These 15 Mind-Bending Murals Turn the Mundane Into the Memorable
See 15 images of superb street art from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest
Three Formerly Enslaved Artists Created Beautiful Pottery 150 Years Ago, and Now Their Wares Are Coveted Around the World
The stunning vessels from the H. Wilson & Company were forgotten for generations, only to gain new appreciation for the craftsmanship that went into them
The Real History of the Complex Relationship Between Chinese and Black Americans in the Mississippi Delta
The remarkable success of the movie “Sinners” has sparked a renewed interest in how the two communities wrestled with life under Jim Crow
An Ohio Earthwork Where Thousands Once Gathered for Celestial Observations and Religious Ceremonies Is Open to the Public
An earthen enclosure called the Octagon is drawing much-deserved attention to the state’s history-filled mounds built some 2,000 years ago by the Hopewell culture
Meet the Mysterious Renaissance Muse Immortalized in the Only Leonardo da Vinci Painting in the Americas
Ginevra de’ Benci was a poet famed for her beauty and intellect. But art historians know little about her beyond the writings and artworks left behind by the men who admired her
When a Historian Saw This Haunting Photograph of a Nameless Native Girl, She Decided She Had to Identify Her
In 1868, Sophie Mousseau was photographed at Fort Laramie alongside six white Army officers. But her identity—and her life story—remained unknown for more than a century
The Many Myths of Empress Elisabeth of Austria, the 19th-Century Royal Whose Beauty and Tragic Death Transformed Her Into a Legend
The reluctant empress known as “Sisi” painstakingly crafted her image through portraits and photographs, ensuring she would be remembered in a specific way
See the Mesmerizing Interlocking Geometric Patterns Produced With This Ancient Japanese Woodworking Technique
The art form, known as kumiko, is now practiced by designers from around the world
The Controversial History of the Word ‘Hillbilly,’ Which Was First Defined in Print 125 Years Ago
In 1900, a political writer described the “hill-billie” as someone who “talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him.” Since then, the label has been used in both mockery and pride
Unraveling the Colorful History of Why Girls Wear Pink and Boys Wear Blue
Children used to wear the same white dresses, regardless of gender. But clothing styles and color preferences shifted in the mid-20th century
Was Talos, the Bronze Automaton Who Guarded the Island of Crete in Greek Myth, an Early Example of Artificial Intelligence?
The mythical sentry was depicted as thinking like a human and showing some human-like tendencies
Why Skiers Are Ending the Season With a Splash—and Keeping the Raucous Tradition of Pond Skimming Alive
For nearly 100 years, die-hards have been saying goodbye to winter by speeding down the slopes and water skiing over massive puddles
Two Centuries Ago, Batteaumen on Virginia’s James River Ended Long Work Days With a Taste of Freedom
The James River Batteau Company, an outdoor recreation-meets-historical tour business, has designed a dinner cruise that honors the resilience and culinary ingenuity of enslaved boatmen
We Rediscovered Robert Caro’s Abandoned Novel About an Intrepid Journalist Buried in His Archives
A deep dive into the legendary biographer’s papers leads to the surprising revelation of a work he has all but forgotten
The TikTok-Famous Dubai Chocolate Traces Its Origins to the 13th-Century Middle East
Generation Z is putting its own spin on knafeh, a dish first designed to quash a caliph’s hunger pangs
Through Good Teams and Bad, Wrigley Field Remains the Coziest Park in Baseball
The Chicago landmark represents the purest form of the American pastime
Two Great Empires Traded for Financial Gain and Achieved a Brilliant Cultural Exchange as Well
A new show illuminates the rich artistic wonders that arose out of the 400 years of commerce between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire
This New Book Reveals the Daredevil Lives of Four Italian Women Who Stood Up to Hitler and Mussolini
By delivering newspapers, munitions and secret messages to resistance groups, among many other incredible tasks, the brave fighters strove for a freer world
How a Forgotten Bean Could Save Coffee From Extinction
One leading botanist is scouring remote corners of the earth to find new species that could keep our mugs full
A Swirl of Intrigue Surrounds Swedish Painter Hilma af Klint’s Newfound Status as an Icon of Abstract Art
Long overlooked, the artist made pioneering works in the early 20th century. Today she’s a global star—but some scholars insist she should be sharing the spotlight
Page 3 of 361