By Traci Cothran
Quick: What do these objects all have in common?
- Feed-sack Dress
- John Brown’s Sharps Rifle
- Edison Talking Doll
- Psychedelic Lunch Box
- A Monkey listening to the Scopes Trial
Travel Back in Time with Historical Artifacts
smithsonian institute
Behind the Screen: At the Dibner Library
By Jennifer Albers-Smith
I’ve been to the Smithsonian a couple times before, and I’ve always thought of it as just a museum (and a glorious one at that) – giant covered wagon, old-fashioned cars, sewing machines, etc. I had absolutely no idea what lay behind the exhibits until my recent trip to do some filming for our latest Behind the Screen video at the National Museum of American History.
We lugged our film equipment through the side entrance and took a long walk through a dimly-lit maze to get to a wooden door – the entrance to the Dibner Library. I had never noticed the sign for the Dibner Library before. It’s right off the main entrance to the museum, and open to the public, but it’s tucked away, and most visitors have no idea it exists… What’s inside is an absolute treasure trove.