The Museum: A Short History of Crisis and Resilience

On an afternoon in January 1865, a roaring fire swept through the Smithsonian Institution. Dazed soldiers and worried citizens could only watch as the flames engulfed the museum's castle. Rare objects and valuable paintings were destroyed. The flames at the Smithsonian were not the first-and certainly would not be the last-disaster to upend a museum in the United States.



The Museum explores the concepts of "crisis" as it relates to museums, and how these historic institutions have dealt with...