Continuing with our exciting 2023 Food History Weekend programming, join us on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2:00 p.m. for "Conversation Circle: Aquaculture & Urban Agriculture During Climate Crisis." Register: #SmithsonianFood ..read more

On Nov. 4, Andrea Alvarez of La Reina Hatch Chile Company and guest chef Pati Jinich will join us to discuss how Hatch chiles are a prized ingredient in kitchens across the United States. Still time to register! #SmithsonianFood #SmithsonianWomensHistory ..read more

"Last Call: American Beer in a Changing Climate" is this Friday! Beer is vulnerable to the varied effects of a changing climate. Join us for a conversation with some of the women working to make American beer more resilient. Tickets: #SmithsonianFood ..read more

Democracy relies on participation, and what better way to participate than to vote? #DYK today is "Early Vote Day?" In many places, you can vote early – either in person or by mail. Whether it’s your first time or your 20th, make sure you have a plan ..read more

Our exhibition, Mirror, Mirror: Reflections of American Stories in Disney Parks, begins and ends with maps. Why? Maps are wayfinding guides, helping travelers navigate. But they can also give clues to the deeper meaning of a place. The style, form, language, and imagery of a map can tell readers a lot about the time and culture in which it was created. Viewing maps of the same spaces made at different times is a good way to visualize cultural change. The entrance of “Mirror, Mirror” features Disney Park maps from 1958 and 1973, while the exit shows maps from 2022. Mirror, Mirror looks at how ..read more

As in many Latinx homes across the United States, when Walter Mercado (1932–2019) came on-screen, my mother would tell my sisters and me to stop what we were doing and quiet down as she turned up the volume on the television. Everyone knew to pay attention since the man was going to give us our horoscopes and provide positive affirmations to help us get through the day. Puerto Rican icon Mercado had an extensive career that spanned 50 years across radio, film, and television. Yet, for millions of Latinx people, he is most known for spreading positive affirmations as an astrologer and self-pro ..read more

In the almost 130 years since the Smithsonian Institution acquired Abraham Lincoln’s black silk necktie, the museum’s curators gave very little thought to this personal piece of the president’s clothing. It wasn’t until presidential historian Jon Meacham came to the National Museum of American History that the tie grabbed our attention. Abraham Lincoln’s tie, complete with its pre-tied, slightly askew bow (PL.006362) Meacham, who was working on his recently published Lincoln biography, asked to see items in the collection. For his visit, staff from the Division of Political History carefully ..read more

“¡Ataca Yomo! (Attack Yomo!),” shouts singer Héctor Lavoe as the bright notes of what sounds like a guitar solo start flying by our ears in the middle of the iconic salsa hit “La Murga.” But what we’re hearing isn’t a guitar; it’s a cuatro—a stringed instrument from Puerto Rico—and the man behind this intense and virtuosic solo is Yomo Toro. Born on July 26, 1933, in Guánica, Puerto Rico, Víctor Guillermo “Yomo” Toro is one of the most celebrated Puerto Rican cuatro players. Throughout his 60+ year career, he played a variety of genres with countless artists, though he is most widely recogniz ..read more

“¡Ataca Yomo! (Attack Yomo!),” shouts singer Héctor Lavoe as the bright notes of what sounds like a guitar solo start flying by our ears in the middle of the iconic salsa hit “La Murga.” But what we’re hearing isn’t a guitar; it’s a cuatro—a stringed instrument from Puerto Rico—and the man behind this intense and virtuosic solo is Yomo Toro. Born on July 26, 1933, in Guánica, Puerto Rico, Víctor Guillermo “Yomo” Toro is one of the most celebrated Puerto Rican cuatro players. Throughout his 60+ year career, he played a variety of genres with countless artists, though he is most widely recogniz ..read more

Why do people leave their homelands to establish lives in other countries? What factors do people consider in leaving behind their belongings, livelihoods, and even friends and family? Lucía Mondragón made the difficult decision to flee her home country to save herself and her children from harm. After losing her father to the dangers of migration, Lucia Mondragón resolved never to take the same risks. But years later, as a parent herself, she would have to break her vow—making the long journey from El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, to seek asylum in the United States. Mondragón was ..read more