College Park, MD - 'America's Attic'

Up early to get into town to visit some of the Smithsonian Museum. Hmm, that worm didn’t taste too good but, at least it was fast and we are on our way.

Washington DC is filled with museums, all part of the Smithsonian Museums, sometimes nicknamed ‘America’s Attic’ as in lots of artifacts. There are museums for every taste: art, history, aviation, newshounds, stamps, old documents, you name it, there is probably a museum for it. Altogether there are 16 museums and the zoo. We’ve been to Washington DC about 6 or 7 times and have seen several of these museums in previous visits. And, they are all free. (I’d probably not open a small private museum that you had to charge for entry in Washington.) But, they all begin with an interesting British character named James Smithson. And, why in the world would a British citizen leave his entire fortune to America? Well, that’s why he’s so interesting.

He was born secretly, the illegitimate son of a British nobleman and a wealthy British widow. He attended college, was every interested in science, and conducted quite a few scientific experiments. He stated in his will that his fortune was to be left to his nephew and his children. But, if his nephew had no children, it was to be left to the United States to found ‘at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an Establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men.’ Well, he died in Genoa, Italy in 1829. His nephew then died in 1835 unmarried with no children.

Firstly it took the United States a year to decide if it wanted to accept this gift (incredibly, some members argued against accepting the gift) and, when it decided in the affirmative, Smithson’s mother had already presented a claim. We sent one of our best diplomats to England who gave Smithson’s mother a life annuity and then moved the bequest through the British Court of Chancery in 2 years (some cases had been in Chancery for 400 years and still were not settled.) It was brought to America in gold sovereigns worth $508,318 and then invested in shaky bonds that soon defaulted. John Quincy Adams argued in Congress that we should restore the funds and 8 years later, President Polk signed legislation creating the Smithsonian Institution. Count the years: the nephew died in 1835 and we finally in 1846, 11 years later the Smithsonian Institution was started.

Well, then, what about his body? Seems that the town where he was buried decided to close the cemetery and called the US to see if we wanted his body. Hmm. The Smithsonian Institution wasn’t sure but Samuel Morse (of telegraph fame), a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, was emphatic that Smithson’s body should be here in the US, went over to Italy and escorted it back here to the US.

It started out in what is called now ‘The Castle.’ Here is where America began its museum. I remember coming here back when I was 13 when I visited my aunt and uncle in Washington. I remember seeing lots of things but one thing I remembered was the pendulum hanging from a 52’ high cable suspended from the ceiling down through a round opening in the second floor, with a 240 lb brass globe at the end. A row of candles was set upon the first floor and the motion of he pendulum over the course of the day, as it knocked down the candles one-by-one, demonstrated the earth’s motion. I didn’t understand the earth’s motion nor how this demonstrated it but I was fascinated by the movement of the pendulum, wanting to wait until the next candle was knocked down. It was mesmerizing. But this is gone.

I asked today where this pendulum was and was told that it had been removed because it was French - invented by Foucault, a Frenchman. Can’t have French things in the Museum of American History. But, I said, the whole museum was donated by a Brit. Ah, yes, a bit of irony wasted on the board.

We hung around here for a bit looking at their exhibits, paid our respects to Smithson, whose tomb is in the entryway and then headed out to visit some of the Smithsonian Museums. We visited the Postal Museum first since it was on our way and learned a bit about the history of the postal service. We then visited the American History Museum where we saw a lot of artifacts relating to American History. This building is huge and filled with artifacts. Interestingly, you enter on the first floor which is cavernous and has mostly a gift shop and a cafe. Oh, yeah, there are some glassed-in display windows along each side of the room for that tiresome history stuff. One window held a slide rule - the same brand that I had when I was in college - but I didn’t have a cool yellow slide rule.

And, the centerpiece this month is the carriage President Lincoln rode in to get to Ford’s Theater.

However the upstairs is cram jammed full. We saw the Star Spangled Banner in a darkened room with a sign saying ‘no photographs.’ And, wouldn’t you believe - a guy next to me looked stealthily around, whipped out his smart phone, took a picture and then scuttled out. Can you believe it?

Nice that the museums have lots of seating for those weary tourists who just need to have a few minutes off their feet.

However, by this time of day, they are closing and we headed back to the RV.

Loved this hat on one of the other bus riders. She actually makes her living out of making things like this and selling them on E-Bay.

‘Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.’

                                                                                                 John Bellingham