Smithsonian Libraries

List of past exhibitions

Listing of exhibitions put on by the Libraries from 1989-2006

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Past Exhibitions

Exhibitions from 1989-2006 and other non-digital exhibitions that are no longer up.

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Traveling Exhibitions

View those exhibitions that are currently on tour around the country.

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Upcoming Exhibitions

Get a peek at future exhibitions that are coming to the Smithsonian Libraries.

Underwater Web: Cabling the Seas

In 1858 the world suddenly became smaller when an underwater telegraph cable joined two nations divided by the sea. From that first link, a vast web spread across the globe.

Science and the Artist's Book

The Libraries' first online exhibition with works by over two dozen artists who re-interpret scientific ideas, methods, and discoveries through an imaginative use of the book form.

Sewing Machines: Historical Trade Literature in Smithsonian Collections

A popular collection of catalogs, manuals, and brochures showing the range of material published by and about American sewing machines companies from the 1840s to the early 20th c.

Chasing Venus: Observing the Transits of Venus 1631-2004

Commemorating the sixth observed transit of Venus in 2004, this exhibition examines this rare phenomenon through astronomical texts written in the last four centuries.

Instruments for Science

A collection of uniquely valuable trade literature that tells the history of 19th c. science through instrument catalogs.

Artists' Books

Works of art, like paintings or sculpture, in book form - artists’ books exist at the intersections of printmaking, photography, poetry, visual arts, and graphic design.

Taxonomic Literature 2 online

Online version of Taxonomic Literature 2, the premier guide to the literature of systematic botany.

Trade Literature Collection

This collection of manufacturer issued catalogs is internationally known as an important source for the history of American business, technology, marketing, and design.

Cultivating America’s Gardens

The Smithsonian Libraries and the Smithsonian Gardens have partnered to bring you a snapshot of the history and culture of the American Garden.

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Current Exhibitions

View the exhibitions that are currently on display in our museums or galleries.

Hirshhorn Museum Library Audio Archive

Index and samples from event recordings and artist interviews dating back to the founding of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in 1969.

Zoos: A Historical Perspective

A sampling of the pamphlets, guide books, maps, drawings, and photographs of zoos from over 30 states and 40 countries collected by the Libraries.

The Making of a Homemaker

"Comfort for her family is provided even at the expense of many an exhausted nerve, and an aching heart." Maybe what she needed was a comprehensive domestic guidebook?

Ramelli's Machines: Original drawings of 16th century machines

Original drawings and superb engravings from Ramelli's book of ingenious inventions that had a great influence on the development of mechanical engineering.

Igniting Artistic Consciousness

The AA/PG Library received the donation of ephemera for more than 3,000 artists from the Art Students League of New York (ASL) in January 2017. On view until Dec 2017.

Celebrity Caricature: Selections from the Smithsonian Institution Libraries

Hemingway and the Marx Brothers as drawn by the likes of Al Hirschfeld and Miguel Covarrubias.

The Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio

The extraordinary, highly praised, and visually captivating work of amateur scholarship that was created through the efforts of the family and friends of a young woman from Ohio.

Samuel P. Langley: Aviation Pioneer (Part 1)

Samuel P. Langley almost succeeded in inventing the airplane before the Wright brothers. Who was Langley and what did he do?

Wonder Bound

Wonder-rooms and curiosity cabinets appeared in the 1500s, as wealthy Europeans displayed objects and specimens collected during trading voyages and exploring expeditions.

Once There Were Billions: Vanished Birds of North America

Once an amazing diversity of birds–some in breathtaking abundance–inhabited the vast forests and plains of North America. But starting around 1600, species began to disappear, as h

Drawing from Life: Caricatures and Cartoons from the American Art / Portrait Gallery Collection

Sometimes humorous and always educational selections culled from the Libraries' collection of cartoon and caricature dating from the 1800's on.

The Art of African Exploration

Explore Africa with early European visitors through the fascinating drawings, book illustrations and other objects from the Russell E. Train Africana Collection.

Your Smithsonian Libraries

It's not one library, or 20 individual libraries - it's one Smithsonian Libraries.

Frontier Photographer: Edward S. Curtis

Thirty years of grueling work on the North American Indian Project cost the artist his marriage and his health. It also yielded an American legacy that is an artistic masterpiece.

Vibrant Visions: Pochoir Prints in the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Library

Richly colored illustrations from Art Nouveau and Art Deco era France that illustrate costume, interior, and pattern designs.

Artists' Books and Africa

Featruing books from the Warren M. Robbins Library of African Art and the National Museum of African Art, this online exhibition complements the exhibition at the museum.

Samuel P. Langley: Aviation Pioneer (Part 1)

Samuel P. Langley almost succeeded in inventing the airplane before the Wright brothers. Who was Langley and what did he do?

From Horses to Horsepower: Studebaker Helped Move a Nation

The story of Studebaker told through images of its classic autos found in our renown Trade Literature collection.

Czech Book Covers of the 1920's and 1930's in the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum Library

Avant-garde design from behind the Iron Curtain.

Galaxy of Images

Explore a rich library of over 15,000 images from our scanned collections.

Nile Notes of a Howadji: American Travelers in Egypt, 1837 - 1903

Pack your bags and grab your Baedeker's for an excursion to 19th c. Egypt with American travel writers.

Wonder Bound

Wonder-rooms and curiosity cabinets appeared in the 1500s, as wealthy Europeans displayed objects and specimens collected during trading voyages and exploring expeditions.

Picturing Words: The Power of Book Illustration

A selection of some of the preeminent examples of book illustration from the Libraries' varied collections.

Art & Artist Files in the Smithsonian Libraries' Collections

Search the database of over 150,000 files on artists, art collectives, galleries, and museums held in our Art and Design and History and Culture libraries.

From Horses to Horsepower: Studebaker Helped Move a Nation

The story of Studebaker told through images of its classic autos found in our renown Trade Literature collection.

From Smithson to Smithsonian: The Birth of an Institution

Learn about the man who gave his fortune "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge" and the early years of the Smithsonian Institution.

Voyages: A Smithsonian Libraries Exhibition

Voyages of discovery can be of many kinds: a physical journey to an unknown place, a mental exploration of new or familiar territory, or a wholly new episode of creative thought.

Taking to the Skies: The Wright Brothers & the Birth of Aviation

On December 17, 1903, in the bitter cold and with a gusty 27 mile-per-hour wind the Wright brothers made history.

Parcel Post: Delivery of Dreams

After its establishment in 1913, the parcel post had a dramatic effect on the U.S. economy. A staggering variety of goods was mailed by parcel post - even children!

Underwater Web: Cabling the Seas

In 1858 the world suddenly became smaller when an underwater telegraph cable joined two nations divided by the sea. From that first link, a vast web spread across the globe.

Vibrant Visions: Pochoir Prints in the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum Library

Richly colored illustrations from Art Nouveau and Art Deco era France that illustrate costume, interior, and pattern designs.

Monographs on African Artists: An Annotated Bibliography

A bibliography that separates the polished gems from the stones - a list of substantive monographs and exhibition catalogs on 20th-21st century African artists.

Modern African Art: A Basic Reading List

An annotated bibliography that dispels the notion that nothing has been published on contemporary African art. Updated regularly.

A Jules Verne Centennial: 1905 - 2005

Fantastic illustrations from early editions of Verne's works to celebrate the "father of scientific fiction."

Make the Dirt Fly! Building the Panama Canal

In 1904, the U.S. government embarked on the largest civil engineering project in history.

Parcel Post: Delivery of Dreams

After its establishment in 1913, the parcel post had a dramatic effect on the U.S. economy. A staggering variety of goods was mailed by parcel post - even children!

Archive of African Artists

An unparalleled and growing collection of files on contemporary African artists.

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Online Exhibitions

View past online-only exhibitions or the online component of past exhibitions from our museums and galleries.

Fold, Pull, Pop and Turn

Images and videos from the exhibition Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop, Turn with examples of movable books spanning 500 years.

Taking to the Skies: The Wright Brothers & the Birth of Aviation

On December 17, 1903, in the bitter cold and with a gusty 27 mile-per-hour wind the Wright brothers made history.

Picturing Words: The Power of Book Illustration

A selection of some of the preeminent examples of book illustration from the Libraries' varied collections.

Your Smithsonian Libraries

It's not one library, or 20 individual libraries - it's one Smithsonian Libraries.

Czech Book Covers of the 1920's and 1930's in the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum Library

Avant-garde design from behind the Iron Curtain.

An Odyssey in Print: Adventures in the Smithsonian Libraries

Explore six centuries of rare books, manuscripts, art, and artifacts from the Smithsonian Libraries and learn how Smithsonian staff use these resources in their everyday work.

Finding Aid to Postal Files at the NPM Library

Inventory of archival files in the Library of the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum including Panama Canal Zone and Aerial Mail Service material.

Whales: From Bone to Book

How do the bones and fossils of the largest mammals on the planet make their way from discovery by Smithsonian scientists to the museum collections to sharing with the world?

Nile Notes of a Howadji: American Travelers in Egypt, 1837 - 1903

Pack your bags and grab your Baedeker's for an excursion to 19th c. Egypt with American travel writers.

Postal files at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum Library

An index to the archival files held at the National Postal Museum Library.

Archive of African Artists

An unparalleled and growing collection of files on contemporary African artists.

Doodles, Drafts & Designs: Industrial Drawings from the Smithsonian

Trace how ideas evolve into reality through inventors' sketchbooks, engineers' mechanical drawings, and architects' renderings from the 1830s to the 1990s.

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Smithsonian Libraries Artists' Books

Learn more about and search hundreds of artists’ books and artists’ publications across the Smithsonian Libraries.

Seed and Nursery Catalogs

Colorful collection of catalogs that document the history of the seed and agricultural implement business as well as ornamental and edible plants in the U. S.

Heralds of Science

These 200 books and articles were selected by Bern Dibner to represent the most significant titles in the formation and development of Western science and technology.

Zoos: A Historical Perspective

A sampling of the pamphlets, guide books, maps, drawings, and photographs of zoos from over 30 states and 40 countries collected by the Libraries.

From Smithson to Smithsonian: The Birth of an Institution

Learn about the man who gave his fortune "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge" and the early years of the Smithsonian Institution.

Index Animalium

Compiled over 43 years by one man this index to every living animal discovered between 1758 and 1850 is still considered the essential reference for zoologists and paleontologists.

The Making of a Homemaker

"Comfort for her family is provided even at the expense of many an exhausted nerve, and an aching heart." Maybe what she needed was a comprehensive domestic guidebook?

Drawing from Life: Caricatures and Cartoons from the American Art / Portrait Gallery Collection

Sometimes humorous and always educational selections culled from the Libraries' collection of cartoon and caricature dating from the 1800's on.

Shedding Light on New York

This massive archive of photographs show the variety of lighting fixtures E. F. Caldwell & Co. produced for wealthy clients like Carnegie, Morgan, and Astor.

Bella C. Landauer Collection of Aeronautical Sheet Music

Highlights from the often colorfully illustrated collection of sheet music for early 20th century songs about planes, rocket ships, balloons and occasionally, romance.

By Aeroplane to Pygmyland: Revisiting the 1926 Dutch and American Expedition to New Guinea

A fascinating look back at a historically important scientific expedition to New Guinea told through diaries, photographs and original film footage.

Library and Archival Exhibitions on the Web

Curated by Libraries staff, this guide to online exhibitions from libraries, archives, and manuscript collections around the world is one of a kind.

"Make the Dirt Fly!" Building the Panama Canal

In 1904, the U.S. government embarked on the largest civil engineering project in history.

Doodles, Drafts & Designs: Industrial Drawings from the Smithsonian

Trace how ideas evolve into reality through inventors' sketchbooks, engineers' mechanical drawings, and architects' renderings from the 1830s to the 1990s.

Celebrity Caricature: Selections from the Smithsonian Institution Libraries

Hemingway and the Marx Brothers as drawn by the likes of Al Hirschfeld and Miguel Covarrubias.

Le Garde-meuble, ancien et moderne

The beautifully illustrated mid-19th century periodical that helped the French cement their position as taste-makers in furniture and interior design.

United States Exploring Expedition

After four years at sea, the U.S. Exploring Expedition returned with a bounty of data, specimens and artifacts that would later come to the Smithsonian.

Frontier Photographer: Edward S. Curtis

Thirty years of grueling work on the North American Indian Project cost the artist his marriage and his health. It also yielded an American legacy that is an artistic masterpiece.

Fantastic Worlds

Travel with us to the fantastic worlds of fiction inspired by 19th-century discovery and invention. Opens July 1, 2015 at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.

A Jules Verne Centennial: 1905 - 2005

Fantastic illustrations from early editions of Verne's works to celebrate the "father of scientific fiction."

Ramelli's Machines: Original drawings of 16th century machines

Original drawings and superb engravings from Ramelli's book of ingenious inventions that had a great influence on the development of mechanical engineering.

Voyages: A Smithsonian Libraries Exhibition

Voyages of discovery can be of many kinds: a physical journey to an unknown place, a mental exploration of new or familiar territory, or a wholly new episode of creative thought.

The Art of African Exploration

Explore Africa with early European visitors through the fascinating drawings, book illustrations and other objects from the Russell E. Train Africana Collection.

An Odyssey in Print: Adventures in the Smithsonian Libraries

Explore six centuries of rare books, manuscripts, art, and artifacts from the Smithsonian Libraries and learn how Smithsonian staff use these resources in their everyday work.

Smithson's Library

A list of the original library of the Smithsonian's founder, given along with his bequest to the United States.

The Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio

The extraordinary, highly praised, and visually captivating work of amateur scholarship that was created through the efforts of the family and friends of a young woman from Ohio.

Science and the Artist's Book

The Libraries' first online exhibition with works by over two dozen artists who re-interpret scientific ideas, methods, and discoveries through an imaginative use of the book form.

Scientific Identity: Portraits from the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology

Portraits of scientists, engineers, and inventors collected by Bern Dibner to complement he thousands of scientific books and manuscripts in the library he founded.

Chasing Venus: Observing the Transits of Venus 1631-2004

Commemorating the sixth observed transit of Venus in 2004, this exhibition examines this rare phenomenon through astronomical texts written in the last four centuries.