonight. Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III will appear on Turner Classic Movies to explore some of the most significant political films of all time. Schedule: https://bit.ly/3TRilRO Like our television set? This Revere model 101 is in the collection of our Smithsonian National Museum of American History and is from around 1947. Made by the DuMont Company, it includes AM-FM radio and a record changer.

The Women's Environmental Leadership Summit, hosted by the Center for Environmental Justice at our Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum, is a unique experience for all individuals to come together for mentorship, training, and leadership opportunities. Register: https://lnkd.in/eJhN54Kr

We’ve got the apples. You bring the honey. ???? L'Shana Tovah. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and a time of both introspection and looking forward to the year ahead. To many who celebrate the High Holiday, dipping an apple slice into honey is an expression of hope that sweetness will mark their lives in the coming year. ??: Illustration from “Natural History of New York,” 1842, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (Smithsonian Libraries and Archives (SLA)). Andrew John Henry Way, “The Wealth of Autumn,” 1869, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum (Smithsonian American Art Museum). 34c Apple single, 2001, Smithsonian National Postal Museum (National Postal Museum). ? USPS. All rights reserved. Carved Apple-Shaped Container by Ira Blount, 1985, Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum (Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum).

Crystals and fringe, sure. But what are dolls and spiders doing on this chandelier? When sculptor and installation artist Pepón Osorio was a social worker in the South Bronx, he often saw elaborate chandeliers hanging in humble apartment homes. Through his experiences in New York City, Osorio began to appreciate the diverse ways in which different cultures define and express art. Osorio’s “El Chandelier” pays homage to the artist’s roots in Puerto Rico and Afro-Latino conceptions of beauty, spirituality, and culture. Featuring baby dolls, toy bowling pins, palm trees, plastic animals, sculptures of saints, and more, the artwork includes trinkets and everyday items he observed in “Nuyorican” (New York and Puerto Rican) households in the 1980s. #SmithsonianHHM Image 1: Pepón Osorio, “El Chandelier,” 1988, functional metal and glass chandelier with plastic toys and figurines, glass crystals, and other objects, Smithsonian American Art Museum. Image 2, 3: Pepón Osorio, “El Chandelier,” 1988

Calling all researchers with bold ideas around climate change, environmental justice, or sustainability? Now is the time to apply for a rewarding Smithsonian Fellowship and get the support and resources you need to bring your vision to life. ?? Fellows will join a dynamic cohort and receive leadership training to connect their research to impactful solutions. ??? Deadline to apply: October 15 ?? https://s.si.edu/3N9oHs0 ?? Please share and help spread the word about this opportunity!