List of past exhibitions

History of exhibitions at Smithsonian Libraries

The Libraries has been creating exhibitions since the late 1980's. The list below includes exhibitions held from 1989-2006 that have appeared in our main exhibition gallery located in the National Museum of American History, and other sites around Washington, DC and New York, NY.

Smithsonian Institution Libraries Exhibition Gallery

Freedom of Information Recent works on paper by James Wechsler
December 15, 2006 through March 16, 2007
Smithsonian American Art Museum/National Portrait Gallery Library
More information (pdf)

Your Smithsonian Libraries
May 26, 2006-September 4, 2006
Curated by Elizabeth Periale, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Online Version Available

Chasing Venus
Observing the Transits of Venus, 1631-2004
A Smithsonian Institution Libraries exhibition
March 2004-April 2005
Curated by Ronald Brashear, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Online Version Available

An Odyssey in Print: Adventures in the Smithsonian Libraries
May 16, 2002- January 2004
Curated by Mary Augusta Thomas, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Online Version Available

Underwater Web: Cabling the Seas
March 22, 2001 - March 23, 2002
Guest Curator: Bernard S. Finn, National Museum of American History
Online Version Available

"Make the Dirt Fly!" Building the Panama Canal
November 1999 - January 5, 2001
Guest Curators, William Worthington and Jeffrey K. Stine
(National Museum of American History)
Online Version Available

Frontier Photographer: Edward S. Curtis
September 23, 1998 - September 27, 1999
Curated by William E. Baxter, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Online Version Available

Audubon & the Smithsonian
May 1997 - July 1998
Guest Curator, Helena Wright (National Museum of American History)
Online Brochure Available

From Smithson to Smithsonian: The Birth of an Institution
June 1996 - January 1997
Guest Curators, Pamela M. Henson, with Cynthia R. Field, Marc Rothenberg, Richard E. Stamm, and Lynn M. Wojcik (Smithsonian Institution Archives and Architectural History and Historic Preservation)
Online Version Available

Science and the Artist's Book
May 1995 - May 1996
Guest Curator, Carol Barton (Book Artist) with Diane Shaw (Smithsonian Institution Libraries)
Online Version Available

Balloons: The Birth of Flight, 1783-1793
September 1994 - April 1995
Guest Curators, Tom Crouch and Alex Spencer (National Air and Space Museum)

Tunnels!
September 1993 - March 1994
Curators, Ellen B. Wells (Libraries) with Guest Curators Jeffrey Stine and Paul Forman (National Museum of American History)

Science in the Age of Columbus
October 1992 - March 1993
Curator, Ellen B. Wells, Smithsonian Institution Libraries

World's Fairs
February - September 1992
Guest Curator, Robert W. Rydell (Montana State University)

Nusantara: Lands and Peoples of Indonesia
April - December 1991
Guest Curator, Paul M. Taylor (National Museum of Natural History, Anthropology Department)

Turning Over Old Leaves: A Sampler of Written Records in the Smithsonian Institution Libraries
November 1990 - March 1991
Curator, Ellen B. Wells, Smithsonian Institution Libraries

Smithsonian Institution Libraries Hall

Savoring the Past: A Culinary Journey with Smithsonian Institution Libraries: Selections from the Culinary Historians of Washington Donation
August 2006 - ongoing
Curated by Ninette Axelson-Dean, Barbara Insidioso, Suzanne C. Pilsk
Exhibition design and support: Elizabeth Periale, Eliza Gilligan, and Mario Rups
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian Libraries on Display: From Horses to Horsepower: Studebaker Helped Move a Nation
February 24, 2005 - August 2005
Curated by Kent Boese
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History
This exhibition is available to the public exclusively online, click here to visit the exhibition.

Celebrity Caricature
May 8, 2003 - October 2003
Curated by Cecilia H. Chin
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History
This exhibiton is available to the public exclusively online, click here to visit the exhibition

Nile Notes of a Howadji: American Travellers in Egypt, 1837-1903
March - September 1997
Curated by Martin R. Kalfatovic, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

From Easel to Book: Picturing Natural History
(Coordinated with SI 150th observances and anniversary of Guild of Natural Science Illustrators)
July 1, 1996 - January 1997
Curated by Martha Rosen (Smithsonian Institution Libraries), with assistance from Pamela Henson, OSIA, Elaine Hodges, NMNH, Mayda Riopedre (Smithsonian Institution Libraries), and Marilyn Schott, NMNH
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

Conquistadores del Cielo (Conquerors of the Sky): Latin American Aeronautical Materials in the NASM Branch
Dec. 15, 1995 - June 1, 1996
Curated by Maria Sanjur, (Smithsonian Institution Libraries) with assistance
from Dan Hagedorn, NASM
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

Books in the Mode: Nineteenth-century Publishers' Bookbindings
July 27 - Dec. 10, 1995
Curated by Claire Dekle, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

Into the Blue: Ballooning Materials in the NASM Branch Library
October 1994-July 11, 1995
(Coordinated with SIL exhibition Balloons: The Birth of Flight, 1783-1793 in SIL Exhibition Gallery)
Curated by Paul McCutcheon, Dave Spencer, and interns, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

Moon Festival. SIL Celebrates Asian-Pacific-American Heritage
(Coordinated with SI observance of Asia-Pacific-American Month in September)
May-October 1994
Curated by Sally Chuah, Resident Professional, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

SIL Ripley Library Endowment
(Coordinated with establishment of S. Dillon Ripley Library Endowment, 25th anniversary of SIL founding by Ripley, and Ripley's 80th birthday)
October 1993-January 1994
Curated by Leslie Overstreet, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

From Mud to MARC: Charles Coffin Jewett, the Smithsonian, and the National Library: "To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the SIL, as established by Secretary Ripley, the SIL looks back to the Institution's first librarian."
April -September 1994
Curated by Bridget Burke, Tom Baker, and Leslie Overstreet, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

Cristobal, Christoforo, Christopher, Images from NMAH Branch
(Coordinated with Quincentenniel Anniversary)
August 1992 - January 1993
Curated by Margaret D'Ambrosio and Jim Roan, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

Facsimiles of Mexican Manuscripts in the Anthropology [Branch] Library
(Coordinated with Quincentenniel Anniversary)
May - July 1992
Curated by Mary Kay Davies and Mayda Riopedre, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

Recent Gifts to the Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Gifts and Exchange
November 1991-April 1992
Curated by Ned Kraft, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

A Growing Collection: Horticulture Branch
April - September 1991
Curated by Susan Gurney and Marca Woodhams, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

Magical Pages: Toy and Movable Books from the Cooper-Hewitt Branch Library
September 1990 - January 1991
(Coordinated with Collegium Lecture (World of the Child)
by Carol Barton on "Playful Readings: A History of Children's Movable Books" 9/13/90)
Curated by Jaqueline Coleburn and Nancy Seeger, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

Library Preservation: Problems and Solutions
December 1989-June, 1990
Curated by Vanessa Piala, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Library Hall, National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian Institution Libraries Exhibitions in New York City

Voyages: A Smithsonian Libraries Exhibition
May 16, 2001 - August 4, 2001
The Grolier Club, New York City
Curator: Mary Augusta Thomas, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Online Version Available

National Museum of Natural History, Constitution Ave. Lobby

Wonder Bound: Rare Books on Early Museums
May 24, 2002 through October 31, 2002
Curator: Leslie K. Overstreet, Curator of Natural History Rare Books, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
Online Version Available