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New: World View: Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest
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July 1, 2009 - April 11, 2010
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From over 17,000 entries submitted from the United States and around the world to the Smithsonian magazine for its 6th Annual Photo Contest, 50 finalists were selected. The images selected represent the following five categories: The Natural World, People, Americana, Altered Images, and Travel.
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Exhibit Panels: The West Wing: A Chronology
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- Permanent
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This 2-panel exhibit reveals the history of the west wing of the Castle -- from its first use as the Institution's library to its use as The Commons dining room (through June 20, 2004) -- through images and text. The text is adapted from The Castle, An Illustrated History of the Smithsonian Institution Building by Cynthia R. Field, Richard E. Stamm, and Heather P. Ewing.
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Featured Areas: Children's Room, The Commons, Schermer Hall
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- Permanent
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• Children's Room: (First Floor, South Entrance, Independence Avenue)
The Children's Room -- with the theme "Knowledge Begins in Wonder" -- was installed in the south tower of the Castle in 1901 and featured natural history exhibitions for children. The original decorative scheme by designer Grace Lincoln Temple was restored in the mid-1980s.
• The Commons: (First Floor, West Wing)
The Commons, in the 19th-century Gothic Revival architectural style, features a soaring, groin-vaulted ceiling, elaborate corbels, a ribbed-vaulted apse, and a rose window on the south wall. Encircling the room are 28 walnut exhibit cases built in 1871 and refurbished in July 2004 with selected objects representing the Smithsonian's collections (for details, see permanent exhibition The Smithsonian Institution: America's Treasure Chest). The room served as a dining facility for many years, closing in June 2004.
• Schermer Hall: (First Floor, West Wing)
Schermer Hall, named for Smithsonian donors Lloyd G. and Betty A. Schermer, is in the Romanesque Revival style with clerestory windows, rounded arches, and a barrel-vaulted ceiling. Furnishings from the Castle Collection include a pair of Rococo Revival gilded mirrors that belonged to Simon Cameron, Secretary of War (1860-1862) under President Lincoln; a pair of Renaissance Revival armchairs (c. 1860) that belonged to Edwin M. Stanton, Secretary of War (1862-1867) under Presidents Lincoln and Grant; and Georgian Revival tables (c. 1910) in mahogany and verdi marble with classically carved motifs, including anthemion and acanthus leaves and guilloche (running dog) borders. Also in this room is a small, 2-panel display on the history of the west wing; for details, see permanent exhibition The West Wing: A Chronology.
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Garden: Enid A. Haupt Garden
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- Permanent
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A 4.2-acre rooftop park, named for its donor, features an embroidered parterre in a geometric design of plants and flowers rotated seasonally. Other features include an Asian-influenced garden adjacent to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, a Moorish-influenced garden adjacent to the National Museum of African Art, and garden furnishings from the Horticulture Services Division's Garden Furniture Collection.
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Garden: Folger Rose Garden, including the Keith Fountain (seasonal)
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- Permanent
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The garden features roses, annuals, perennials, and woody plants chosen for year-round interest, and was donated by the Folger family in honor of their mother, Kathrine Dulin Folger.
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Future Exhibition: Cases: Read My Pins: The Madeline Albright Collection
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Upcoming: June 18, 2010 - October 11, 2010 (new closing date)
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This exhibition will feature pins from former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's collection to explore the use of jewelry as a tool of diplomacy and to capture her wit and the expressive nature of her pins. During her service as ambassador to the United Nations, and then as secretary of state, Albright came to understand how powerful a symbol an item of jewelry could be, and chose pins to reflect her diplomatic mission, reinforce her negotiating position, or express her pride of country and office. The pins on view span more that a century of jewelry design and range from dime-store pins to designer creations to family heirlooms. She wore these pins at meetings with world leaders and ordinary citizens alike, in settings both formal and informal. Highlights include:
• the antique eagle purchased to celebrate her appointment as secretary of state
• the Middle East dove she received from Leah Rabin
• the zebra pin she wore when meeting Nelson Mandela
• the Valentine Day's heart forged by her five-year-old daughter
• a dazzling array of flags, flowers, birds, bugs, fanciful designs, and even a man made out of vegetables. Note: This area is open to the public during regular building hours except when a special event has been scheduled for the space.
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Last update: March 11, 2010, 18:43
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