Comments on: A New History of the Museum

By: Lonnie

Lonnie — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 18:25:22 +0000

I was excited to find this under the tree this Christmas! I can’t wait to spend some quality time with it.

By: Doug Ramsdell

Doug Ramsdell — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 14:51:42 +0000

The old “quonset hut” version of Air & Space was one of my favorite visits at the Smithsonian. I think I remember the tank and the artillery piece too, although I wouldn’t have visited before 1955 or so, and I may have a somewhat “creative” memory on that. The old photo of the Spirit of St. Louis reminds me how much fun the Arts & Industries building used to be, back when all the industrial/technological exhibits were displayed in those old wood, glass and metal exhibit cases with their yellowing typewritten descriptive placards. I had a summer job at the Smithsonian in the mid-60s doing inventory control–unfortunately assigned to a desk rather than ranging forth, as some of the team did, with thick computer printouts showing what inventoried furniture, typewriters, display cases, microscopes etc. the various departments were supposed to have, then checking if the items actually existed or not. So it was a mundane job for me, but what an exciting place to work regardless. I made my daily trek to my 4th floor office in the Natural History building past the Hugo Worch piano collection, then an aggregation of dusty, busted-up, out of tune keyboard relics arrayed (due to lack of space) around the 3rd floor rotunda gallery. With a past like mine, I follow the Smithsonian’s fortunes as best I can from a distance, and am looking forward to seeing the book and visiting Udvar-Hazy (never been)!

By: Mark Goldman

Mark Goldman — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 02:51:43 +0000

As a long time visitor to the ca 1976 National Air and Space Museum building and the previous iteration or lack thereof, I look forward to reading the history of the Museum. One of my recollections (if it serves me right) as a young child is of seeing the rockets parked outside the old Smithsonian “Castle”.

By: David DeVorkin

David DeVorkin — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 21:41:57 +0000

As one of the many curators who wrote bits and pieces for the book, I want to record my appreciation to the editors for making the book a reality. It is my hope that reading it will stimulate memories and associations in those who have visited the museum and that in turn they will share their impressions of their visits, along with their encounters with air and space flight, via this blog.

By: Aviation News November 19, 2010 :: N8JW

Aviation News November 19, 2010 :: N8JW — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:28:13 +0000

[...] A New History of the Museum by The National Air and Space Museum Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: An Autobiography Before the recent appearance of Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: An Autobiography (National Geographic, 2010) the Museum had two big, coffee-table books about itself. In 1979 Abrams published C.D.B. Bryan’s The National Air and Space Museum, a gorgeous and very expensive book for the time ($75.00—you’d have to triple that to get to current dollars). It was organized by exhibit galleries, a very logical way to present the Museum, but one that quickly became dated. It got a second life with a new edition in … [...]