The Smithsonian's History of America in 101 Objects

by Richard Kurin

Overview

The Smithsonian Institution is America's largest, most important, and most beloved repository for the objects that define our common heritage. Now Under Secretary for Art, History, and Culture Richard Kurin, aided by a team of top Smithsonian curators and scholars, has assembled a literary exhibition of 101 objects from across the Smithsonian's museums that together offer a marvelous new perspective on the history of the United States.

Ranging from the earliest years of the pre-Columbian continent to the digital age, and from the American Revolution to Vietnam, each entry pairs the fascinating history surrounding each object with the story of its creation or discovery and the place it has come to occupy in our national memory. Kurin sheds remarkable new light on objects we think we know well, from Lincoln's hat to Dorothy's ruby slippers and Julia Child's kitchen, including the often astonishing tales of how each made its way into the collections of the Smithsonian. Other objects will be eye-opening new discoveries for many, but no less evocative of the most poignant and important moments of the American experience. Some objects, such as Harriet Tubman's hymnal, Sitting Bull's ledger, Cesar Chavez's union jacket, and the Enola Gay bomber, tell difficult stories from the nation's history, and inspire controversies when exhibited at the Smithsonian. Others, from George Washington's sword to the space shuttle Discovery, celebrate the richness and vitality of the American spirit. In Kurin's hands, each object comes to vivid life, providing a tactile connection to American history.

Beautifully designed and illustrated with color photographs throughout, The Smithsonian's History of America in 101 Objects is a rich and fascinating journey through America's collective memory, and a beautiful object in its own right.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143128151
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/25/2016
Pages:	784
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 6.90(h) x 1.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Richard Kurin serves as the Smithsonian Institution's Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture, with responsibility for most of its museums and many of its educational programs. He is an anthropologist and cultural historian, a former Fulbright fellow with a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He is the author of several books, including Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem, and his scholarship and museological work have been recognized by the International Council of Museums, UNESCO, and Harvard's Peabody Museum. Awarded the Smithsonian Secretary's Gold Medal for Exceptional Service, he represents the Smithsonian on the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the White House Historical Association, and numerous other boards.

Table of Contents

Foreword G. Wayne Clough xi

Preface xiii

A Note on the Objects xix

Introduction 3

Before Columbus (525 Million Years Ago to 1492)

1 Burgess Shale Fossils 21

2 Bald Eagle 27

3 Clovis Stone Points 31

4 Mississippian Birdman Copper Plate 39

New World (1492 to Mid-Eighteenth Century)

5 Christopher Columbus's Portrait 45

6 Spanish Mission Hide Painting of Saint Anthony 51

7 Pocahontas's Portrait 56

8 Plymouth Rock Fragment 65

9 Slave Shackles 71

10 Americæ Nova Tabula (Map) 78

Let Freedom Ring (1760s to 1820s)

11 Declaration of Independence 87

12 George Washington's Uniform and Sword 95

13 Benjamin Franklins Walking Stick 99

14 Gilbert Stuart's Lansdowne Portrait of George Washington 105

15 Star-Spangled Banner 111

16 Thomas Jefferson's Bible 123

Young Nation (Late Eighteenth Century to 1850s)

17 Conestoga Wagon 131

18 Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin 134

19 John Deere's Steel Plow 141

20 Isaac Singer's Sewing Machine 145

21 Nauvoo Temple Sun Stone 153

Sea to Shining Sea (1800 To 1850s)

22 Lewis and Clark's Pocket Compass 159

23 John Bull Steam Locomotive 165

24 Samuel Colts Revolver 172

25 Morse-Vail Telegraph 179

26 Mexican Army Coat 186

27 Gold Discovery Flake from Sutter's Mill 193

28 Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon 199

A House Divided (1850 to 1865)

29 Frederick Douglass's Ambrotype Portrait 207

30 Harriet Tubman's Hymnal and Shawl 212

31 Emancipation Proclamation Pamphlet 217

32 Christian Fleetwood's Medal of Honor 224

33 Appomattox Court House Furnishings 231

34 Abraham Lincoln's Hat 237

Manifest Destiny (1845 to Early Twentieth Century)

35 Albert Bierstadt's Among the Sierra Nevada, California 247

36 King Kamehameha III's Feather Cape 252

37 American Buffalo 259

38 Sitting Bull's Drawing Book 267

39 Bugle from the U.S.S. Maine 274

Industrial Revolution (1865 to Early Twentieth Century)

40 Alexander Graham Bell's Telephone 283

41 Thomas Edison's Lightbulb 289

42 Frederic Bartholdi's Liberty 295

43 Andrew Carnegie's Mansion 301

44 Ford Model T 311

45 Wright Brothers' Kitty Hawk Flyer 317

46 Bakelizer Plastic Maker 325

Modern Nation (1870s to 1929)

47 James Whistler's Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room 333

48 Beraice Palmer's Kodak Brownie Camera 339

49 Helen Keller's Watch 346

50 Suffragists' "Great Demand" Banner 353

51 Ku Klux Klan Robe and Hood 361

52 World War I Gas Mask 366

53 Louis Armstrong's Trumpet 371

54 Scopes "Monkey Trial" Photograph 379

55 Spirit of St. Louis 384

56 Babe Ruth Autographed Baseball 393

Great Depression (1929 to 1940)

57 Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Fireside Chat" Microphone 401

58 John L. Lewis's Union Badge 406

59 Marian Andersons Mink Coat 413

60 Dorothy's Ruby Slippers 421

61 Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" 426

Greatest Generation (1941 to 1945)

62 U.S.S. Oklahoma Postal Hand Stamps 435

63 Spirit of Tuskgee 439

64 "We Can Do It!" Poster of Rosie the Riveter 445

65 Japanese American World War II Internment Art 452

66 Audie Murphy's Eisenhower Jacket 459

67 Enola Gay 465

Cold War (1946 to 1991)

68 Fallout Shelter 475

69 Mercury Friendship 7 480

70 Huey Helicopter 487

71 Pandas from China 493

72 Berlin Wall Fragment 501

New Frontiers (1930s to 1980s)

73 Jonas Salk's Polio Vaccine 509

74 Jacqueline Kennedy's Inaugural Ball Gown 513

75 Julia Child's Kitchen 520

76 The Pill and Its Dispenser 527

77 Neil Armstrong's Space Suit 533

78 "Mr. Cycle" PCR Machine 543

79 Space Shuttle Discovery 546

Civil Rights (1947 to Now)

80 Greensboro Lunch Counter 555

81 Muhammad Ali's Boxing Gear 560

82 Bob Dylan Poster by Milton Glaser 567

83 Cesar Chavez's Union Jacket 573

84 Gay Civil Rights Picket Signs 580

85 AIDS Memorial Quilt Panel 587

Pop Culture (Mid-Twentieth Century to Now)

86 Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse 595

87 RCA Television Set 600

88 Chuck Berry's Gibson Guitar 607

89 Katharine Hepburn's Oscars 615

90 Hope Diamond 620

91 Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe 627

92 McDonald's Golden Arches Sign 632

93 Kermit the Frog 639

94 Star Wars' R2-D2 and C-3PO 644

Digital Age (1945 to Now)

95 ENIAC 651

96 Apples Macintosh Computer 656

97 Nam June Paik's Electronic Superhighway 663

New Millennium (2000 to the Future)

98 New York Fire Department Engine Door from September 11 671

99 Shepard Fairey's Barack Obama "Hope" Portrait 678

100 David Boxley's Tsimshian Totem Pole 685

101 Giant Magellan Telescope 691

What's Not Included? 697

Old Things, New Studies 701

Object Specifications and Photographic Credits 705

Time Line of American History 719

Maps 727

Notes 735

Index 745

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Publishers Weekly (starred):
“Kurin [has] done a masterful job. Even… well-known items have surprising and significant back stories. Unexpected selections… make the book even more engrossing, and… can make for some emotional reading. Kurin does a terrific job of expanding upon the story of each object, whether it’s a pair of slave shackles or a damaged door from one of the New York City fire trucks that responded to 9/11. This humanistic approach to storytelling makes for immersive, addictive reading.”

Kirkus Reviews:
“Smithsonian Undersecretary Kurin’s tales are abundant, so much so that it seems almost a shame to stop at a mere 101 items....A well-conceived and well-illustrated pleasure to read, combining narrative history and keepsake volume.”

Library Journal:
“A guide like this is all the more useful since such a small percentage of the Smithsonian's holdings can ever be on exhibit. The book is much more descriptive than analytical, as Kurin sets each object, beautifully photographed, in its historical and institutional context.”

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly (starred):
“Kurin [has] done a masterful job. Even… well-known items have surprising and significant back stories. Unexpected selections… make the book even more engrossing, and… can make for some emotional reading. Kurin does a terrific job of expanding upon the story of each object, whether it’s a pair of slave shackles or a damaged door from one of the New York City fire trucks that responded to 9/11. This humanistic approach to storytelling makes for immersive, addictive reading.”

Kirkus Reviews:
“Smithsonian Undersecretary Kurin’s tales are abundant, so much so that it seems almost a shame to stop at a mere 101 items....A well-conceived and well-illustrated pleasure to read, combining narrative history and keepsake volume.”

Library Journal:
“A guide like this is all the more useful since such a small percentage of the Smithsonian's holdings can ever be on exhibit. The book is much more descriptive than analytical, as Kurin sets each object, beautifully photographed, in its historical and institutional context.

From the Publisher

As Under Secretary for History, Art, and Culture for the Smithsonian Institution, Kurin (Hope Diamond) has intimate knowledge of the organization’s inventory of over 137 million items (that doesn’t include millions and millions of books, photos, documents, recordings, etc.). That blessing had the potential to turn into a curse when he was challenged to select a mere 101 objects that would tell the history of the United States. But he’s done a masterful job. Yes, there are obvious inclusions, like the Declaration of Independence, Neil Armstrong’s space suit, Dorothy’s red ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, and the Wright Brothers’ Kitty Hawk Flyer, but even these well-known items have surprising and significant backstories—the Wright Brothers, for example, contacted the Smithsonian for information on research on flying machines prior to their epic flight. (The Smithsonian happily obliged.) Unexpected selections—like vials of Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine, Louis Armstrong’s trumpet, and an Emancipation Proclamation pamphlet that freed slaves carried with them—make the book even more engrossing, and, as in the case of the last item, can make for some emotional reading. Kurin does a terrific job of expanding upon the story of each object, whether it’s a pair of slave shackles or a damaged door from one of the New York City fire trucks that responded to 9/11. This humanistic approach to storytelling (he even includes digressions on things that didn’t make it in, like the ubiquitous stuffed animal named after the first President Roosevelt: the teddy bear) makes for immersive, addictive reading. Photos and illus. throughout. (Oct. 29)

Publishers Weekly

10/01/2013
We all hold on to objects that are laden with our memories. Kurin (under secretary, history, art, & culture, Smithsonian Inst.; Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem) presents a chronological selection of Smithsonian holdings that represent the nation's memory, organizing materials according to the themes of U.S. history, from "Before Columbus" to "New Millennium." A guide like this is all the more useful since such a small percentage of the Smithsonian's holdings can ever be on exhibit. The book is much more descriptive than analytical, as Kurin sets each object, beautifully photographed, in its historical and institutional context. The objects cover a wide spectrum: here are all four of Katharine Hepburn's Oscars, Helen Keller's tactile watch, one of only three surviving Mormon moonstones from the Nauvoo Temple, Neil Armstrong's space suit—and the entire Carnegie mansion, now housing the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York. VERDICT Written for nonspecialists, albeit insatiably curious ones, this volume will be welcomed by museum visitors, docents, and general history and biography buffs, much like Harold Holzer's The Civil War in 50 Objects and Neil MacGregor's A History of the World in 100 Objects, using collections at the New-York Historical Society and the British Museum, respectively. [See Prepub Alert, 5/13/13.]—Frederick J. Augustyn Jr., Lib. of Congress, Washington, DC

Library Journal

2013-10-01
An overstuffed exploration of American history as related through material artifacts, from Meriwether Lewis' compass to relics of the Space Age. The "history of X in Y objects" trope, launched by Neil MacGregor's History of the World in 100 Objects a few years ago, is already in danger of becoming a cliché. Indisputably, though, if you wanted to learn about American history through material holdings, the Smithsonian would be the place to start and end, just as the British Museum served as the trove of first and last resort for MacGregor. Smithsonian Undersecretary Kurin's (Madcap May: Mistress of Myth, Men, and Hope, 2012, etc.) tales are abundant, so much so that it seems almost a shame to stop at a mere 101 items, fat though this book is. For instance, who knew that the original Stars and Stripes, the flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, was packed off to shelter in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia during World War II because Franklin Roosevelt "feared Germany might bomb the National Mall"? Beginning 500 million years ago, Kurin celebrates the Burgess Shale fossils, which gave Stephen Jay Gould material evidence for his evolutionary theory of punctuated equilibrium; then writes of the bald eagle, "adopted as a national symbol…for its connotations of indomitable force"; and then turns to Clovis points, the tools that early Indian hunters used to bring down mammoths, bison and perhaps even an eagle or two. Rocketing through hundreds of years by way of a Colt revolver, the lyrics to "This Land Is Your Land" and Sitting Bull's sketchbook (again, who knew?), Kurin closes with some of the tools of our time, from Chuck Berry's guitar to the first Apple computer and on to galaxies far beyond our own. A well-conceived and well-illustrated pleasure to read, combining narrative history and keepsake volume.

Kirkus Reviews