Smithsonian Snapshot CameraSmithsonian Snapshot

A peek into our collections, one object at a time
balloon over crowd
Smithsonian Snapshot

Up, Up and Away

In 1805, the first female aeronaut, Sophie Blanchard, took flight.
Babe Ruth in Red Sox uniform with other players
Smithsonian Snapshot

The Sultan of Swat

Babe Ruth was the ballpark sensation of his sensational era, the Roaring ’20s.
Big Man sculpture (overweight bald man sitting with head on hand)
Smithsonian Snapshot

The Big Man

Why so grumpy, big guy?
Our View From Here installation
Smithsonian Snapshot

Linn Meyers: An Ephemeral Ebb and Flow

Rippling lines and patterns that pulse with energy.
Braille Wallpaper
Smithsonian Snapshot

Wallpaper That Tells a Story

Written in Braille, this wallpaper reveals how it was created.
panel from romance comic
Smithsonian Snapshot

Oh...Brad

Roy Lichtenstein transformed a wide variety of source materials as part of his creative process, including comic-strip panels.
Robert Irwin, “Untitled,” 1969
Smithsonian Snapshot

An Artwork That Poses a Question

Perceiving ourselves perceiving art.
zebra drawing
Smithsonian Snapshot

All About Perspective: Zebras and Their Stripes

Some animated animals offer insights into perspective and color.
lips
Smithsonian Snapshot

A Spoken-Word Brain Massage

An AMSR effect?
NFL lunchbox
Smithsonian Snapshot

Pack a Lunch for Super Bowl 50

A lunchbox that celebrates a Super Bowl.
Martin Luther King Jr. by Leonard Freed, gelatin silver print, 1964
Smithsonian Snapshot

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr. greets supporters in Baltimore.
Albicetus
Smithsonian Snapshot

“Call Me Albicetus”: Fossil Sperm Whale Is Named in Honor of Moby-Dick

A fossil whale gets its name from a classic work of literature.
yellow Tyvek suit and gas mask
Smithsonian Snapshot

Smithsonian “Breaks Bad”

"Say my name."
phone with a lobster
Smithsonian Snapshot

A Fragrant Surrealist Icon by Salvador Dalí

Dali originally used a real lobster, that eventually decayed, for his phone.
crab
Smithsonian Snapshot

Waiter, There’s a Tag on My Crab!

Tracking crabs in the Chesapeake Bay to protect them.
tree outside the Castle
Smithsonian Snapshot

A Puzzling Tree

A tree from the Andean slopes can be found in the Smithsonian's gardens.
fantastical balloon
Smithsonian Snapshot

Fantastic Worlds

An intersection of science and fiction.
Smithsonian Castle under construction, 1850
Smithsonian Snapshot

The Castle Under Construction

An 1850 photo shows the Smithsonian Castle during its construction.
American Needs All of Us poster
Smithsonian Snapshot

Disabilities and the Workforce: Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the ADA

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act.
tree
Smithsonian Snapshot

Yoko Ono’s “Wish Tree” at the Hirshhorn

More than a million wishes from various trees around the world have been collected so far.
yellow bloom
Smithsonian Snapshot

A Peony of a Different Color

Bartzella is one of the first peonies to have an herbaceous growth cycle and have truly yellow flowers.
Shaun White
Smithsonian Snapshot

Shaun White in “Eye Pop”

This photo is part of an exhibition that considers image making and how personalities are constructed.
Peacock room
Smithsonian Snapshot

“Filthy Lucre”

Darren Waterston reimagines James McNeill Whistler’s famed "Peacock Room."
LeRoy Neiman's "Big Band"
Smithsonian Snapshot

LeRoy Neiman’s “Big Band”

This painting features 18 iconic jazz musicians.

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