Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Eye Contact: Luther (Bill "Bojangles" ) Robinson
A portrait of Bojangles Robinson by caricaturist Al Hirshfeld. Listen to Wendy Wick Reaves, a curator at the National Portrait Gallery, discuss his technique.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Eye Contact: Ethel Rosenberg
Listen to Wendy Wick Reaves, curator at the National Portrait Gallery, discuss this pencil drawing of convicted spy, Ethel Rosenberg, and what the drawing meant to the artist, Elizabeth Catlett.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Eye Contact: Louise Nevelson Self Portrait
Listen to Wendy Wick Reaves, a curator at the National Portrait Gallery, as she discusses the self-portrait of Louise Nevelson.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Eye Contact: A Self Alex Katz
Listen to a critique of Alex Katz' self-portrait by Wendy Wicks Reaves, a curator at the National Portrait Gallery.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Eye Contact: John Frederick Finerty by Diego Rivera
Wendy Wick Reaves, a curator at the National Portrait Gallery, explains how this charcoal drawing by Diego Rivera reflects his usual medium of painting murals.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Picturing Business in America: Frederick Smith
Read about Frederick Smith's business plan for Federal Express, which he developed while in college. Included is a hedcut from an exhibit of hedcuts from Wall Street Journal.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Picturing Business in America: Bill Gates
A hedcut of Bill Gates from the Wall Street Journal along with a brief account of his development of Microsoft Corporation.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Picturing Business in America: Paul Allen
From an exhibit of hedcuts from the Wall Street Journal. Two dot-drawings of Paul Allen accompany a biography of this computer entrepreneur.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Picturing Business in America: Oprah Winfrey
As part of an exhibit of hedcuts from the Wall Street Journal is this picture of Oprah Winfrey accompanied by a brief biography emphasizing her success in business.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Picturing Business in America: Mary Kay Ash
Mary Kay Ash believed in women's talents. Read about the development of her successful cosmetics company and see a hedcut from an exhibit of these dot drawings in the Wall Street Journal.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Portrait of the Art World: Everett Shinn
Brief essay about the artistic interests of American artist Everett Shinn.
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National Portrait Gallery: Portrait of the Art World: French
Brief biographical sketch of sculptor Daniel Chester French.
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National Portrait Gallery: Portrait of the Art World: Willem De Kooning
Brief essay about the artistic interests of Dutch-born American art legend Willem de Kooning.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Portrait of the Art World: Adolph Gottlieb
Brief essay about the artistic interests of American artist Adolph Gottlieb.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Echoes of Elvis
Exhibition explores the many depictions of rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Thomas Paine: The Radical Founding Father
Learn about Thomas Paine through text that accompanies selections from an exhibition of portraits of Paine and artifacts from his writings
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Portraits of American Railroading: Gustavus F. Swift
Read a brief biography of Gustavus Swift, who was at the forefront of developing the refrigerato rail car that revolutionized shipment of meat from the Midwest to the East.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Black List Project: Slash, 2007
Portrait and short profile of Slash, the very talented lead guitarist for a number of years for the famous Guns N' Roses rock band.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Black List Project: Tyler Perry, 2008
Portrait and short profile of the career of Tyler Perry, a playwright, actor, producer, and director. Perry developed and played the character of Madea, a comical grandmother, in the hit show Diary of a Mad Black Woman, as well as in...
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Black List Project: Laurence Fishburne, 2008
Portrait and short profile of the career of Laurence Fishburne, an award-winning screen and stage actor, as well as a playwright, director, and producer.
Smithsonian Institution
Civil War@smithsonian: Winslow Homer's Civil War Sketches
During the Civil War, Winslow Homer was a freelance artist for "Harper's Weekly," a leading news magazine of the day. This site examines Homer's work, which documents the lives of the soldiers who fought for the North. Includes an...
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: For Lands' Sake: George Washington as Land Surveyor
This lesson plan invites the students to explore land surveying in the 18th century. Read an 18th-century land survey and decipher what is actually being said.
Smithsonian Institution
National Portrait Gallery: Who Am I? (Portrait Puzzler)
Match the portraits of eight famous Americans who played major roles in the American Revolution with their famous deeds. A short exercise that can be used by individual learners to test their understanding of basic U.S. history content...
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center: Forces of Change: Worm Watch [Pdf]
Over a period of a week to ten days students observe the impact worms have on soil. Seven easily obtainable objects are all that is needed to complete this activity. 45 minutes are required for setup and some additional time for...