O Say Can You See?

10...9...8...Top 10 posts of 2010

As the countdown to 2011 draws near, I’m pleased to share with you the top 10 most popular original “O Say Can You See?” blog posts in 2010. Drumroll, please…

Image by christmashat.

10. An Idle Record of an Idle Summer

9. A frozen margarita tale for Cinco de Mayo

8. Designing the American Dream with Mrs. Obama in mind

7. You Asked, We Answer: Why can’t I take a picture of the Star-Spangled Banner?

6. 50th anniversary of the Pill

5. 100 years of Boy Scouts in our collections

4. You asked, we answer: What is the oldest known color photo?

3. Will you marry me? 

2. The 1906 San Francisco quake, in color

1. Race to the Museum: Vote for your favorite car

What do you think about this list? Do you have a favorite post that didn’t make the cut? The feedback we’ve received from our readers this year has been both encouraging and helpful in shaping what we cover and how. We hope that in 2011 you will continue to comment on the blog and spread the word to your friends.

Why not get started now? Leave a comment with your suggestions on topics you’d like to see covered on the blog in the future. What artifact, era, historical character, or behind-the-scenes museum topic are you most interested in hearing about?

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

 

Slideshow: 2010 Year in Review

Phew! That’s all I can say about compiling the highlights from another remarkable year at the museum.

We kicked off the year in style, with Southern Living magazine announcing in January that their readers voted us the Best Museum in D.C.! Over the course of 12 months, the museum welcomed more than 4 million visitors. Our exhibitions, educational programs, and special events inspired people from across the country and around the world to visit and see for themselves the treasured objects that help tell the stories of our nation’s past.

[Don't see the slideshow above? View the images on Flickr.]

It was a year of historical anniversaries. Among other events, we commemorated:

• 50th anniversary of the Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-In
• 50th anniversary of COBOL
• 50th anniversary of lasers
• 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America
• 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution
• 145th anniversary of Lincoln’s assassination

The museum collects artifacts of all kinds—from gowns to locomotives—to preserve for the American people an enduring record of their past. In 2010 we collected a range of fascinating objects, including (in no particular order):

• a rare 18th century milk pot symbolic of the Boston Tea Party
• Michelle Obama’s inaugural ball gown
• Sam and Friends puppets including the original Kermit the Frog
• a dress worn by dancer Judith Jamison
• a rare Black Wall Street film depicting African American life in Tulsa
• 75 years of auto safety innovations including the Vince and Larry crash-test dummies
• artifacts from the 50 year history of Lutron Electronics
• a suicide-prevention phone illustrating American ingenuity in technology and in how we care for one another
• a Micro-Z and a TruView camera system from Lifetouch Inc.
• a red fedora and purple-feather boa from the Red Hat Society
• a prototype of a Medical Emergency Crash Cart (“Max”)
• historic food coupons from the USDA
• a racquet from from the Isner-Mahut match at Wimbledon, the longest in the history of tennis
• an important collection of film and sheet music covering everything from early Broadway to TV show themes
• a cane used by President John F. Kennedy during World War II

This year we webcasted more events than ever before. Video from seven events is available online, including:

• a special ceremony honoring the Greensboro Four in recognition of their contribution to civil rights in America
• a series of lectures on Abraham Lincoln
• a discussion with the cast members of Porgy and Bess
• a symposium on the influence of the Mexican Revolution in the United States
• a concert by the Pablo Aslán Quintet in celebration of the 9th annual Jazz Appreciation Month

In addition to these very special events, millions of visitors continued to enjoy daily theatrical programming. These programs, such as Join the Student Sit-ins, bring objects and historical events to life and encourage audience participation and discussion.

Highlights from the 2010 slate of exhibitions include:

• a letter from George Washington
• the first plastics
• childhood toys
• inaugural gowns of 11 modern First Ladies
• a star map from the 1700s
• artifacts illustrating the way Americans used entertainment to distract themselves during 1939

And that’s not all! We hosted several citizenship ceremonies with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, helped a creative young man with his marriage proposal, launched an incredible new online resource featuring all 2,500 pages of William Steinway’s Diary, and invited you to vote for your favorite car in our Race to the Museum poll.

How on earth are we able to accomplish so many amazing things in the span of 365 days? With hardworking staff and critical support from our generous donors. If you’d like to help us prepare for an exciting 2011, you can make a donation before midnight on Friday and benefit from a 2010 tax deduction. Let’s make history together!

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

Race to the Museum: Which cars are in the lead?

Public voting for our Race to the Museum contest opened December 21, 2010 and will run through January 11, 2011.  

Can't wait until January 12 for the results? We'll update the results on this page periodically throughout the voting period. Check back to see which cars are in the lead! The top 2 vote-getters will go on display January 22, 2011. 

 
VOTING HAS ENDED!
See the winners.

Tweet

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

Race to the Museum: Vote for your favorite car

In the National Museum of American History, there is a cabinet full of keys—keys that fit the 73 cars in the museum’s automobile collection. 14 of these cars are on display, but most are in a Smithsonian building miles away from the National Mall, sitting under car covers.  Now the covers are coming off! The public is invited—for the first time ever—to tell the museum which 2 cars should be put on display for a limited time this winter. 

Vote for your favorite of 8 automotive jewels in the Smithsonian car collection, covering 120 years of history. The two cars with the most votes will be exhibited January 22 through February 21, 2011.

 
VOTING HAS ENDED!
See the winners. 

Read the background and behind-the-scenes stories about each car before you select a favorite.

	Long steam tricycle, about 1880 What’s made of bicycle parts, weighs 350 pounds, and is self-propelled? Not your typical 1880s vehicle.
	Balzer automobile, 1894 In 1894, Balzer built a vehicle with a gasoline engine that rotated around a crankshaft. He drove the whirring quadricycle into the history books as the first American-made gasoline automobile in New York City.
	Oldsmobile curved-dash runabout, 1903 Ransom Olds ushered in the 20th century by starting volume production of automobiles, transforming them from expensive toys to affordable transportation for the middle class.
	Miller race car, 1929 Harry Miller’s eight-cylinder, supercharged, front wheel drive race cars hit the tracks in the late 1920s, and the dozen demons were unlike anything the competition could offer.
	Tucker sedan, 1948 Today the 46 remaining Tucker sedans, housed in museums and private collections, preserve the legacy of the man who tried to change America’s driving habits. This Tucker was forfeited in a drug arrest.
	Glasspar sports car, 1953 Curves, fun, and low cost—that was the appeal of a Glasspar sports car. Bill Tritt, a California boat builder, began producing American versions of European sports cars as an extension of his fiberglass boatbuilding business.
	GM Sunraycer solar car, 1987 In 1987, General Motors accepted the challenge of entering a 1,864-mile solar car race across Australia. Sunraycer could achieve speeds up to 70 miles per hour and won the race hands-down.
	EV1 electric car, 1997 The challenge was to create a lightweight, aerodynamic, battery-powered car with extended range, one that could also run modern mechanical systems and comforts.

 

Tweet

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

Race to the Museum: EV1 electric car, 1997

This post is the last in a series of eight profiling automobiles in the museum’s collection. At the conclusion of the series on Tuesday, December 21, the public will be invited to vote for one favorite among the eight cars. The two automobiles with the most votes in the “Race to the Museum” contest will be displayed in the museum from January 22 to February 21, 2011.

One of the most engaging round table discussions I’ve ever attended took place in 2005 when General Motors donated an EV1 plug-in electric car to the National Museum of American History. Key EV1 personnel recalled the ambitious design, manufacture, and leasing program, which lasted from 1996 to 2004. The challenge was to create a lightweight, aerodynamic, battery-powered car with extended range, one that could also run modern mechanical systems and comforts.

The decision to join the EV1 team was voluntary, and everyone was highly motivated. Team members at the Lansing Craft Centre, where 1,117 electric cars were made, formed strong social bonds and met after work for dinners and picnics. In 2005, some of them showered the museum with stories and tokens of their camaraderie, from EV1 caps, mugs, and name badges to bottles of Electrolite beer. Stories about EV1 lessees are no less fascinating. One driver recharged the batteries with a solar collector, while another used a stationary bicycle. Some drivers connected their Palm Pilots to EV1 power data systems. Although the EV1 never reached the market, battery propulsion technology is now available to consumers with this year’s introduction of the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf.

Roger White is Associate Curator in the Division of Work and Industry at the National Museum of American History.