Treasures Of The Smithsonian

by Park, S. Dillon Ripley (Introduction)

To open the pages of this magnificently illustrated book is to enter the magical world of natural history. And it is to be guided among all the myriad marvels of the earth by an eloquent commentator, backed by the prodigious resources of a great institution- the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. This extraordinary museum, which attracts five million visitors a year, is a repository of wonders beyond counting and almost beyond description. it contains specimens of virtually every plant and animal- extant or extinct- ever seen on earth. The earliest fossil known to man is here, and the oldest rock yet found. There's a flying reptile with a 40-foot wingspan and the world's one remaining "dragon." The legendary Hope Diamond is here, and the hide of General Pershing's horse. There are rocks drilled clear through by lightning and iridescent butterflies whose colorless wings refract light like prisms. In The Ntionl Museum of Natural History, Philip Kopper, while casting light on Particular exhibits, explorers far wider horizons. Indeed he gives the reader a broad and illuminating overview of the naturl sciences as they are practiced today. We learn, for example, about scientists who work with acids to release ancient trilobites from stone and about others who use the dentist;s drill to remove creatures the size of hippos from solid rock, millimeter by millimeter. Moreover, the author informs us about all the fascination aspects of the life of the Museum its evolution from the time of James Smithson's bequest, its methods of research, conservation, and taxonomy, and the design and construction of areas such as the new Dinosaur Hall. He discusses new Dinosaur Hall. He discusses why and how things re collected, what purposes the collections serve, how changing scientific knowledge generates startling new insights about old specimens...

Genres: Art, History, Reference, Nonfiction, American History

Hardcover

First published June 1, 1983

Reviews

[Kenneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know that book that you find in the big museum bookstore after you tour the museum.
The book that is so extensive, so thick, and so expensive that you just don't buy it?
This is that book, but it is that book about the Smithsonian Institution.
I really enjoyed this large, heavy book, (469 pages), but I wish the author featured some of the other wonderful items than what he selected to highlight, and dwell on.
You will learn a lot about the many sites and buildings that make up the museum complex, including the remote sites, including The National Zoological Park, The Anacostia Community Museum, (opened in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C., in 1967.) That same year, the Smithsonian signed an agreement to take over the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.
Here you are told about the very private extension of the zoo, The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) a unit of the Smithsonian Institution located on a 3,200-acre campus located just outside the town of Front Royal, Virginia.
This book, written in 1983, obviously does not include either the National Museum of the American Indian or the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opened in recent decades, but ARE part of the Smithsonian. They are not independent museums. I was fortunately able to tour both of these newer additions.
The formation and history of this fantastic place, and its mission is well told by the author, Edwards Park, a long time employee there.

[Frederic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is perhaps my favorite book of the collections of the Smithsonian. Covering the wide range of materials held in the different Smithsonian museums, with brief but effective text and very good photographs, it's the next-best thing to wandering through the museums and finding favorites. Growing up just a couple of hours from DC I got to visit the Smithsonian museums often, and leafing through this book nicely evokes that sense of discovery.

[amomentsilence · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!

I really enjoyed learning about the information provided in this massive tome. Even thinking about purchasing a copy of this book for my own library sometime soon! :)

The photography inside is GORGEOUS and really captures many of the exquisite pieces of art and historical wonders found within the walls of the Smithsonian.