Smithsonian National History Museum Turns 50

DC's Smithsonian museums (there are 17 of them here in the city) are among America's most treasured and visited places. But the Smithsonian also publishes a series of some of the most interesting, fact-filled blogs appearing anywhere on the internet. Each Sunday, The Prices Do DC re-posts an entry about the Smithsonian, many of which appeared in 1 of the institution's blogs. Hope you enjoy and maybe we'll see you soon at the Smithsonian

Undated rendering of Mall façade of Museum of History and Technology by architect Walker O. Cain (Courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History)

Fifty years ago, Smithsonian museums didn’t have quite the “wow!” factor they do today.

Artifacts were displayed “willy-nilly,” says Arthur Molella, director of the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. “A curator would type on a card and put it by the object,” and that was that.

The National Museum of American History, a museum as forward-looking as America itself, set the stage for widespread change.

To continue reading this post, which 1st appeared in The Express, click here.