Smithson to Smithsonian: The Legacy of James Smithson
Over the course of 175 years, the Smithsonian has grown to encompass 21 museums and nearly a dozen research centers—becoming a global organization working across history, culture, and science. How a stranger’s legacy became the world's largest museum and research complex is a story full of surprising twists and turns of fate. What do we know about the Smithsonian's mysterious founder, a man who left his fortune to the United States, a country he never visited?
To celebrate the launch of our 175th-anniversary online exhibition, Smithson to Smithsonian, we explore the life and legacy of founder James Smithson with a panel of experts.
Featuring:
Heather Ewing, Author of The Lost World of James Smithson: Science, Revolution, and the Birth of the Smithsonian and Associate Dean, New York Studio School
Leslie Overstreet, Curator of Natural-History Rare Books, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives
Steven Turner, Author of The Science of James Smithson and Curator Emeritus, National Museum of American History