Tag Archive for: smithsonian affiliates

Five Questions With…Alexandra Lord

Headshot of Alexandra Lord
Courtesy of Alexandra Lord

One of the benefits of being a Smithsonian Affiliate is the access to Smithsonian scholarship and its scholars. In 2025 we are reviving our “Five Questions With…” series to introduce our Smithsonian Affiliate network to the incredible staff working hard for the “increase and diffusion of knowledge” at the Smithsonian.

In this post, we interviewed Alexandra Lord, chair of the Division of Medicine and Science at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and asked her to share what inspires her about her work and how she hopes to connect with communities in 2025.

Tell us a little about yourself and how you got to the Smithsonian.
I became interested in the history of medicine even before I knew there was such a thing! As a kid, I loved books like The Secret Garden, Little Women, and the Little House books but I was really puzzled by all the references to diseases I had never heard of such as cholera, tuberculosis, and scarlet fever. In college and then in grad school, I opted to study how people in the past experienced illnesses and how physicians and nurses cared for patients before they understood how diseases spread.

After grad school I became the historian for the U.S. Public Health Service (2001). While working at the PHS, I became really interested in preservation—in part because the hospitals on Ellis Island, which are linked to the Public Health Service, were being renovated. And so, in 2008, I applied to become the Branch Chief for the National Historic Landmarks Program, the National Park Service’s premier preservation program. I loved working with local communities to preserve their historic and archaeological sites. But in 2015, after I had been at the Park Service for 7 years, the Smithsonian advertised for a historian to oversee their history of medicine and science collections. The opportunity to work with the Smithsonian’s amazing history of medicine collections made me realize how much I had missed the opportunity to focus on the history of medicine. I’ve been here ever since, and I have yet to grow tired of exploring our collections!

A rectangular box containing a package of Ramses rubber prophylactics from circa 1930-1950s.
Ramses Condom, 1930s. Julius Schmid worked in a sausage factory before deciding to begin marketing condoms. By the 1930s, his company, which produced these condoms, dominated the market and he was called “The Condom King.”

Why is your area of interest important?
In a time when we are very divided, one thing unites us: we all know what it’s like to be sick. But while being ill is one of the most universal human experiences, we rarely ever think about what it was like to be sick in the past—before vaccination, before antibiotics, and before we even understood how diseases spread. This may be because when we are sick, we tend to be too miserable to think about the past! But epidemics and diseases have shaped the outcomes of wars, immigration policies, politics, our workplaces and, much more importantly, our families. Today, we live in a world in which diseases are heavily controlled and contained so it’s easy to forget how diseases shaped the past. But, as we saw with the COVID-19 pandemic, diseases still pose a threat. Understanding how people responded to diseases and epidemics is key to understanding not only our past but also our present and future.

What inspires you, excites and challenges you about your job or department?
The National Museum of American History has over 100,000 objects related to the history of medicine and science. Our collections range from an 18th-century obstetrical kit to 19th-century patent medicines to 20th-century artificial hearts. Caring for, and adding to, this collection is an ongoing struggle. Like all museums, we don’t have enough storage space, so we think very carefully about what we are collecting—and we need to periodically review what we have collected. It’s a difficult challenge but an interesting one as it pushes us to explore and think deeply about the material culture around medicine and the people who have used these objects.

A decorated face shield. The clear mask is designed to look like a fish tank with brightly colored fish, sea plants and shells, and a boat with feet hanging off the edge on the crown of the mask.
Face Shield (COVID-19) Pamela Mossinghoff Tures, a glass artist in Virginia, designed and made this “Fish Tank” plastic shield face mask. She created the mask as part of a contest for the “best mask” at a conference she attended in Florida in May of 2021. Her “Fish Tank” mask, which she said reflects the confined nature of quarantines, won.

Tell us about something in your recent work you are particularly proud of and why.
During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we asked people across the country to contact us and share their pandemic stories. We also asked them to tell us what they thought we should collect to document this story. We got a huge response (we are still receiving responses!). Many Affiliates worked with us, both in thinking about how we should collect and how we should tell this story. Working together with Affiliate museums enabled us to ensure that objects went to the best homes, whether that was the American History Museum or an Affiliate organization. We especially loved working with Affiliates on our Pandemic Perspectives virtual programming. These programs ranged from the light-hearted (“How to Look Good on a Zoom Call,” for example, highlighted historic make-up and personal care products) to the more serious (“Race and Place” which explored the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia in 1793). Our audience especially loved the program we did which highlighted how several Affiliate museums were collecting around the pandemic. We loved it, too, because we learned a lot about how museums were thinking about this work across the country.

A package of sanitary napkins from 1919-1920
Sphagnum Moss Mustrual Pad, c. 1920s. During World War I, nurses and physicians discovered that sphagnum moss was especially effective at absorbing blood. In the wake of the war, Sfag-Na-Kins began using sphagnum moss to create and market disposable menstrual pads. While Sfag-Na-Kins did not achieve market dominance, the idea of replacing cloth menstrual rags with disposable pads became widespread in the 20th century.

We are always looking to share people and resources with our Affiliate network, what would you like to share with them or what specifically would you love to talk about in a speaking program hosted by an Affiliate?
I love to share our collections and their stories. I’m especially interested in speaking to and hearing from audiences across the country about their experiences with the stories listed below:

  • Sex Education/Reproductive Health: Why has sex education been so controversial since its beginnings in the 1890s? How has the battle over birth control as well as the fight to contain sexually transmitted diseases shaped American culture and history?
  • Women’s Health: Why have issues related to women’s health been neglected? How have changing ideas about women shaped the practice of medicine?
  • Infectious Diseases/Vaccines: How do we experience infectious diseases differently from our ancestors? Why has vaccination been so controversial?
  • Collecting Around COVID-19: How will we tell the story of COVID-19? In 2020, the National Museum of American History issued a call to Americans to hear their stories about the pandemic. We are still collecting around this story, and we would love to engage in a discussion about this with Americans across the country.
  • Mourning Rituals: Why were the Victorians so obsessed with death? How did changing ideas about religion and science, along with new technologies, change how nineteenth-century Americans understood death?

Thank you to Alexandra for sharing a little about her work with us. As Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III said in a recent Smithsonian magazine article, “One of the reasons I agreed to become Secretary years ago was because of my profound respect for the amazing work of my colleagues.” The Smithsonian “is a collection of amazing people who do work that sometimes is not understood, sometimes that is undervalued, but it’s work that as Secretary, I see as essential to a nation understanding itself.” We hope you enjoyed meeting one of these amazing people and hope you’ll stay tuned for more Five Questions With… interviews this year.

If you are a Smithsonian Affiliate interested in inviting Alexandra to your neighborhood this year, please fill out this Speaker Interest Form and an Affiliations team member will be in touch to discuss in more detail.

2024, An Affiliate Recap

It was an exciting year for collaboration and inspiration in so many communities! With the help of our Smithsonian Affiliates (find the Affiliate directory here), we brought the Smithsonian to communities across the country for an incredible year of collaboration, learning, and inspiration. Our Smithsonian Affiliates help connect Smithsonian initiatives with their local communities to help address many of the challenges we face. Our Affiliates are doing important and necessary work every day, and collaborating with the Smithsonian amplifies this incredible work. Here are a few highlights of Smithsonian-Affiliate engagements from 2024.


2024, An Affiliate Recap by Smithsonian Affiliations


A group of people take a selfie in front of a red brick building
High school Learning Center students and coordinator, Rockwell Museum educator and Smithsonian educators. The Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY.

National Youth Summits and the Youth Leadership Team

Since 2011, the National Museum of American History has collaborated with Smithsonian Affiliates to engage teens nationwide in the National Youth Summit program. Affiliate organizations serve as Regional Summits using content from the American History Museum and their own resources to engage local middle and high school students in discussions grounded in history and connected to current issues. In September 2024, a group of nine diverse Smithsonian Affiliates participated in the 2024 Summit exploring Elections & Politics.

Four Affiliates—Arab American National Museum (Dearborn, MI), The Rockwell Museum (Corning, NY), International Museum of Art and Science (McAllen, TX), and Japanese American National Museum (Los Angeles, CA)—were part of a pilot Youth Leadership Team. This project, funded by a Smithsonian Together We Thrive grant, aimed to enhance teen advocacy and agency in the Summits. The goal was to center youth voices in the planning and development of Summit programming. Twelve teenagers were recruited to discuss democracy, social justice and national issues faced by teens today. Throughout the planning, students met with Smithsonian and Affiliate staff virtually and traveled to Washington, D.C., in August to meet with Smithsonian experts and fellow team members.

Since 2011, the National Museum of American History has collaborated with Smithsonian Affiliates to engage teens nationwide in the National Youth Summit program. Affiliate organizations serve as Regional Summits using content from the American History Museum and their own resources to engage local middle and high school students in discussions grounded in history and connected to current issues. In September 2024, a group of nine diverse Smithsonian Affiliates participated in the 2024 Summit exploring Elections & Politics.


African American Craft Initiative

Courtesy City Lore

Three Affiliates —City Lore (New York, NY), Michigan State University Museum (East Lansing, MI), and Orange County Regional History Museum (Orlando, FL)—were selected to participate in the African American Craft Initiative. The project from the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage aims to expand the visibility of underrepresented elder African American artisans and safeguard their stories. The project is meant to build relationships among artists, elders, and youth within their local communities.


The Affiliate Learning Hub

A screen grab of the Learning Excursions page

In 2024 we launched the Learning Hub, which includes individual Learning Excursions that help Affiliate leadership and their teams think about their work today and into the future. These Excursions inspire Affiliates to continually think about ways they can work together and with the Smithsonian.

Affiliate staff can take a deeper dive into these Excursions:

  • Essentials: For new and existing Affiliates to take a deeper dive into community engagement, collaboration and relationship building, and more
  • Affiliate Stories: Modules to enhance your collaborative efforts, build leadership skills, and showcase your impact.
  • Tools for Action: Download reflection guides and toolkits to facilitate ongoing learning and skill development.

See Me at the Smithsonian Professional Development Training

four people participate in a workshop at an art museum
Courtesy Access Smithsonian

In 2024, Access Smithsonian offered a hybrid professional development training series for the creation and implementation of programming for adults living with dementia and their care partners. Twenty-eight Smithsonian Affiliates were selected to participate. The training presented Affiliate staff with tools and strategies for adapting the See Me at the Smithsonian model at their organizations.

See Me at the Smithsonian has made it possible for people with dementia and their care partners to continue to enjoy Smithsonian museums, engage with the Smithsonian’s most beloved objects, sustain lifelong learning, and connect with and contribute to a larger community.


Participants of the 2024 Affiliate Directors’ Summit. Courtesy Jeremy Norwood for Smithsonian Affiliations

Affiliate Directors’ Summit

In November, the Smithsonian Affiliations team hosted its first in-person gathering for Affiliates since 2019. The Affiliate Directors’ Summit brought together 41 Affiliate leaders in Washington, D.C., to network with and learn from each other and Smithsonian leadership. Participants identified actionable strategies for new or enhanced collaborations that extend and deepen our collective impact. Prior to the in-person gathering, Affiliate leadership joined a special virtual meeting with Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G Bunch III.

In all, Affiliates were involved in more than 800 engagements with the Smithsonian during 2024. Thank you to the entire Smithsonian Affiliations team for your continued excellence in facilitating Affiliate-Smithsonian relationships and guiding so many collaborations from idea to implementation. We wish our Affiliate and Smithsonian colleagues a wonderful holiday season and look forward to 2025 collaborations!

Thinking about how you can collaborate in 2025? Contact your National Outreach Manager or email Affiliates@si.edu and let’s brainstorm!

Smithsonian Insider: Spring 2024

Smithsonian Insider email banner

You may remember receiving the Smithsonian Insider digital communication in your inbox twice per year, in addition to the Affiliate Collaborator newsletter. We are streamlining our communications and combining the publication of the Insider with the Collaborator. Instead, you’ll receive high-level Smithsonian news, Smithsonian strategic initiatives, and highlights from the work of Smithsonian scholars and experts in your regular Affiliate Collaborator newsletter. We hope this reduces the number of emails in your inbox while still bringing you opportunities and resources from the Smithsonian in a more concise digital communication.

SMITHSONIAN STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

The Human Remains Task Force, established in 2023, completed its work and submitted their recommendations to Secretary Bunch in January 2024. The thirteen-member task force was assembled to make policy recommendations to the Secretary concerning human remains in the custody of the Smithsonian. The full report is now published and available to the public. In sum, the task force recommends the Smithsonian develop a policy regarding the treatment and return of human remains in its care consistent with principles set forth in the report. Read the full report.

SMITHSONIAN IN THE NEWS

The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum has announced the names and estimated opening timeline for the final 12 galleries to open as part of the renovation of its building in Washington, D.C.

World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation Gallery Rendering. Smithsonian Institution.

SMITHSONIAN STAFF UPDATES

Welcome to new Smithsonian leadership:

  • Elizabeth C. Babcock, director, Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum (effective June 3)
  • Sanchita Balachandran, director, Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute (effective April 8)
  • Dalila Scruggs, Augusta Savage Curator of African American Art (effective April 22)
  • Deborah Rosenberg, executive editor, Smithsonian magazine
Smithsonian Insider logo

Look for this Smithsonian Insider icon in the Affiliate Collaborator and catch up on news coming from the Smithsonian. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about anything you see in one of these posts, please let us know.

Logo Lowdown: 2024 edition

Approved Smithsonian Affiliate sunburst logo with the word affiliate italicized beneath the word smithsonian all under the blue and yellow sunburst.

Did you know that the Smithsonian sunburst is one of the most widely recognized brands in the U.S., and our Affiliates are the only organizations authorized to use a special sunburst logo in their materials? It’s true!

As an exclusive benefit of being a Smithsonian Affiliate, your organization can use the Smithsonian Affiliate logo or taglines for marketing materials, brochures, and signs. It’s a great way to show your association with the Smithsonian to your visitors and stakeholders. So, as a refresher or a quick intro, here’s an overview of the logos you are approved to use, how to use them correctly, and a few other tips. This information is always accessible on our website on our Logos & Taglines page, and the Smithsonian Affiliations team is also always happy to chat with you if you have any questions.

What logos are approved to use?

There are two logos approved for Affiliate use:

  • Smithsonian Affiliate logo
  • Smithsonian Affiliate Membership Program logo (ONLY for those Affiliates participating in the membership benefit, however the same rules and guidelines apply)

The Smithsonian Affiliate logo can be used on marketing materials, websites, newsletters, brochures, and more. If you are considering the logo for any fundraising, donation, or giving material, please contact the Smithsonian Affiliations office first. Generally, the Smithsonian Affiliate logo may not be used on fundraising material, but please reach out to us to see if it may be an appropriate case.

The Smithsonian Affiliate logo has been updated to emphasize the Smithsonian connection. The word “Affiliate” is italicized in the lockup to indicate the association with the Institution. If the logo you are using does not have this lockup, please contact us to receive an updated logo package.

Where do I find the logos?

The Smithsonian Affiliate logo can be requested from the Smithsonian Affiliations office. Please contact your National Outreach Manager or email Affiliates@si.edu to obtain the logo package. All logo and/or tagline use must be reviewed and approved by the Affiliations office.

What are the approved taglines?

Example of the "A Smithsonian Affiliate" tagline on the Southern Museum logo.

Smithsonian Affiliates may choose to use one of two taglines if using the logo is not appropriate on your material. The taglines “In Association with the Smithsonian” or “A Smithsonian Affiliate” can be used as an alternative to the logo. Please note, if including the tagline in your own logo lockup, you must retain a version without a Smithsonian mention should your logo ever be used for any fundraising material.

May I use the logo and tagline together?

No. The logo and tagline are two separate marketing items for Affiliate use, they should not be used in the same visual lockup or sentence.

Are there any specific tips for Affiliates?

Screengrab of the Smithsonian Affiliate section of the Rockwell Museum's website.

Yes! Check out these tips and documents to help guide you in communicating about your Affiliation:

  1. Familiarize yourself with our Logo & Tagline Guidelines.
  2. Read these tips for communicating your Affiliation.
  3. Add information on your website in your “About Us” section to explain your connection with the Smithsonian. See The Rockwell Museum, Michigan State University Museum, and The Mayborn Museum for examples of large and small ways to include this on your website.
  4. Talk to your National Outreach Manager to discuss how you may be considering applying the logo or tagline to your material.
  5. Send us drafts! Not only do we love to see your material, you must receive approval from the Smithsonian Affiliations office prior to any use of the Smithsonian name and/or logos. Send your drafts to Elizabeth Fingar, Communications and Professional Development Manager- FingarE@si.edu.

What else should you keep in mind?

The smithsonian sunburst is black in this example of what NOT to do with the logo
  • Everything must be approved by the Affiliations office. Please do not use the logo or tagline without first checking with us. We have a very quick turnaround time for approvals and will work with you to meet your deadlines.
  • The Smithsonian is always Institution, never Institute.
  • The sunburst should never appear dark or clash with any other colors in your design.
  • The logo cannot be used as part of a sentence.
  • The logo cannot be altered in any way.

This may seem daunting, but your team at Smithsonian Affiliations will work with you! We are here to help you align your organization with the Smithsonian brand and show your audiences and stakeholders how you are connected to our network of Smithsonian collaborators. If you’d like a refresher, please contact us and we’ll be happy to schedule a call to talk about co-branding and other ways to collaborate to share the incredible work you are doing in your communities.

2021 Affiliations Virtual Conference was a Huge Success!

Thank you to our Smithsonian and Affiliate speakers and attendees who participated in our 2021 Virtual Conference, October 26-28, and made it an extraordinary success! 2021 saw the highest-ever conference attendance in the history of the Affiliations National Conference, which is a testament to our conference program and the introduction of Affiliate Institutional registration, allowing even more Affiliate colleagues to attend this year.

“I greatly appreciated the virtual nature of this conference. I don’t think I would have been able to attend if it were in person. I found it interesting to hear from so many different museums. Thank you for making this conference accessible to museums with tight budgets!“

Smithsonian Affiliate attendee

Throughout three days and 30 sessions and workshops, Smithsonian, Affiliate, and guest speakers led thought-provoking sessions on collaboration opportunities, inequity in exhibition development, creating inclusive HR practices, engaging communities in civic action, best practices in exhibition writing, and more. A dynamic opening session centered youth advocates and their views on the future of the museum field alongside Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for Science & Research, and Kevin Young, Director of the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

In addition to the sessions and workshops, the Smithsonian Resource Fair library provided Smithsonian and Affiliate colleagues a virtual booth where they could upload documents, videos, and other resources for conference attendees to download and share with their organizations. Registered attendees can access and download these resources on the Virtual Attendee Hub until January 20, 2022.

Screen grab of the virtual attendee hub
Registered attendees can download resources on the Virtual Attendee Hub

“Sensational conference! I even wrote to my directors to thank them for making this possible. The platform used for the virtual conference was the easiest and most sophisticated I’ve experienced. The presenters were super, and I learned so much. Kudos to moderators–well done with links provided to us in the chat as well as lots of good interaction. I loved the conference!”

Smithsonian Affiliate attendee

All Smithsonian and Affiliate colleagues, regardless of registration, are able to view selected recordings from the Virtual Conference on our Smithsonian Affiliations website or YouTube playlist. If you require transcripts or have any questions, please email us at affiliates@si.edu.

Mark your calendars for when we next meet for an Affiliations Conference, October 23-25, 2022!

National Museum of American History Is Looking for Your Childhood Gaming Photos

Three people stand at pinball machines
Photo by Louie Castro-Garcia on Unsplash

Did you play video games or computer games as a kid? Did you go to arcades? Do you have old photos of yourself playing these games or holding controllers or a console (for instance, holding an unopened box in a holiday photo)? If so, we want to hear from you!

The National Museum of American History team is working on a video for an exhibition space that will feature photos of people playing video games, computer games, and arcade games from their childhood. If you submit a photo, you might even have a chance to appear in the video talking about your memories of playing games!

What they are looking for:

Photos of you, your friends, and your relatives from the early 1980s through early 2000s playing video, computer, or arcade games, and the stories that go along with them. What game were you playing in the photo? Was it your favorite? Who else, if anyone, were you playing with? Where and when was the photo taken? Do you remember how the controllers felt in your hands? Do you remember how it felt to win the game or advance to the next level? We welcome contributors from across the globe, but the photo should relate to gameplay in the United States.

Gather your photo (or photos), scan it, or snap a quick image and e-mail it to NMAH-VideoGames@si.edu. Include your name, an e-mail or phone number where we can reach you, and a few sentences about the photo and your memories of playing video games or arcade games. Deadline: December 31, 2021