| Code | CX5975 |
| Dates | 1846-present |
| Person Name | Smithsonian Institution; 1846-present |
| Activity | The Smithsonian Institution was established with funds from James Smithson (1765-1829), a British scientist who left his estate to the United States to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge. Smithson died in 1829, and six years later, President Andrew Jackson announced the bequest to Congress. On July 1, 1836, Congress accepted the legacy bequeathed to the nation and pledged the faith of the United States to the charitable trust. In September 1838, Smithson’s legacy, which amounted to more than 100,000 gold sovereigns, was delivered to the mint at Philadelphia. Recoined in U.S. currency, the gift amounted to more than $500,000.
After eight years of sometimes heated debate, an Act of Congress signed by President James K. Polk on Aug. 10, 1846, established the Smithsonian Institution as a trust to be administered by a Board of Regents and a Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
The Smithsonian’s natural history collections have their origins in the 1838–1842 United States Exploring Expedition, which circumnavigated the globe amassing cultural and natural history collections. Concern over how to care for the collections led to the provision for a museum as part of the Smithsonian Institution’s enabling act of 1846. In 1858, the US Congress began to provide appropriations for the United States National Museum and all the government’s collections were transferred to the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian also received specimens by gift or purchase in the late 1840s. In 1850, the newly appointed Assistant Secretary Spencer F. Baird donated his personal natural history collection to the Institution. During the 1850s and 1860s, several expeditions which explored the American West, sent additional specimens to the Institution. The collections were initially housed in the Institution’s first building, the Smithsonian Institution Building, or Castle, which was completed in 1855.
The National Collections were moved to the newly constructed National Museum Building, now the Arts and Industries Building, in 1881. But within two years, the new building was overflowing with collections and Smithsonian management requested another building from the US Congress. Legislation for the new building finally passed in 1902, providing for a granite structure across the National Mall from the Smithsonian Castle.
On March 17, 1910, the new US National Museum, now the National Museum of Natural History, opened to the public, although construction of the building was not completed until June 20, 1911. Initially, the National Museum housed art, culture, history, geology, and natural history collections, totaling over ten million objects. Taxidermists produced striking new exhibits, featuring specimens collected on the Smithsonian-Roosevelt African Expedition of 1909–1910, and art exhibits that drew large audiences. Not surprisingly, the new building soon ran out of storage space. During the 1930s, new wings were authorized to be built to accommodate the ever growing collections, but as the Great Depression worsened, funding was never received. In the 1950s and 1960s, an Exhibits Modernization Program systematically updated the exhibits in the museum, and the National Museum acquired such iconic objects as the Fénykövi elephant and the Hope diamond.
.In 1957, the US National Museum created two administrative subdivisions: the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of History and Technology, now the National Museum of American History. The US National Museum was eliminated as an administrative entity in 1967, and the Museum of Natural History became a separate administrative unit. By 1969, the art and history collections had moved to new museums, and the building was renamed the National Museum of Natural History. Research, collections, and exhibits now focused on anthropology, botany, geology, paleontology, and zoology. During the 1960's, new wings were finally added to the east and west sides of the building to accommodate expanding collections and staff. In 1960, the architectural firm Mills, Petticord, and Mills was selected to design the east wing and the following year a west wing. By 1965, construction of both additions was completed. The wings are designed with six floors in addition to the basement and ground floor, with the second, fourth and sixth floors directly connected to the main building.
.By the late 1970s, collections were again overflowing and a Museum Support Center was planned in Suitland, Maryland. When it opened in 1983, it housed collections, specialized laboratories, and conservation facilities. New outreach programs were developed during the 1970s, including the Insect Zoo, Discovery Room, and Naturalists’ Center. The groundbreaking Dynamics of Evolution exhibit established that evolution could be presented in American museums. In the 1990s and 2000s, another series of exhibit renovations produced the new Fossils Hall, Behring Mammals Hall, Sant Ocean Hall, and Koch Hall of Human Origins.
The National Museum of Natural History has a long tradition of field work and collecting across the globe. During the heyday of oceanographic exploration in the 1960s, the then Museum of Natural History established the Smithsonian Oceanographic Sorting Center to classify and distribute marine specimens to museums worldwide. In the 1970s, scientists began to expand field research programs to more permanent stations, with the Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce created in 1971, and the Carrie Bow Cay field station in Belize established in 1972. |
| Corporate Name | Smithsonian Institution |
| RefNo | Title |
| DF/ZOO/230/122/324 | USA (Washington DC - Smithsonian Institution): US National Museum |
| DF/MIN/1/68/63 | Henderson, E P |
| WP/16/2/13 | Letter to William Greenell Wallace from British Museum Department of Ethnography, London |
| DF/BOT/400/16/31 | Correspondence U |
| DF/ENT/340/15/10 | Muesebeck, Dr Carl Frederick William |
| DF/TM/1/39/15 | Correspondence T: Trimen; True; Trubner; Tschapek; Tsczusi zu Schmidhoffen |
| DF/ZOO/253/4/2/10 | Crabill, Ralph, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC |
| DF/ZOO/200/138/12 | Smithsonian Oceonographical Centre |
| DF/DIR/933/10/3 | Smithsonian Institution |
| DF/PAL/100/145/26 | Kier, Porter M |
| DF/PAL/100/80/38 | Bassler, R S (Smithsonian, Washington) |
| DF/ZOO/200/62/75 | Smithsonian Institution (Washington, USA) |
| DF/ZOO/230/122/321 | USA (Washington DC - Smithsonian Institution): (US National Museum) |
| DF/PAL/100/164/17 | Mifsud, C V |
| DF/ZOO/200/30/172 | Goode, George Brown |
| DF/ZOO/230/122/322 | USA (Washington DC - Smithsonian Institution): US National Museum |
| DF/ZOO/200/143/30 | Smithsonian Institution, centre-punched cards |
| DF/PAL/100/80/39 | Bassler, R S (Smithsonian, Washington) |
| DF/ZOO/236/1/309 | External Correspondence: Wetmore, Dr A., Smithsonian Institute |
| DF/ZOO/230/122/320 | USA (Washington DC - Smithsonian Institution): (US National Museum) |
| DF/ZOO/230/4/295-296 | Richmond, [Charles] W |
| DF/ZOO/200/17/8-10 | Baird, Spencer Fullerton |
| DF/ZOO/230/122/318 | USA (Washington DC - Smithsonian Institution): US National Museum |
| DF/ZOO/230/122/316 | USA (Washington DC - Smithsonian Institution): International Council for Bird Preservation |
| DF/MIN/1/49/19 | Smithsonian Museum |
| DF/DIR/933/10/3/1 | Smithsonian Institution |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/1/313 | Goode, G Brown |
| DF/TM/3/11/96/12 | McCain, Lucile |
| DF/ZOO/200/47/421 | Smithsonian [Institution] |
| DF/ZOO/200/3/168-171 | Gill, William Wyatt |
| DF/PAL/100/183/8 | Rehder, Harald A |
| DF/PAL/100/181/27 | Ravenel, W de C |
| DF/PAL/100/102/1 | Cooper G Arthur |
| DF/MIN/1/86/7 | US Department of Interior |
| DF/MIN/1/129 | USA: Smithsonian Institution, meteorites correspondence |
| DF/BOT/400/15/25 | Correspondence U |
| DF/BOT/400/17/19 | Correspondence R |
| DF/PAL/100/41/188 | Langley, Samuel Pierpoint |
| DF/ZOO/236/4/6 | External Correspondence: Rand, A Stanley |
| DF/ZOO/236/4/13 | External Correspondence: Beehler, Dr Bruce |
| DF/ZOO/200/143/31 | Smithsonian Institution, Exchange of Types |
| DF/ZOO/200/4/44-53 | Henry, Joseph |
| DF/ZOO/230/122/317 | USA (Washington DC - Smithsonian Institution): US National Museum |
| DF/TM/1/20/11 | Correspondence G: Godman; Goode; Gorham |
| DF/TR/1/1/34/484 | Smithsonion Institution |
| DF/ZOO/252/12 | Calman, William Thomas: Correspondence and Papers |
| DF/ZOO/200/30/9 | Baird, Spencer Fullerton |
| DF/ZOO/253/4/5/1 | Jensen - Jarms |
| DF/ZOO/200/36/166 | Goode, [George] Brown |
| DF/ZOO/200/52/129 | Wesley and Son, [William] |
| DF/ZOO/200/143/29 | Smithsonian Institution (Temporary File) |
| DF/ZOO/236/1/385 | Subject File: Miller’s Rail - Rallus nigra |
| DF/ZOO/232/6/15/8/10 | Kellogg, Remington |
| DF/ZOO/230/122/323 | USA (Washington DC - Smithsonian Institution): US National Museum |
| DF/ZOO/230/122/319 | USA (Washington DC - Smithsonian Institution): US National Museum |
| DF/ZOO/200/24/84a | Earll, [Robert] Edward |
| DF/PAL/100/26/29 | Lucas, F.A. |
| DF/PAL/131/1/90 | Kornicker, Louis S |
| DF/PAL/131/1/19 | Benson, Richard H |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/9/117 | Hay, O. P. |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/2/77 | Gears, R |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/2/171 | Rathbun, R |
| DF/ZOO/232/6/15/1/8 | American Museum of Natural History |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/4/133 | Langley, S. P. |
| DF/ZOO/232/6/13/17/9 | Wetmore, A |
| DF/ZOO/236/4/484 | African Atlas Correspondence: Watson, Dr George E, Smithsonian Institution, USA |
| DF/ZOO/236/4/53 | External Correspondence: Storrs L. Olson, Storrs L |
| DF/ZOO/236/4/331 | External Correspondence (Cotingidae): Farrand Jr., Dr John |
| DF/ZOO/236/4/205 | External Correspondence: Beehler, Bruce |
| DF/ZOO/236/4/408 | African Atlas Correspondence: Bond, Gorman M, U S National Museum, Smithsonian Institution |
| DF/ZOO/236/3/61 | External Correspondence: Angle, J.Phillip & Dr Storrs Olson |
| DF/ZOO/236/3/76 | External Correspondence: Dean, James |
| WP/7/76 | 'The Method of Organic Evolution' |
| DF/PAL/123/3/1/4 | Jefferies, Richard Peter Spencer: Correspondence with Porter M Kier, Department of Palaeobiology, Smithsonian |
| DF/PAL/100/24/24 | Lucas, F A |
| DF/ZOO/213/104 | British Museum (Natural History), Australian Museum, Smithsonian Expedition Joint Expedition to Papua New Guinea: report of G Palmer, with copies of correspondence |
| DF/PAL/100/185/22 | Roberts, Henry B |
| DF/PAL/100/181/32 | Ray, Clayton E |
| DF/PAL/100/27/63 | Smithsonian Institution |
| DF/PAL/100/98/1 | Clark, Austin Hobart |
| DF/PAL/100/84/1 | Boardman, R S (Smithsonian, Washington) |
| DF/PAL/100/125/7 | Graf, J E |
| DF/PAL/100/137/13 | Hrdlicka, A |
| DF/PAL/100/144/26 | Kellogg, Remington |
| DF/PAL/100/168/24 | Myers, George S |
| DF/PAL/100/172/5 | Oehser, Paul H |
| DF/ADM/1004/678 | Smithsonian Institution: correspondence on transit of ammunition to India |
| DF/ZOO/200/13/27 | Baird, Spencer Fullerton |
| DF/ZOO/200/15/218 | Henry, Joseph |
| DF/ZOO/200/15/21-22 | Baird, Spencer Fullerton |
| DF/ZOO/200/19/8-9 | Baird, Spencer Fullerton |
| DF/ZOO/200/22/9 | Baird, Spencer Fullerton |
| DF/ZOO/200/22/364-365 | Yarrow, Henry Crécy |
| DF/ZOO/200/24/9-10a | Baird, Spencer Fullerton |
| DF/ZOO/200/25/134-136 | Goode, George Brown |
| DF/ZOO/200/25/390 | True, Frederick William |
| DF/ZOO/200/27/134-135 | Goode, George Brown |
| DF/ZOO/200/27/2a-3 | Baird, Spencer Fullerton |
| DF/ZOO/200/28/9 | Baird, Spencer Fullerton |
| DF/ZOO/200/29/15-16 | Baird, Spencer Fullerton |
| DF/ZOO/200/31/5 | Baird, Spencer Fullerton |
| DF/ZOO/200/38/131-132 | Goode, [George] Brown |
| DF/ZOO/200/40/145 | Goode, [George] Brown |
| DF/ZOO/200/38/420 | True, Frederick William |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/4/1/75 | Rathbun, Richard |
| DF/ZOO/200/47/46-47 | Goode, [George] Brown |
| DF/ZOO/200/52/492 | Rathbun, [Richard] |
| DF/ZOO/200/52/310-313 | Rathbun, [Richard] |
| DF/MIN/1/84/5 | Smithsonian Institution |
| DF/ZOO/236/4/305 | External Correspondence: Eyde, Dr Richard H. |
| DF/ZOO/230/122/315 | USA (Washington DC): US Department of the Interior - Fish & Wildlife Service |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/5/200 | Rathbun, Richard |
| DF/ZOO/236/4/191 | External Correspondence: Greenberg, Russell |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/1/481 | Lucas, F A |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/6/115 | Johnson, H. E. |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/4/17 | Bean, B. A. |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/8/191 | Rathbun, Richard. |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/6/184 | Rathbun, Richard. |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/9/210 | Rathbun, R |
| DF/ZOO/236/1/229 | External Correspondence: Olson, Dr Storrs L., Smithsonian Inst., Washington |
| DF/ZOO/236/4/466 | African Atlas Correspondence: Ripley, Dr S Dillon, U S National Museum, Smithsonian Institution |
| DF/BOT/400/12/62 | United States National Museum |
| DF/ENT/331/8/20 | Peter F Mattingly: Southeast Asia Mosquito Project (SEAMP) |
| DF/ZOO/236/4/297 | Correspondence and Subject file: Fruits |
| DF/BOT/400/6/52 | United States National Museum |
| DF/ZOO/230/4/285 | Rathbun, Richard |
| DF/TR/1/1/25/382 | Richmond, [Charles] [Wallace] |
| DF/TR/1/1/31/559 | Smithsonian Institution |
| DF/ZOO/253/4/2/5 | Cairns, Douglas, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC |
| DF/ZOO/230/139 | Bird Section Correspondence: O |
| DF/TR/1/1/31/613 | United States National Museum |
| DF/ZOO/232/6/7/7/10 | Miller, G.S. |
| DF/ZOO/232/6/12/34/5 | Wetmore, A |
| DF/ZOO/232/6/12/20/1 | Miller, G.S |
| DF/ENT/331/8/21 | Mattingly, Peter F: Southeast Asia Mosquitoe Project (SEAMP) |
| DF/PAL/100/147/24 | Knight, J Brookes |
| DF/BOT/400/13/100 | United States National Museum |
| DF/TM/1/23/7 | Correspondence S: Smithsonian Institution; Société Entomologique de France; Sömmering; Sondermann |
| DF/BOT/400/14/33 | Correspondence U |
| DF/MIN/1/130 | USA: Smithsonian Institution, minerals correspondence |
| DF/ZOO/200/16/448 | Smithsonian Institution |
| DF/ZOO/200/29/156 | Goode, George Brown |
| DF/BOT/400/17/15 | Correspondence M |
| DF/TM/3/11/92/7 | McCain, Lucile |
| DF/ZOO/236/4/201 | External Correspondence: Smith, Lyman B |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/1/696 | Shufeldt, R W |
| DF/DIR/933 | Director's Subject Files |
| WP/6/6/9 | Papers re Studies Scientific and Social |
| DF/ZOO/232/6/15/1/9 | American National Museum |
| DF/ZOO/235/1/1/1/799 | Walcott, C |
| WP/6/6/8 | Papers re Studies Scientific and Social |
| WP/16/2/47 | Letter, draft or copy in William Greenell Wallace's hand to T K Penniman, Curator, Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, from William Greenell Wallace, Bournemouth, |
| DF/PAL/100/56/243 | Smithsonian Institution |
| DF/PAL/100/56/244 | Smithsonian Institution |
| DF/ZOO/200/22/352-353 | Wesley, William |
| DF/ZOO/200/23/11-15 | Baird, Spencer Fullerton |
| DF/ZOO/200/26/127-128a | Goode, George Brown |
| DF/ZOO/200/27/486-487 | True, Frederick William |
| DF/ZOO/200/31/173-173a | Goode, George Brown |
| DF/ZOO/200/31/407-408 | True, Frederick William |
| DF/ZOO/200/35/185-186 | Goode, [George] Brown |
| DF/ZOO/200/49/158 | Ashmead, William H |
| DF/ZOO/200/51/255-256 | Ashmead, William H |
| DF/ZOO/200/52/162 | Barber, [Herbert Spencer] |
| DF/ZOO/200/52/56-59 | Rathbun, [Richard] |
| DF/ZOO/230/122/325 | USA (Washington DC - Smithsonian Institution): US National Museum |
| DF/ZOO/264/1/101 | Echinodermata correspondence: Smithsonian Institution (USA) |
| DF/ENT/340/20/28 | Smith - Snow |
| DF/TM/1/5/9 | Correspondence S: Smith; Smithsonian; Smoljaninoff; Spatz |
| DF/TM/1/156/2 | Oversize correspondence: Merrill; Miller; Mönch |
| DF/ZOO/264 | Echinodermata and Protochordata Section Correspondence and Papers |
| DF/TR/1/1/24/104 | Cullingford, [Joseph] S |
| DF/ZOO/253/4/5/15 | Larson, R; Larson, K |
| DF/TR/1/1/31/487 | Richmond, [Charles] [Wallace] |
| DF/ZOO/200/59/24 | Smithsonian Institution (Washington, USA) |
| DF/ZOO/253/4/3/14 | Haddad - Hutchings |
| DF/ZOO/253/4/5/19 | Malin - Müller |
| DF/ZOO/253/4/2/4 | Cannon - Costa Belém |
| DF/ENT/331/8/18 | Mattingly, Peter F: Southeast Asia Mosquito Project (SEAMP) |
| DF/ENT/331/8/19 | Mattingly, Peter F: Southeast Asia Mosquito Project (SEAMP) |
| DF/ENT/332/3/6/3 | Fletcher, T Bainbrigge |
| DF/PAL/128/6/4 | Correspondence of Francis Arthur Bather |
| DF/ZOO/202/1 | 'Miscellaneous documents': letters, lists, memoranda and reports relating to the work of the department, gathered by Dr A Günther |