O Say Can You See?

A picture within a picture

Editor's Note: The portrait of Stephen Colbert returned to view at the National Museum of American History on December 16, 2010. The following blog post was published in 2008; the portrait has been off view since 2009.

Yesterday, to the delight of many visitors, a portrait of Stephen Colbert went on display amongst other entertainment artifacts on the third floor of the museum. “In describing his on-screen persona of a blustery, conservative news commentator,” the new information label reads, Colbert said, “My character is self-important, poorly informed, well-intentioned but an idiot.”

This afternoon I snapped a quick photo of the image on canvas, designed to resemble a formal oil portrait, and overheard a keen-eyed visitor say, “He’s wearing different ties.” I took a closer look and it was true—each of the three Colberts pictured is wearing a differently colored tie. The closest Colbert to the viewer is wearing a blue tie. That Colbert’s reflection in a mirror is wearing a red tie—and the second Colbert’s reflected image (the third Colbert!) is wearing a striped tie.

Why are there three Stephens wearing three different ties? Die-hard fans of the show already know but I needed to do a little digging to find the answer. It turns out that Colbert commissions a new portrait of himself to be “painted” as a way to celebrate each anniversary of the show. As he explained in the October 2006 unveiling of the portrait now in the museum’s collections: “If all goes according to plan, we’ll be adding a new me every year. That way, generations hence, the length of the show’s run will be easy to calculate for scientists in the field of Cobert-ology.”

When I came back to my office to upload the photo, I did another double-take. If you look closely at the image from my camera phone you’ll notice a continuation of the “picture within a picture” theme. I captured within my frame—completely serendipitously, I might add—two other onlookers taking photos of the portrait themselves, each using their own camera phones. So what you’re seeing is a photo by me of two visitors taking photos of a portrait within a portrait within a portrait.

“So what?” you might ask. Well, this experience reminds me of some things I’ve learned about observing objects of history: (1) Don’t forget to look closely at the artifacts, and (2) keep your ears open—you never know what you (or that visitor next to you) might discover! With this advice in mind, I invite you to come and check out the portrait now on view at the museum along with many other fascinating national treasures. Let us know what unexpected things you see or hear during your visit!

Dana Allen-Greil is the new media project manager at the National Museum of American History.

A historic transaction

A national museum opens to great fanfare after being closed for 2 years. People clamor to get in, to see the Star-Spangled Banner in its new state-of-the-art chamber, to marvel at the newly renovated public spaces . . . and to shop?

Who makes a bee-line to a store when there is so much history to see? Believe it or not, there were some regular visitors in the store at 10:01 a.m. But the very first customer was Jim Gardner, our Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs. That makes sense, as he is more than a little familiar with the exhibits, but the store was all new to him. Turns out Jim is writing an article about memorials and the book Letters on the Wall was just what he needed for his research.

That’s what I love about our stores. There are souvenirs, toys, T shirts and jewelry, but also a wonderfully rich and diverse selection of books, reproductions of historical documents, maps, and memorabilia. Whether you are a history buff, a teacher or just a shopper looking for the perfect gift, our stores are bound have something you just can’t resist. (Plus, all income from sales supports the educational activities of the Smithsonian Institution.)

Kathy Sklar is the business program manager at the National Museum of American History.

A living museum

It is such a joy to come to work in a living, breathing museum again. The building is buzzing with life—from young children helping a costumed Mary Pickersgill assemble a flag the actual size of the Star-Spangled Banner to families clamoring around an interactive kiosk in the Gettysburg Address exhibition to hear actor Liam Neeson’s reading of the famous speech.  After an amazing three-day reopening festival, we’ve been able to put together a short montage of scenes from inside the museum. In the video below you’ll get a look at some of the festivities—from ribbon-cutting to banjo-strumming—and see a glimpse of the new exhibitions and spaces that await your next visit.

Dana Allen-Greil is the new media project manager at that National Museum of American History.

By the numbers

I am a new employee at the National Museum of American History. In fact, at the time of this writing, I have been working here for 9 weeks, 3 days, and 16 hours. Each morning I ride the elevator up 5 floors, walk past 36 doors, and work for approximately 8 hours. The numbers alone may not say it, but I work at a great place! Every day for the last 9 weeks, 3 days, and 14 hours, I have come to work and learned something new about the museum, the collections, and American history. At home “did you know?” has become a catch phrase for me.

For example, did you know that in 1914, during the first major conservation effort for the Star-Spangled Banner, 11 needlewomen attached a linen backing to the giant flag with approximately 1.7 million hand sewn stitches? And did you know that in 2001, during the second major conservation effort, conservators painstakingly removed those 1.7 million stitches in order to detach that same linen backing? Now, I’m not a numbers person—I studied history because I love stories—but sometimes numbers tell an incredible story: 1.7 million stitches, twice!

For the reopening of the museum we have gathered a few facts and numbers. If you take a few minutes to look over these numbers, I think you will find they tell a story about hard work, long hours, and dedication to the museum—and to creating a memorable experience for all of our visitors.

• 2 feet: approximate size of the stars on the Star-Spangled Banner 
• 6 digital screens with visitor information in the new Welcome Center
• 10 degrees from horizontal: orientation of the Star-Spangled Banner in its new gallery
• 13 stars surrounding dark green inset marble in central atrium
• 23 vehicles on display in the America on the Move exhibition
• 30 by 34 feet: size of the Star-Spangled Banner
• 34 treads in the new Grand Staircase 
• 40 feet of original 1932 pavement from Route 66 in America on the Move
• 45 pounds: weight of the Star-Spangled Banner 
• 50 by 52 feet: dimensions of the Star-Spangled Banner chamber
• 70 degrees +/- 2 degrees; 50% relative humidity +/- 2%; temperature and humidity in the Star-Spangled Banner chamber
• 80 by 70 feet: dimensions of the Star-Spangled Banner gallery
• 275 linear feet of Artifact Walls
• 530 pieces of marble installed in east-west hallways, reusing the museum’s original marble 
• 900 objects in Julia Child’s kitchen
• 960 pixels of mirrored polycarbonate make up the Abstract Flag
• 4,784 objects on display in the museum
• Approximately 10,000 lbs: weight of the table that the Star-Spangled Banner rests on
• 300,000 square feet of exhibition, programming, and public space in the museum
• 3,000,000 objects in the museum’s collection
• 3,000,000 annual visitors

Elizabeth Johnson is a special assistant for public programs at the National Museum of American History.

The unexpected impact of opening weekend

I used my staff pass to line jump the queue for the Star-Spangled Banner gallery, expecting to grab a quick look and duck out so I could get back to all the work I have to do this weekend as part of the opening. When I rounded the corner to the flag chamber, I was so startled that I stopped in my tracks. I made my way to the bench at the rear of the gallery and sank down, sitting for minutes longer than I had planned. The display is breathtaking, almost magical, and utterly captivating. The artist’s renderings of what the flag would look like in its new home failed to prepare me for the wonder of seeing it laid out on a giant table tilted gently towards the viewer, subtly illuminated so that the fabric seems to glow. It is a truly wonderful experience, and I can’t urge enough that anyone who can come to see this marvel do so as soon as possible. 

I don’t want to get too sentimental here, but this whole weekend has been full of such moments. Having the museum open again is like coming home. Everything just feels more right with children and families thronging the halls as American history returns to the National Mall. I truly believe that this museum is one of the most treasured in our country, and it is curiously gratifying to see the pleasure on the faces of our visitors as they experience the treasures that have been shut away for two years during our renovation. The new atrium is a stunning centerpiece to a revitalized museum, and the risen energy level of the building itself has seemed to infect every visitor over the past days. I knew people would be happy to see the museum, but I guess I didn’t truly understand the level of excitement that would be on display this weekend. I walk through the halls taking photos and talking to visitors and there’s constantly a small smile on my face. This place just feels better when it’s full of people.

Our reopening has been, in my view, an unmitigated success. I say this not in the interests of propaganda, but rather as a heartfelt commendation of my coworkers, the long-term employees of the museum who have devoted years to this project. I’m just an intern, and this weekend is the end of my time here, but I have come to feel a part of this large undertaking and I admire and respect so much the men and women who have poured their hearts into creating the fantastic display that will welcome the public from now on. It is a more fitting home for the history of our nation, and I believe it will continue to inspire and fulfill a love of history in everyone who walks through its doors.

Harry Kashdan is an intern in the New Media department at the National Museum of American History. He will miss working at the museum!