.: Exhibitions
Darwin's Legacy
The exhibition features the first edition of Charles
Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” (1859), a revolutionary book that changed the course of modern
science. November 2009 marks the 150th anniversary of the book’s publication. This exhibition will be
on display through Sept. 12, 2010.
“On the Origin of Species” is widely heralded as the foundation for evolutionary biology. After
graduating from Cambridge University in 1831, Darwin signed up as an unpaid naturalist for a fiveyear
scientific voyage on the H.M.S. Beagle. As he sailed around South America and the Galápagos Islands
(183136), Darwin made notes and observations, collected animal fossils and plant specimens and
studied the geology of islands and coral reefs. His work led him to think deeply about the distribution
of animals and plants over place and time.
Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection grew out of his work aboard the Beagle; he
said, “The voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event in my life and has determined
my whole career.” In 1857, he outlined his theory of evolution in a letter to American botanist Asa
Gray, his greatest U.S. advocate. “On the Origin of Species” was published in 1859 and soon found
supporters at the Smithsonian Institution. Joseph Henry, a famed scientist and the first Secretary of the
Smithsonian, held the book in high regard. Darwin’s theory continues to guide research at the National
Museum of Natural History to this day.
The exhibition also showcases Darwin’s silk neckerchief, Joseph Henry’s desk diary, beautifully
illustrated volumes from the “Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle” (edited by Charles Darwin and
published from 183843),a background map of the track of the H.M.S. Beagle and Galápagos land
iguana and mockingbird specimens from the collections of the National Museum of Natural History.
Picturing Words: The Power of Book Illustration
National Museum of American History curators Helena Wright and Joan Boudreau created this panel exhibit for the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, on display Spring 2009 in the National Museum of American History. It showcases some of the world's greatest pieces of illustration from the Libraries' collection of rare books and documents. Through historic illustrations, viewers of the exhibit are able to see what inspires and drives graphic art.
Andreas Vesalius, an early physician and progressive scientist, wrote the book "De Humani Corporis Fabrica" (1543) with illustrations of the human body showing muscles pulled back to see what was underneath. The illustrations of Vesalius changed the way people looked at the human form and helped develop modern medicine. 
The labor-intensive engraving process is shown through meticulously rendered illustrations, such as "The Wood Beyond the World" by William Morris (1894), giving the viewer an appreciation for the thought, time and effort that went into his work.
Individual panels of the exhibit vividly demonstrate how illustrations catch readers' eyes, draw them into their reading material and make a more direct connection to the information. The companion website features all of the images included in the traveling exhibit.
The Art of African Exploration
The lure of the unknown has always inspired travel. Early maps of Africa show vast expanses of uncharted territory. Before the 1800s, little was known about the interior of the continent, its geography, plants, animals, and peoples. As advances in medicine and technology made longer journeys possible, the zeal for African exploration peaked. 
A host of European travelers, driven by scientific curiosity, the desire for conquest or profit, missionary fervor or a thirst for adventure, explored the continent. Africa became a magnet for adventurers and scientists, opportunists and humanitarians. By the late 1800s, much of Africa had been mapped, giving European nations a foothold for imperialism, while uncovering a world largely unknown to science.
The compelling images that emerged from this time tell the story of Africa as it was first seen by Western eyes, and the impact it had on a fascinated public. The Art of African Exploration is on view in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Constitution Avenue lobby.
This exhibition has a companion website.
Freedom
of Information Recent works on paper by James Wechsler
December 15, 2006 through March 16, 2007
Smithsonian American Art Museum/National Portrait Gallery Library
Victor Building
Room 2100
750 9th St., NW
Washington, DC
More information
As an artist and art historian I rely a great deal on archival material. The works in this series developed out of my research on modernism and the international Left during my postdoctoral fellowship at SAAM in 2005-2006.
Each piece is based on an actual document from the FBI's Cold War era files on artists, performers, writers, civil rights activists, and the politically radical organizations they were affiliated with. Since their sources were so heavily redacted, the resulting works confound the conventional notions of portraiture - concealing rather than revealing identity - and history painting - frustrating instead of furthering our attempts to interpret the past.
Beyond their explicit commentary on censorship and the culture of surveillance, by concentrating on what has been blocked from view, the paintings evoke deeper psychological and existential questions about perception, collective memory, and the construction of meaning from fragmentary, self-negating, and otherwise indecipherable information.
Image
above right:
James
Wechsler
Freedom of Information: Alice Neel, 2.45, 2006
Acrylic and ink on paper
39" x 28 ½
Doodles, Drafts and Designs: Industrial Drawings from the Smithsonian
A Traveling Exhibition organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. Click here for the tour schedule.
This exhibition presents examples of industrial drawings in the collections of the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Some are working drawings, ideas sketched in pencil or ink. Others are more finished, designed for presentation. A few are printed, either as sales material or as part of a patent application. They visually document American industrial creativity, from inventor's hand and investor's boardroom, to patent office, factory floor, and manufacturer's showroom.
As you look at these drawings and printed documents, think about their aesthetic merit and the ways they reflect the skills and knowledge of their creators. But also consider their purpose. These drawings capture on paper key aspects of technological and industrial process. They document thought, organization, work, and production. A website featuring the exhibit may be viewed at www.sil.si.edu/exhibitions/doodles/.