Category: Museum

Digitizing the World’s Largest Library and Museum

DIGITIZING COLLECTIONS

Library of Congress v. Smithsonian Institution

Summary

The Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution are renowned cultural institutions in the United States and arguably the world’s largest library and museum. The Library of Congress holds 171 million items, and the Smithsonian houses over 156 million artifacts. Both cultural repositories have undertaken significant digitization projects to make their collections more accessible to a global audience.

| Library of Congress

The Library of Congress’s mission is to engage, inspire, and inform the Congress and the American people with a universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity. To accomplish that mission, the Library is adopting a digital-forward strategy that harnesses technology to bridge geographical divides, expand our reach, and enhance our services. This document describes how we will secure the Library’s position in an increasingly digital world as we realize our vision that all Americans are connected to the Library of Congress.

The Library of Congress has embarked on an extensive digitization initiative to preserve and provide access to its vast collection of books, manuscripts, photographs, and other materials. The Library of Congress offers online access to millions of digitized items, including historical documents, maps, and music recordings, through its website and digital platforms. Users can explore the Library’s digital collections, conduct research, and access educational resources from anywhere in the world.

Similarly, the Smithsonian Institution has prioritized digitization efforts to enhance public access to its diverse collections across various museums, research centers, and libraries. The Smithsonian’s digitization projects encompass multiple disciplines, including art, history, science, and culture. Through the Smithsonian’s online portals, visitors can explore digital exhibitions, view high-resolution images of artifacts, and access educational resources that showcase the institution’s rich cultural heritage.

The Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution’s digitization projects aim to democratize access to cultural heritage and promote lifelong learning. By leveraging digital technologies and online platforms, these institutions can reach a broader audience, engage with diverse communities, and foster a deeper appreciation for the importance of preserving and celebrating cultural history.

Overall, the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution’s digitization projects demonstrate their commitment to harnessing technology to make their collections more inclusive, interactive, and impactful in the digital age.

COMPARISON: Library of Congress versus Smithsonian
A detailed comparison of the digitization projects between the Library of Congress (LoC) and the Smithsonian Institution reveals common objectives and individual strategies that reflect the unique nature of each institution’s collections and goals.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS (LOC)	SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Scope and Content
The LoC has one of the world’s most comprehensive literature collections, historical documents, and cultural artifacts. Its digitization efforts are expansive, covering materials such as books, photographs, maps, manuscripts, and music.	The Smithsonian’s collections are incredibly diverse, reflecting its numerous museums and research facilities. The content ranges from natural history specimens to cultural artifacts to artworks.
Collections
Its collections house millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps, and manuscripts. Specific numbers from previous years have cited over 171 million total items, including more than 32 million cataloged books and other print materials in 470 languages; more than 70 million manuscripts; the most extensive rare book collection in North America; over 3.6 million recordings, encompassing music and spoken word.	The Smithsonian Institution’s collections are vast and varied, given its encompassment of multiple museums and research complexes. The total number of objects in the Smithsonian’s collections is around 156 million artifacts, works of art, and specimens. The breakdown includes 145 million specimens and objects at the National Museum of Natural History, millions of objects in the National Air and Space Museum collections, and vast arrays of objects at the American History and American Art Museums, among numerous other entities within the Smithsonian system.
Digitization Approach
The LoC’s digitization approach is multifaceted, including high-resolution scanning, metadata creation, and careful preservation. The LoC has several ongoing digitization projects focusing on different types of media and subjects. For example, the American Memory project provides free and open access to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music documenting the American experience.	The Smithsonian has engaged in mass digitization using conveyor belts and robotic cameras to process large volumes of artifacts quickly. It has also been involved in 3D digitization efforts for more complex objects. The Smithsonian’s Digitization Program Office (DPO) coordinates efforts across 19 museums, nine research centers, and the National Zoo.
Access and Use
The LoC provides access to digitally archived materials through its website, which includes curated collections and searchable and indexed exhibits. It also offers researchers bulk access to data through various APIs and data dumps.	The Smithsonian provides online access to its digitized collections through the Smithsonian Online Virtual Archives and individual museums’ websites. It also encourages public participation through transcription and digitization projects where users can transcribe handwritten documents or update the metadata for digital assets. The Smithsonian has made a significant portion of its data available under open access policies, which allows anyone to use and download the content without permission or fees.
Impact and Outreach
An essential aspect of the LoC’s digitization work is its aim to support educational endeavors. It provides resources for teachers, students, and researchers, promoting digital literacy and historical understanding. Digitized collections are accompanied by comprehensive user guides and intended to serve a broad array of users, from academic researchers to the general public.	The Smithsonian aims to “reach one billion people yearly with a digital-first strategy.” Its robust educational outreach program includes online lesson plans, virtual field trips, and interactive games, focusing on K-12 education.
Challenges and Strategies
Given the scale of its collection, one of the main challenges for the LoC is prioritizing which materials to digitize. They often focus on materials of the highest public interest or those most at risk of deterioration.	One key challenge for the Smithsonian is digitizing 3D objects from its vast natural and cultural history collections. This is a more complex process than digitizing 2D documents. The Smithsonian uses cutting-edge 3D capture technology and has pioneered this technology in a museum context. It has also been active in crowdsourcing efforts to engage the public in digitization projects.

The LoC and Smithsonian Institution have successfully digitized historical and cultural artifacts. While their overarching goals are similar—to preserve, digitize, and make accessible their vast collections for education and research purposes—each institution leverages its unique strengths and faced distinct challenges:

The LoC strongly focuses on historical textual documents and has developed expertise in digitizing these resources and audio and visual materials. Due to its multidisciplinary collections, the Smithsonian has a broader scope of digitization techniques, including 3D digitization for natural history and cultural objects. Both institutions have made considerable efforts to ensure that their digital content is as accessible as possible, considering both user engagement and technical accessibility standards. Outreach and engagement strategies reflect their public service mandates, emphasizing educational resources and community involvement. The LoC focuses more on the American experience, while the Smithsonian’s digitization includes American and non-American content reflective of the Institution’s diverse collections.

In summary, while both institutions aim to democratize access to knowledge through digitization, their projects are shaped by their distinct holdings and institutional missions. Their efforts complement a larger picture of cultural heritage preservation and accessibility in the digital era.

ACCESSIBILITY
Both the Library of Congress (LoC) and the Smithsonian Institution acknowledge the importance of making their digital collections accessible to all users, including those who are blind or have low vision and those who are hard of hearing.

Library of Congress (LoC) Accessibility Initiatives	Smithsonian Institution Accessibility Initiatives
For Users Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision
The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) is a program of the LoC that provides braille and talking books and magazines for those who have difficulty reading standard print. The LoC website is designed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), ensuring that digital collections can be navigated and read by screen readers used by blind users. The LoC also provides accessible reading rooms and specialized equipment for visitors with vision impairment who access physical locations.	The Smithsonian Institution provides a variety of tools and services to make its websites and digital content accessible, such as descriptive audio tours and screen-reader-friendly websites. They employ alternative text for images, and some venues within the Smithsonian offer tactile exhibits or braille materials for onsite programs, events, and exhibitions, which also translate into their digital domain.
For Users Who Are Hard of Hearing
The LoC provides real-time captioning and interpretation of American Sign Language (ASL) for live events. Many of the recorded lectures, webcasts, and other educational materials include captions or transcripts to make their content more accessible to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.	The Smithsonian videos are, wherever possible, captioned to accommodate users who are hard of hearing. For many of the Institution’s virtual exhibits and online educational resources, transcripts are provided for audio components. The Smithsonian also strives to include Sign Language interpretation in its programming and may offer assistive listening devices for in-person and possibly digital formats.

Both institutions are committed to improving their accessibility features on an ongoing basis, recognizing that access to information is a right that must be available to all. They strive to follow best practices in digital accessibility, such as those outlined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Additionally, they both seek to continually update their accessibility tools and resources, gathering feedback from communities with disabilities to guide their efforts in making their digital and physical spaces inclusive to all visitors.

Links of Interest

Museums, Exhibits, and Digital Technology

As we begin the new year in 2021, the COVID-19 public health crisis continues to impact the museum sector: intermittent closures, widespread layoffs, and a scramble to create engaging visitor experiences, inside and outside the museum. This article explores digital technology solutions that have helped museums with visitor engagement during the crisis.

Digitization Strategy

The Digital Research team and others at The New York Public Library have undertaken special projects with the goal of improving access for all, which you can read more about here.

Library.Harvard Roadmap

Being awesome is a journey, not a destination.

April 20, 2024

Museum Social Media Heroes

Introduction

Since COVID-19, museum social media managers have been heroes for their institutions. During the shutdowns, social media managers sustained museum operations virtually and changed how they prioritize digital content. The focus on social media during COVID-19 provided a new understanding of the “digital experience.” In many cases, this period established new relationships with audiences worldwide.

The impact of COVID-19 on digital data practices in museums and art galleries in the UK and the US – Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications – The impact of COVID-19 on digital data practices in museums and art galleries in the UK and the US

COVID-19 and the Shift to Digital

Social media management for US museums and libraries is a critical component of their communication strategy, never more than during the past few years of COVID-19 and sociopolitical unrest throughout the country. They relied heavily on meeting platforms to host virtual meetings, events, and programs. They scrambled to create videos inside exhibit spaces, produce new online exhibits, and expanded social media to promote and market their programs.

4 Ways Museums Can Successfully Leverage Digital Content and Channels during Coronavirus (COVID-19)

In the age of coronavirus (COVID-19), museums are facing unprecedented difficulties and uncertainty. In the past weeks, three-quarters of museums have shut down, starting with behemoths like the Me…

As with the American Alliance of Museums article, I outlined in my previous blog, as COVID-19 forced museum closures, museums sharpened their focus on digital experiences. Accordingly, more resources shifted in the direction of digital, increasing reliance on the social media staff.

Pandemic First Responder and Virtual Social Worker = Museum Social Media Hero

Museums depended upon their social media channels as never before. These staff members became the only front-line workers for cultural institutions during closures. They were the first responders for their institutions. As riots erupted after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, museum social media heroes adapted messaging to fit the needs of their communities and, in some cases, bear the brunt of bad press about their institutions. In early 2019, AAM re-published an article from 2016 to help museums respond when caught in the crosshairs of socio-political debate.

In Polarized Times

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2019 issue of Museum magazine, a benefit of membership with the Alliance. Click here to learn more about membership! How can museums better respo…

As a member of the Facebook group “Museum Social Media Managers,” I observed from the sidelines as the social media managers became first responders during the COVID shutdowns. Thanks to my participation in the group, I experienced how overwhelmed many felt working in this new paradigm. Their work became even more complicated as social unrest bubbled to the surface and the messaging from these leaders became even more critical to museum leaders. They were thrust into the role of “hero” for their institutions.

Post COVID-19 Digital Era in Museums

Looking back over the past three years, I wondered what museum leaders learned, if anything, during the pandemic. I also began to consult with technology platforms like Smartify, Verbit, and 3Play Media. I began to do some internet research to see how they did.

My research found many articles and blog posts about how museums pivoted to digital. Most wrote success stories about adapting to the new reality of virtual engagement. Plenty of blog posts document some of the best responses to the pandemic closures from other writers about the cultural sector.

But an interesting blog popped up when I searched from the end user’s perspective more broadly, not specific to museums.

Pandemic Social Media Heroes

Last year’s lockdown was tough but these five social media heroes helped me get through it.

The Cowboy Museum, not surprisingly, is included in this blogger’s list of top 5 blogs during COVID. I wasn’t surprised because the same museum came up many times in blogs about how to use social media in new ways.

Art Museums and the Digital Visitor

For this study, the following art museums will be examined: Guggenheim Museum (NYC), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), Musée du Louvre (Paris), Museo del Prado (Madrid), Museum of Modern Art (NYC), Norton Museum (West Palm Beach, FL), Peréz Art Museum Miami, and the Tate (London).

My process will examine the digital footprint of various cultural institutions from websites, mobile access points, and social media outlets. I will explore the branding continuity, social media links, and the corresponding pages. Finally, I will question access to resources and the prioritization of digital content. How do museums value the work of their social media managers as operations return to normal? Are museums now producing more digital content? Where is that digital content? And finally, is the content accessible to all?

Websites and Social Media Links

When I looked at the websites of some of the most prominent museums to see how their websites promoted their social media channels, I noticed the social media links were always at the bottom of the page. I couldn’t understand why museums placed these important engagement links at the bottom of the page. Unusual because most digital visitors are on some form of social media, and chances are they’d connect on their favorite platform for updates.

To view the full gallery with observations, click on the grey background of any image.

When I researched the best practices for designing a website and where social media icons should be on any website, I learned that most blogs suggest that the icons/links should be at both the top and the bottom of a website, allowing the visitor to connect on social media immediately, rather than having to scroll the page to find the links to social outlets.

If museeum social media managers are heroes and serve as first responders to the digital visitor, why do institutions bury the links to these important content creators? The museum social media manager is an unsung hero in the post-COVID-19 paradigm. Still.

Social Media Channels

This study examines the Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube channels for the same group of art museums. Most present consistent branding across all the platforms where users can find their content. The social media pages don’t always reestablish the brand. For the most part, the branding of each social media outlet looks like the other in terms of branding.

To view the full gallery with observations, click on the grey background of any image.

I thought by looking at the likes, followers, and subscribers to the four platforms, one could see which ones were more successful. I’ve included some estimates of annual income to help understand resources available to each institution.

From the data below, Twitter seems to be the most effective platform regarding the number of followers for the Guggenheim, the Met, the Prado, the Norton, and the Tate. However, the Louvre, MoMA, and PAMM all fare better on Instagram.

Museum	Facebook Likes	Instagram Followers	Twitter Followers	YouTube Subscribers	Annual Revenue
Guggenheim	834K	2.6m	3.4m	42.1K	$78.8m
Metropolitan	2m	4.2m	4.3m	334K	$1.5B
Louvre	2.6m	4.9m	1.5m	98.3K	€244m
Prado	1.1m	1m	1.3m	151K	€35m
MoMA	2.1m	5.6m	5.3m	480K	$523m
*Norton	22K	25K	29.7K	1.6K	$27m
PAMM	84K	125K	33.7K	3.1K	$16m
Tate	1.2m	4.1m	4.7m	323K	€94m
*Cowboy Museum	106K	78.3K	270K	10K	$27m

*Compare the Norton and the Cowboy museums.

I added the same data for the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum to see how it stacked up with similar-sized organizations. What do they do to garner over 200,000 Twitter followers?

How did the Cowboy Museum’s social media numbers surpass the Norton Museum of Art’s numbers by nearly tenfold?

Spotlight: The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

So what did the Cowboy Museum do with its Twitter account during the pandemic? The marketing team took the opportunity to empower the charismatic Tim Tiller, the museum’s head of security, to take over the Twitter account during closures.

Meet The Security Chief Making A Cowboy Museum’s Social Media Feeds Extra Delightful

Through the coronavirus pandemic, security guard Tim Tiller is often at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum solo, keeping an eye out for anything amiss — and finding just the right selfie.

www.npr.org

This creative response caught on fire across Twitter, creating a media frenzy about his friendly and refreshing posts. Here is a museum that learned how to use social media during the pandemic to go beyond sustaining audiences. The Cowboy Museum used its resources, including the security team, to grow beyond its existing audiences.

Website

I examined their post-COVID digital footprint and made a tiny discovery. Unlike the art museum websites I examined, the Cowboy Museum has social media links at the top and bottom of the homepage. In addition, when the digital visitor scrolls on a computer browser, all four social media icons become colorful and float down the right side of the webpage. Eureka!

If you are viewing this website on a mobile device, the floating icons feature is disabled.

And they are now honoring the social media staff by promoting them as much as possible. The floating icons encourage the digital visitor to engage via social media – a small detail but an important component of understanding the digital experience during COVID, and extending the lesson into their future.

CONCLUSION

Museum social media managers are heroes.

As museums return to “normal” operations with post-pandemic reopened spaces, digital remains a more critical part of operations. Most will continue to offer live, remote, and hybrid events as a result of learning how the closures of their physical spaces.

Museums and libraries are now actively engaged in creating born-digital content usually placed on their social media outlets. However, their websites aren’t only connected one way. So if I visit your website, I can find your social media page.

Digital Experiences Beyond COVID

Social media allows you to target new audiences and develop them into potential donors or museum members. Why not have the experience beginning digitally and include your social media outlets at the top? Make them something that is very useful and helps you to build your audience.

Another benefit of connecting social media outlets to your website is creating an entirely new audience. Allowing the visitor to encounter the most recent content from your home page is a great idea. It will keep visitors apprised of what is coming and what is happening in the museum currently.

It would be great to create a website that is interactive with your social media content so that when a new video is posted on YouTube, it also appears on your web page. But on the website, there is no direct content from social media outlets. There’s a disconnect.

July 17, 2022

Museums, Exhibits, and Digital Technology

As we begin the new year in 2021, the COVID-19 public health crisis continues to impact the museum sector: intermittent closures, widespread layoffs, and a scramble to create engaging visitor experiences, inside and outside the museum. This article explores digital technology solutions that have helped museums with visitor engagement during the crisis.

2020 was all about digital engagement.

From business meetings on Zoom to family and friends on FaceTime, the planet has shifted to virtual experiences for professional and personal connections like never before.

Zoom profits double as revenues skyrocket
The popular video conferencing app has seen a 458% jump in customer growth compared with last year.

Similarly, museums were forced to address their ability to engage audiences from a distance like never before. Prior to COVID, museum websites provided mostly general information like a directory listing for the real experience, its exhibits and programs. After being forced to close their physical spaces, the digital realm for museums came into sharper focus.

Audience engagement with museums in 2020 was overwhelmingly digital.

“Virtual museum tours” in 2020.

Did it peak in March? According to Google, “virtual museum tour” was one of the most popular search terms in March 2020, at the onset of COVID-19 in the US. However, the search term hit its peak in the third week of March, and interest began to wain after just one week.

Once closures became widespread, digital resources were prioritized to provide access to exhibits and programs during closures. YouTube and 360º technology were used to create virtual tours of the museum. Web sites were built to host new digital exhibits. Finally, some new platforms have created ways to use technology both inside and outside the museum with greater ease.

Museums 360º

One of the most immediate responses from the smallest to the grandest of museums was to create virtual visits using 360º photos.

Interior 360º image of Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Here the virtual visitor experiences what is sometimes a strange 2D version of space.

Virtual visitors learned quickly that the experience cannot compare to the awe-inspiring feeling one gets when experiencing Frank Lloyd Wright’s spiraling galleries in the Guggenheim, I.M. Pei’s dramatic glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre, or Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel inside the enormous Vatican museums.

The results fall flat, and the sense of being in the space is lost in translation. There is little, if any, didactic interpretation. Navigation can be difficult from platform to platform, and the visitor may end up staring at a close-up of the marble floor without exit.

Guggenheim Museum, New York

Louvre, Paris

Vatican Museums, Vatican City

The zoom features are helpful, but without intuitive navigation or a “virtual tour guide,” the overall experience is disappointing. This technology is best left to the real estate industry.

YouTube Videos

Another digital resource used to recreate the real visitor experience is YouTube. Though not a new resource for museums, the production of new videos from museums small and large increased substantially during 2020.

The Met 360° Project: Great Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, many museums used 360º videos to guide virtual visitors through the museum using videos on YouTube.

While offering a more structured way to direct visitors through virtual spaces than the 360º technology above, the experience is still not the same as standing in front of great art.

However, YouTube provides museums with a platform for content that can be used to engage new audiences in unique and targeted ways. Three examples below include MoMA‘s virtual view of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” with Anna Deavere Smith’s reading of a letter from the artist to his brother, Theo. The Rijksmuseum created a series of YouTube videos called “Is It Art?” which examine contemporary artistic creations with more traditional art forms from the museum’s collections as a way of drawing younger audiences into the decisions of labeling them “art”. Finally, London’s National Gallery used YouTube to create a 5-minute meditation with Odilon Redon’s painting as its visual background.

Museum of Modern Art, New York

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

The National Gallery, London

All of these videos deliver content to audiences far and wide. Their success depends on their dissemination. Most museums use their social media outlets to market this content.

Online Exhibits

Less pervasive but equally important are online exhibits. These digital stories provide virtual visitors with learning opportunities outside the museum.

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC

For the curator and educator, these exhibits provide ways to organize and present collections in an evergreen format with the ability to edit and update content as the exhibit ages. The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery‘s exhibit “First Ladies of the United States” is a great example of this type of exhibit.

Free from the limitations of physical space, these exhibits allow museums to create more robust learning resources for the public. They often feature artworks that may not be visible to the public, even when open.

Many of these digital experiences incorporate audio and video media. Some use creative ways of presenting the information. What is unique about these exhibits is the lack of a physical exhibit. The experience is designed to be completely virtual. The Museum of Modern Art organized an online exhibit about drawing in the 20th Century as the permanent online exhibit reflecting the museum’s real exhibit which was on view from November 21, 2010, to February 7, 2011. The Smithsonian Renwick Gallery was forced to close Janet Echelman’s “1.8 Renwick” exhibit shortly after it opened in 2020. It created a website to show the exhibit online until it reopens in 2021. The Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum used a website to curate content for “Willi Smith – Street Couture” an exhibit that lives on thanks to digital communications.

Museum of Modern Art, NYC

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC

Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, NYC

The success of these online exhibits depends on each site’s accessibility and navigation. They can require substantial resources, including hours of research by curators, the scripting by educators, and time for production by technology teams. Their visibility depends upon the integration of the museum’s digital and marketing strategies.

Spotlight: The Queen and The Crown

One of the best examples of an online exhibit is the Netflix and Brooklyn Museum exhibit “The Queen and The Crown”.

Netflix and the Brooklyn Museum

Drawing on the popularity of “The Crown,” the exhibit launched just a few days before the 2020 season premiere.

The exhibit resolves the usual spatial and navigational issues experienced in most virtual exhibits with short video clips and intuitive navigation. There is quiet music playing in the background, and the swooping noises help reassure successful navigation. The mannequins with the dresses can spin around, as the arrows indicate. It has a very smooth transition from a 360º museum experience to an online exhibit providing the visitor with a unique way to engage and learn.

Using pop-up pages for details, the site sound effects in the background add to the sense of a reverberant museum hall. Overall, this online exhibit is one of the best of its kind.

Smartify Virtual Tours

Guided tours lead by a docent or museum device audio guides were standard experiences before COVID-19 began to shut down museums everywhere.

Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC

Like the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, many museums have created audio tours of specific exhibitions. Most large art museums provided handheld devices in several languages. With the onset of COVID, docent-led tours and handheld devices have become obsolete. The health crisis has also made museums acutely aware of the risks involved with interactive exhibits – from audio guides to touch screens.

Smartify is a digital channel that delivers museum content to users’ devices via a web app as well as a mobile app. Started five years ago, the company currently hosts over 120 museum partners from around the world.

Prior to COVID-19, Smartify was focused on the mobile experience. The scan-to-learn technology allows users to scan the artwork to learn more on smart devices. With COVID-19, the company expanded the delivery of content to a web app so that the tours could be more easily disseminated through digital channels and social media outlets.

Using cloud-based software, museums are able to upload their digitized collections into the platform and then transform their content into meaningful stories using the tour building features. Tours can be designed for the general public, like the National Portrait Gallery’s tour above and they can be delivered in as many languages as the museum wants. Or, they can create audience-specific experiences using customized tours.

For example, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art used Smartify to create a wonderful ASL tour for its deaf communities using videos of sign interpreters. The British Museum created a tour exploring LGBTQ histories using its collections.

Finally, one of the best things about the Smartify platform is its universality. Once a museum reopens, the visitor can still use Smartify inside the museum to access the tours and more. The Belvedere Museum in Vienna used Smartify to replace its handheld devices when it reopened in the summer of 2020 in an effort to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID.

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City

The British Museum, London

Belvedere Museum, Vienna

The resulting experience via the Smartify platform is well-designed and allows for media files to be added, making use of YouTube videos and external content to add to the robustness of the content.

Conclusion

In retrospect, museums have used as many resources as possible to continue to connect with their communities. From 360º virtual tours to Smartify, each platform adds new ways to reach audiences with their content whether on a laptop at home or on a mobile device inside a museum.

What is important for museums in 2021 is to continue to develop and deliver content via as many channels as possible. The ability to manage resources while providing a great visitor experience requires attention to the continued impact that COVID-19 will have on our lives into the new year and beyond. As they continue to evolve with their partners’ needs, digital platforms like Smartify provide museums with the best tools for any scenario.

January 3, 2021
Almodóvar, Banderas, and the Saints of Sigfrido Martín Begué

Modern art plays a prominent role in the newest Pedro Almodóvar film, Pain and Glory. Antonio Banderas portrays Salvador Mallo, a successful film director in Madrid with a penchant for modern art. Like Almodóvar, Salvador’s success affords him an outstanding private art collection.

Antonio Banderas delivers what may be his most sublime performance to date in “Pain and Glory,” a film that delves deep into the intricacies of life’s trials and the profound nature of creative expression. This narrative stands as a testament to the enduring partnership between Banderas and the acclaimed filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar—a collaboration that has spanned decades and produced a myriad of cinematic treasures.

In “Pain and Glory,” Banderas embodies the role of the protagonist, a director who navigates through a series of introspective episodes that mirror Almodóvar’s personal history, blending the lines between the character’s fictional existence and the director’s own reality. It’s a portrayal brimming with authenticity and emotional depth, which not only showcases Banderas’s versatile acting chops but also reverently acknowledges the intimate relationship between a director and his muse.

The film’s narrative structure is a mosaic of memories, regrets, and reconciliations, all of which coalesce into a portrait of an artist at a crossroads. Banderas, with a meticulous attention to the minutiae of emotion and movement, crafts a character that is both a figure of reverence and a deeply flawed human being, making the performance all the more gripping.

Beyond the individual triumphs of Banderas, “Pain and Glory” also serves as a cultural landmark within the filmographies of both actor and director, marking a moment where their collaborative synergy reaches its zenith. This movie is not just a story told on screen—it’s a piece of living art, inviting viewers to empathize, reflect, and even find pieces of their own life stories within the frames of this poignant film.

Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas) between two paintings by Sigfrido Martín Begué in Pain and Glory: Las Costureras (left) and Santa Casilda – El Olfato (right). Image courtesy El Deseo D.A. S.L.U., photo by Manolo Pavón.

It’s worth noting that the impact of Banderas‘s performance is enhanced by his history with Almodóvar. Having launched his career in “Labyrinth of Passion,” Banderas has evolved as an actor alongside Almodóvar’s growth as a filmmaker. This synergy is palpable in “Pain and Glory,” their eighth film. Their collective history imbues the narrative with a depth that resonates with those familiar with their work.

In “Pain and Glory,” Antonio Banderas embodies the emotional and physical tribulations of aging with a visceral sincerity. The character grapples with a spectrum of emotions from regret to reminiscence, and the portrayal is imbued with a poignant realism. The pains of aging, as experienced by the character, reflect a universal human experience, making the film deeply relatable.

The narrative weaves through the protagonist’s past and present, highlighting the layers of his identity as an artist and as a gay man facing the twilight years of his life. Banderas not only succeeds in captivating the audience with his Oscar-worthy portrayal but also offers an insightful gaze into the soul of an artist. His performance pays homage to the rich complexity of Almodóvar’s “auto-fictional” character, making “Pain and Glory” an unforgettable experience in contemporary cinema.

Spain in the 1990s

The cinematic landscape of post-Franco Spain is vividly brought to life through the films of Pedro Almodóvar, among other creative talents emerging during this dynamic period of cultural reawakening. The country, having endured a long period of repression under Franco’s dictatorship, experienced a flourishing of creative expression that echoed through cinema, literature, art, and architecture following the dictator’s death in 1975.

This renaissance was not only evident in high culture but also seen in the streets and lives of the Spanish people, who embraced newfound freedoms with a vivacious spirit that would come to be known as La Movida Madrileña. This movement, with Madrid as its epicenter, encapsulated a societal urge to break free from the conservative shackles of the past, and it fostered an environment where artists like Almodóvar could thrive.

The movie in question, reflecting this era, showcases Spain’s rapid modernization and the exuberance of its people. The characters and their environments are painted with a palette that speaks to this zeitgeist—a bold and liberal use of color, form, and texture that could be seen in the urban landscape and in the private spaces of the Spanish citizens.

By the time 1992 arrived, Spain was ready to present itself on the world stage as a nation reborn. Barcelona’s hosting of the Olympics was a sporting spectacle that also highlighted the city’s architectural marvels, from Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia to the contemporary structures developed for the games. In the same breath, Seville’s EXPO’92 served as a global exposition of the world’s cultures and innovations, with Spain demonstrating its leadership in various fields. Madrid, as the Cultural Capital of Europe in 1992, affirmed Spain’s position at the forefront of the arts. The city showcased a kaleidoscope of cultural achievements that year, from art exhibitions to theatrical performances, and pulsated with the creative energy that had been building up over the past decades.

The notion that a character’s home in the movie would take its inspiration from Pedro Almodóvar’s actual residence is a testament to the director’s personal influence in defining the aesthetic of the era. His home, much like the sets of his films, would presumably be a microcosm of this broader cultural evolution—a place where avant-garde meets tradition, and the boldness of La Movida is encapsulated within the walls of an intimate, personal space. Through the characters’ lives and the spaces they inhabit, viewers are given a window into a transformative time in Spanish history that still echoes in the nation’s contemporary culture.

The director’s art collection heralds a time when La Movida M__adrileña counted both Pedro Almodóvar and Sigfrido Martín Begué among its leading creative figures. Sigfrido Martín Begué (Madrid, 1959-2010) created two of the most prominent paintings in the film, Las Costureras (1996) and Santa Casilda – El Olfato (1986). Together, they make a stylish and bold Spanish backdrop to the unfolding drama. It comes as little surprise to those of us who knew Sigfrido that his art would figure so prominently in Almodóvar’s films. The two were good friends. Pedro Almodóvar attended Sigfrido’s art exhibits, and Sigfrido was always present at Almodóvar’s film premiers in Madrid. As a result, Sigfrido’s work has appeared in several of Almodóvar’s films but never so prominently as in Pain and Glory.

Santa Casilda – El Olfato

Santa Casilda – El Olfato (art as seen in Almodóvar’s Pain and Glory)) was part of an intricate series of five paintings by the revered artist Sigfrido Martín Begué, each an ode to the human senses. This particular piece garners special attention due to its sundry artistry and layered meanings. It was first unveiled to the public in the engaging exhibit Máquinas held at the Galería Mar Estrada. Máquinas wasn’t just any ordinary display; it embodied Begué’s bold vision and a showcase highlighting the zenith of his artistic journey.

Begué’s portfolio displayed during this solo exhibition was nothing short of a visual lexicon of his multifaceted skills. Expertly weaving through different artistic periods, he imbued traditional narratives with modern ethos. Through Santa Casilda – El Olfato, Begué fused the historic and the contemporary, paying tribute not just to one sense, but encapsulating a full spectrum of sensory experiences. The series elaborates on themes as varied as the historical recognition of saints and as modern as technology’s role in today’s society.

One could infer a subtle interplay between the ethereal and the material in his work. Fashion and technology—often seen at polar ends of the cultural spectrum—are amalgamated to reflect society’s changing values and its constant quest for innovation and aesthetics. The architectural elements in the pieces demonstrate Begué’s firm grasp on structure and form, showing that the arrangement of space is as crucial to the narrative of a painting as its subject and palette.

The composition and design of each painting are meticulously crafted to evoke deep contemplation, illustrating not only Begué’s command of artistic symbolism but also his sagacity in layering multiple elements to produce a coherent and impactful body of work. His paintings are an invitation to dive deep into the depths of history and rise to the surface clad in contemporary understandings. With works such as Santa Casilda – El Olfato, Sigfrido Martín Begué has undeniably etched his name into the annals of art history.

Sigfrido’s Santa Casilda – El Olfato is a luxurious painting about the sense of smell. We know this is Santa Casilda because the artist has placed a loaf of bread in her Balenciaga-inspired dress. She is protecting the bread from an aggressive dog, obviously attracted by the aroma of the bread. Behind her, a gallery of floral paintings provokes the idea of their sweet smells and reminds us of the olfactory sense. Finally, one sees a small perfume bottle on the table to remind the viewer that this is Santa Casilda.

The Art of Sigfrido Martín Begué

Sigfrido Martín Begué (Madrid, 1959–2010)

Sigfrido Martín Begué is an artist whose work is an intriguing juxtaposition of the surreal and futuristic, heavily influenced by the painterly techniques honed by Italy and Spain’s neoclassical masters. Every brushstroke reverberates with a profound understanding of these classical traditions, yet his visions are firmly planted in the present and future, creating a bridge across time through art.

His oeuvre tackles modern and contemporary societal issues. Yet, it does so with an ever-present nod to Christian symbolism and metaphoric storytelling — tools that infuse his art with layers of meaning. The powerful yet graceful references to religious iconography are not blunt; instead, they are woven seamlessly into the narrative of each piece, asking the viewer to look deeper and engage with the undercurrents of faith and spirituality that flow beneath the surface.

Begué’s stylistic choices recall the dramatic tension and metaphysical musings of De Chirico and the distinctive, spiritually charged figures of El Greco. However, he adds a distinct post-modern flair to this lineage that sets his work apart. His figures are often elongated, elegantly distorted echoes of the human form that are at once familiar and alien. This stylization is not merely aesthetic but rich in meaning, creating a visual dialogue about the human condition and its flexibility in the face of societal pressures and existential dilemmas.

Sigfrido’s palette is as varied as it is deliberate—bold hues command attention in one instance, while muted tones suggest introspection and calm in another. This choice of colors is strategic, designed to guide the viewer’s emotional response and highlight thematic elements within each composition.

Yet, despite the weighty themes and classical influences, there is an unmistakable undercurrent of humor and irony in much of Sigfrido’s work. This deft touch invites the viewer not only to contemplate and reflect but also to find joy in the absurdity and contradictions of life.

His portfolio showcases a range and depth of talent, from delicate pencil drawings highlighting his meticulous attention to detail to grand, large-scale oil paintings that call to mind the exquisite and exacting works of his Spanish predecessors. Each piece feels like a crafted world unto itself, with themes that evoke deep contemplation — from Los Automátas, a commentary on the mechanization of humanity, to Las Máquinas, a meditation on the relationship between man and the machinery of his creation.

In a unique blend of art and fashion, his Santas series pays homage to the high couture of Cristóbal Balenciaga, with each saint’s dress meticulously inspired by the groundbreaking designs of the renowned fashion icon. Balenciaga, who forged his path in the fashion world by opening his boutique in 1917, seems a fitting muse for Sigfrido’s art, which is unafraid to break molds and transcend boundaries.

The Art of Pain and Glory

The film Pain and Glory, directed by the illustrious Pedro Almodóvar, stars renowned actors Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz, and has been commanding the attention of cinema enthusiasts with its compelling narrative paired with a striking aesthetic. The movie is not merely resting on its laurels; instead, it continues to harvest a wealth of positive critiques and accolades from various critical spheres. One undeniable impact of the film has been to refuel the conversation around the works of Sigfrido Martin Begué, whose unique artistic lexicon is receiving renewed examination and appreciation.

Through Almodóvar’s cinematic lens, audiences are offered a glimpse into a world suffused with color and emotional depth, reminiscent of Begué’s own artistic endeavors. Just as the artist’s creations distill stories into palettes and forms that evoke a poignant response, Almodóvar’s film achieves a similar resonance through its visual storytelling. Both the artist and the filmmaker share an avidity for communicating narratives that transcend conventional norms—instead, they opt for a polyphonic palette of emotions and hues.

Almodóvar’s craftsmanship in Pain and Glory celebrates life’s spectrum, from the agonizing depths of a character’s experience to the exhilarating peaks of creative euphoria. Banderas’s portrayal is a testament to Almodóvar’s ability to extract deeply personal performances from his actors, while Cruz’s participation adds a layer of authenticity and charm. Beyond its immediate narrative, the film prompts a broader dialogue about art, memory, and the indelible marks that both leave on the human experience.

Pain and Glory stands not just as a singular piece of cinematic art but also as a beacon that illuminates the works of visionary artists like Sigfrido Martin Begué. It is a clear demonstration of the power of film to act as a conduit for the renaissance of interest in different art forms, encouraging audiences to explore the myriad ways stories can be told and experienced. Almodóvar, ever the auteur, proves once more that cinema can create a tapestry of life as complex, vibrant, and profound as the artworks that inspire it.

Learn more about the art of Sigfrido Martín Begué

October 16, 2019
Smartify: AI technology for all museums

Smartify is a free app that scans art and provides access to content in museums and galleries. Smartify users can also use it to build a personal art collection from some of the world’s best museums. Additionally, the augmented reality (AR) feature allows users to see the art in their homes.

Smartify works in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s Hall of Presidents. Pictured here is the portrait of President Barrack Obama.

I first learned about the museum app Smartify at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in front of the portrait of President Barrack Obama. There was a sign to download an app. I could deploy as a scanner on my iPhone to learn more about the Presidential portraits. I quickly downloaded it and scanned the art, and it worked. What a thrill!

A few weeks later, I created a partnership between Smartify and the Historical Society of Washington, DC., where I was the executive director. The platform was a perfect solution for the new museum. The goal was to deliver information about the history of the Carnegie Library to personal mobile devices. The app can be used throughout the DC History Center. Plans include expanding the content to allow scans of sculptures in and around the building.

Scan Art Not QR Codes – Behind the App Technology

This app eliminates the need to scan QR codes. It uses technology to recognize the art itself. This technology works on smartphones and mobile devices. And it is an art guide that provides information instantly. It works across venues and is easy to use. Smartify is a social enterprise that serves a global community of art venues, artists, and art lovers. It’s the one app you can use to scan artwork to discover content for museums around the world.

Case Study: Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square

Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square is a history exhibit about the 1903 Carnegie Library in Washington, DC. Produced in partnership with Apple, the permanent exhibition is in the Carnegie Gallery on the lower level. Originally called the “bicycle room” when it opened, the room was meticulously restored in 2019 by Apple.

Carnegie Gallery, Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square

With dramatic ceramic ceilings by Rafael Guastavino, the exhibit space includes sixteen images. They benchmark moments from the building’s 115-year history. These include conceptual designs, blueprints, and other images from the 70 years as the public library. The exhibit concludes with the 2018 renovations by Apple.

The complete history is available at the DC History Center website. Here, learners can find the full and unedited version of the history of the 1903 Beaux-Arts building. The website includes the history of the selection of Washington, DC, as the site for the new capital city and Peter L’Enfant’s design of the District.

To enhance the minimal content on the exhibit walls, the Historical Society partnered with Smartify to deploy additional historical images and text to visitors’ mobile devices. Visitors scan any one of the 16 images to gain access to more information. The partnership with Smartify resulted in increased visibility of the DC History Center and allows visitors to support the organization with memberships and donations.

The platform is developed in partnership with art museums worldwide, including the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, The Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and many more.

September 15, 2019
DC History Center

John Suau

Created over five years, the DC History Center, an urban history center in the US, opened on May 11, 2019. The center includes a library and a museum and is operated by the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1898, the society has long struggled to find the “right-size” home to support its mission in Washington.

The Historical Society closed in 2011 due to a lack of funding and was without a director for three years. After a two-year search, the Historical Society hired John Suau. Under his leadership, a beautiful new destination for DC history was created. The American Architecture Awards recently named Apple’s transformative restoration of the Carnegie Library the best restoration of 2020. With the support of technology, its transition into a 21st-century urban history center is finished.

Digital Communications

Rebranding the organization

Creating a new digital footprint with a cost-efficient blog website enabled easier integration with other digital marketing tools.

The organization was rebranded as @dchistory to strengthen the brand consistently across Twitter/X, Instagram, and Facebook.

Exhibits

Creating new exhibits enlivened community participation and engaged artists and photographers in the Historical Society’s work.

For the Record: Artfully Historic D.C.
(April 22 – June 19, 2015) – Premiere edition of the “For the Record” series captured scenes of the District’s most endangered buildings, as identified by the DC Preservation League.

reVISION::THINKING BIG
(September 23 – December 18, 2015) – Exhibit focused on five recent mixed-use projects including The Yards, The Wharf, Burnham Place at Union Station, Capitol Crossing, and the McMillan Sand Filtration site.

DISTRICT: Chris Earnshaw
(January 7 – February 26, 2016) – Explores D.C. during the 1960s and 1970s through the extraordinary eye of photographer Chris Earnshaw.

EXPOSED DC
(March 11-25, 2016) – The 10th annual Exposed DC Photography Show

For the Record: Changing D.C.
(April 15 – July 16, 2016) – For the Record second annual juried exhibit of artworks that capture Washington’s changing urban landscape.

For the Record: The Art of Lily Spandorf
(November 21, 2015–July 3, 2016) The exhibit explores the artwork of Austrian-born watercolorist and journalist Lily Spandorf (1914-2000).

District II
(November 19, 2016 – February 12, 2017) – DISTRICT II examines the streets of downtown D.C. through the lens of local chroniclers Bill Barrett, Chris Earnshaw, and Joseph Mills.

For the Record: Picturing DC
(November 9, 2017 – March 4, 2018) – Third and final edition of For the Record: Picturing D.C. focused on neighborhoods in each of Washington, D.C.’s eight wards.

The Pilot District Project, 1968–1973
(March 31, 2018–JANUARY 15, 2019) – This exhibition explores the Pilot District Project (PDP), a local experiment in community policing after the riots in 1968.

DC Hall of History
(Opened May 11, 2019) – Includes a panoramic timeline of the history of the District, a map of local DC history, and topical display cases featuring historic collections.

The Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square
(Opened May 11, 2019) An exhibit about the history of the iconic landmark 1903 Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C.

THE BIG PICTURE
(Opened May 11, 2019) – An interactive and larger-than-life exhibit of over 70 panoramic images from the early 1900s through the 1990s.

For the Record is one example. This was a crowd-sourced exhibit program about documenting the built environment of contemporary Washington, D.C. A group of museum curators juried the exhibition. It rapidly grew into one of the local community’s most engaging exhibits. From 2017 through May 2019, the Historical Society vacated the Carnegie Library to restore it.

During the restoration, community partners played a crucial role. The Newseum, the National Building Museum, and the George Washington University Museum provided program and operation space. This allowed for continued engagement with the local community.

Public Programs

Partnerships with community organizations are an important part of the new DC History Center. These partners enhance programs and bring new and diverse audiences to the new DC History Center. In 2014, the society partnered with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). They hosted the final edition of “Saving Our African American Treasures.”

The DC History Center produced numerous public programs, including tours, workshops, and speaker series. The annual DC History Conference partnered with the DC Public Library and the George Washington University Gelman Library. It worked with the National Archives. The University of the District of Columbia also collaborated. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History was included as well.

Community Partnerships

Community partnerships expanded the organization’s reach by establishing strategic alliances with local organizations. Partnerships include the Capital Pride Alliance and the DC Public Library. Other partners are the DC Preservation League, the George Washington University Museum, the National Archives, and the National Building Museum.

Collaborative relationships were formed with museum colleagues at the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum. Additionally, we connected with colleagues at Smithsonian Associates. We also reached out to the Smithsonian Latino Center and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The Historical Society developed a long-term strategic partnership with the DC Office of Planning. This partnership helped to develop HistoryQuest DC. It is an interactive map with historical data on approximately 127,000 buildings in Washington, DC.

HistoryQuest DC
MNCPPC, VITA, Esri, HERE, Garmin, INCREMENT P, USGS, METI/NASA, EPA, USDA |

The map offers many layers of information for the user. The website provides historical data on individual buildings. It also links to information about properties on the National Register of Historic Places.

Fundraising and Grants

A complimentary program, the Visionary Historian Award, was established to create a second fundraising event recognizing local historians.

Together, the award programs increase the organization’s visibility and elevate the brand across the city. The events raised 10-15% of the organization’s annual budget. Augmented support from DC government agencies like the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and HumanitiesDC bolstered public support. Project grants from the Office of Planning also contributed. Overall, public support increased by more than 2300%.

Corporate Partnerships

Apple and the Carnegie Library Restoration

DC History Center

This new facility includes three exhibit galleries, a research library, a retail store, offices, and state-of-the-art collection storage facilities. From rebranding to a successful partnership with Apple, the DC History Center is now a 21st-century cultural hub. It welcomes all visitors for free, advancing the mission of the Historical Society.

The new Apple Store opening tomorrow at the Carnegie Library is absolutely beautiful. Also Awesome – the beautiful new DC History Center
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www.popville.com

History & Macbooks: A Match Made In D.C. – The Kojo Nnamdi Show
As Apple unveils its newest flagship store at the Carnegie Library in D.C., we discuss what it means when

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thekojonnamdishow.org

Will An Apple Store Improve Carnegie Library? – The Kojo Nnamdi Show
The Carnegie Library in downtown D.C. was once home to a short-lived museum on local history. Now, a flagship Apple store might move in.
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thekojonnamdishow.org

Selma Thomas, Museum Consultant

John brought both vision and good management to the Historical Society and with his professional background and contacts, turned an archaic institution into a vibrant player in the city’s cultural scene.

May 11, 2019
Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square

Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square

Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square is one of three new exhibits in the DC History Center. This small exhibit is about the history of the iconic landmark 1903 Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C. Produced in partnership with Apple, the exhibit is located in the Carnegie Gallery on the lower level. History tells us that when it opened in 1903, this room originally served as the “bicycle room”.

With its dramatic Rafael Guastavino ceramic ceilings, the exhibit hall includes sixteen images. Each one benchmarks a moment in the building’s 115-year history, including conceptual designs and blueprints. The exhibit documents seventy years of use as the public library, and it ends with the renovations by Apple.

Museum-goer scans to learn more.

To complement the two exhibits, the Historical Society partnered with Smartify to deploy content via mobile devices. Visitors can scan any one of the 16 images in the exhibit to learn the story behind each image.

The partnership with Smartify has resulted in increased visibility of the DC History Center. Similarly, the app allows users to support the organization via a link to donate or join as a member.

May 11, 2019
THE BIG PICTURE

John Suau conceived and created THE BIG PICTURE, the inaugural exhibit of the new DC History Center. The project presented an opportunity to open a new gallery space in a restored historic landmark building that was being restored by Apple with an unknown timeline.

Design Challenge

As outlined above, the project had a short and moving timeline. The restoration began in August 2017. The entire operations of the Historical Society were relocated to the Newseum including the majority of the collections. The remainder were relocated to offsite storage facilities. The target opening date was December 2018. However, building renovations were difficult. As in most historic restoration projects, surprises were found and delays ensued.

Working with a very tight timeline, there were also limited resources available. John Suau created new funding opportunities for local companies to sponsor, with THE BIG PICTURE as a big part of the package. The unknown reopening date prevented the establishment of a stable environment for collections. The design solution would require an exhibit with reproductions with maximum visual impact and broad programming options.

Exhibit Content

Since he started in March of 2014, John Suau had been fascinated with the Capitol Photo Service collection of the Historical Society. With over 3,500 panoramic images dating from the early 1900s, Suau worked closely with a photo editor and contract researchers to select 70 images that would best serve for this exhibit. These images were curated and reproduced in various formats, from large analog screens to digital formats for touchscreens. The results provide dramatic and diverse stories that convey the rich history of Washington, D.C.

From the DC History Center

THE BIG PICTURE exhibit

“In the first half of the 20th century, photographers recorded milestones using panoramic technology. Very few people alive have seen them. Until now.

THE BIG PICTURE reveals how these craftsmen captured DC history. From Rudolph Valentino’s visit to the White House to the 1924 World Series Championship, these magnificent panoramic photographs document visiting celebrities and moments of great pride.

They celebrate the District of Columbia’s highs, acknowledge its lows, and reveal everyday life. THE BIG PICTURE presents more than 70 of the resonant images to take you back to the Washington you remember and the one you never knew. Come see these images–-several of which are blown up so large that you’ll feel like you’re a part of them–for a completely new experience of Washington’s past. THE BIG PICTURE is the context for today’s richly diverse DC, the familiar, the surprising, and the beautiful.”

Design Solution

John Suau found the solution in the creation of giant light boxes for mounting (and backlighting) large reproductions from a huge collection of panoramic images. Five of them were enlarged to over forty feet long and nine feet high.

To complement the large images, the exhibit includes additional digital images. Several are featured on the opening digital screen, rolling across the screen slowly. Four groups of over a dozen more images are presented on touchscreens. These allow visitors to “pinch and zoom” so they can examine the rich details of the giant images. The exhibit includes over 70 different images. The photographs portray people, places, and events throughout the 20th century.

The design concept was based on a visit to the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis. A state-funded institution, they had recently opened a new exhibit, Panoramas of the City. A similar history exhibit that featured panoramic images of St. Louis, the format was ideal for the new exhibit in the DC History Center. The Historical Society boasts over 100,000 panoramic images in the Capital Photo Service collection. Using these large analog negatives, the images could be magnified to huge prints thanks to the originals’ resolution. They provided a fascinating window into the history of urban life in the 20th century.

The majority of the Historical Society’s images are documentaries of school groups, dances, meetings, reunions, and White House visits dating from the early 1900s to the 1990s. The Capital Photo Service Collection was a part of the Historical Society. The Fred Schutz Collection, which holds the oldest collection of Washington panoramic images, are part of the Panoramic Images Collection. Thanks to a partnership with Panoramic Images, the exhibit included some of the most dramatic and iconic images of Washington, D.C.

John Kelly

…the real draw right now is the DC History Center’s inaugural exhibit, “The Big Picture.” They don’t get much bigger. Because the negatives are so large — eight inches high — they can be blown up super big. A few have been printed on seamless fabric nine feet high and 40 feet wide. The fabric is mounted on curved light boxes. The effect is mesmerizing.

John Kelly, The Washington Post, May 12, 2019

May 1, 2019
For the Record: The Art of Lily Spandorf

This exhibition explores the artwork of Austrian-born watercolorist and journalist Lily Spandorf (1914-2000).

Working with pen, ink, watercolor, and gouache, Spandorf became known for the news illustrations she created for the Washington Star, Christian Science Monitor, and Washington Post, among many other periodicals.

^{For the Record: The Art of Lily Spandorf, George Washington University Museum 2018}

Late in her career, she was celebrated for passionately recording the transformation of Washington, D.C.’s urban landscape, especially the many red-brick, late-nineteenth-century buildings facing demolition, being demolished, or whose historical contexts were erased for modern construction.

This exhibition was co-produced by the Historical Society of Washington, D.C., and the George Washington University Museum | The Textile Museum.

July 3, 2016
reVISION::Thinking Big
In September 2015, the Historical Society presented “reVISION::THINKING BIG, New Projects in Washington DC,” an exhibit focused on five mixed-use projects currently in design in Washington and in the final stages of development review, or under construction.

The projects include The Yards, The Wharf, Burnham Place at Union Station, Capitol Crossing, and the McMillan Sand Filtration site. The exhibit examined the theories and context behind each project’s design as well as the complexity inherent in projects of such vision and scope.

The themes addressed include:
- Reconnecting to the water
- Building above barriers, and
- Re-purposing public works
Organized by AIA|DC, the exhibit was supplemented by material from the Historical Society’s collections to tell the stories of the past while looking towards the city’s future.
September 15, 2015