Since its discovery in seventeenth-century India, the Hope diamond, a glimmering deep-blue gem weighing more than 45 carats, has been shrouded in mystery and steeped in intrigue. In this groundbreaking work, Dr. Richard Kurin goes beyond the speculation to reveal the truth behind a legendary stone. The Hope diamond's history is tied to the French Revolution, the machinations of British King George IV, the Gilded Age in America, and a number of adept jewelers, including Pierre Cartier and Harry Winston. In the twentieth century, the story of the Hope diamond's curse made it more famous than ever before; some six million people visit it every year at the Smithsonian Institution. But this legend, which Kurin puts to rest once and for all, is only one small piece of a long and lustrous story that moves between ancient religion and modern magic, royal power and class rivalry, revenge and greed. Kurin, a cultural anthropologist, has spent more than a decade on the trail of the legendary gem. His narrative is filled with fascinating places and people - from the fabled diamond city of Golconda to the fabulously rich heiress Evalyn McClean to Jackie Kennedy and her role in one of the Hope's few twentieth-century trips abroad. Richly illustrated, Hope Diamond works in a grand historical tradition - depicting the specific to reveal the universal.

Hope Diamond: The Legendary History of a Cursed Gem

Kurin, Richard

History

Smithsonian Books

A visual history of Times Square from the late 19th century to today, rich with rarely seen photographs of the neighborhood's shimmering, pre-World War II electric advertising signs.
In Times Square Spectacular, Darcy Tell traces the 100-year story of Times Square using rare photographs and hand-colored lantern slides, maps, restaurant menus, theater programs, magazine covers, postcards, sheet music, and archival documents. Presenting even the most familiar elements of Times Square lore with fresh, eye-catching detail, she pays special tribute to ad man extraordinaire Douglas Leigh's arrival in the early 1930s, which brought a stunning new era of electric brightness and innovation. Leigh dominated the Broadway streetscape for nearly 50 years, stopping traffic with special-effects billboards such as the legendary Camel cigarettes "smoke rings" sign.
Covering both Times Square's infamous decline as well as its hard-wrought, present-day revival, Times Square Spectacular is the first pictorial history of the legendary American landmark.

Times Square Spectacular: Lighting Up Broadway

Arts & Photography

Tell, Darcy

Photography & Video

A visual pleasure and a unique insight into American history
For the first time ever, here is renowned photographer Gertrude Käsebier's haunting collection of photographs of Native American performers from Buffalo Bill's Wild West show at the turn of the century. One hundred years later, Käsebier's portraits remain significant visual records into the lives of these Sioux performers and their nation. Her striking photographs capture the strength and character of each individual, documenting the complexity of true warriors playing a staged version of themselves.
In 1898, Käsebier wrote to William F. Cody requesting to photograph Indians performing in his Wild West show at Madison Square Garden. Her photographs proved poignant. Her studio had no elaborate backdrops, and she removed Indian regalia to depict her subjects as "raw" individuals, with strong personalities and experiences that blurred the distinction between traditional life and contemporary times. Käsebier developed long relationships with several of the Indians, corresponding with a few for many years. Examples of these letters appear in the volume, as well as drawings done by Indians waiting in her studio, photographs of Dakota Sioux on their reservation, little-known historical background, and Wild West show memorabilia, including rare pages from Buffalo Bill's original route book. 
Käsebier's photographs are preserved at the National Museum of American History's Photographic History Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Warriors: A Photographic History by Gertrude Kasebier

Delaney, Michelle

Individual Artists

Portugal's contacts with the venerable kingdoms and empires of Africa and Asia, and later with the vast expanse of Brazil, led to unprecedented examples of cultural exchange, including the creation of strikingly beautiful and highly original works of art.Encompassing the Globe features more than 250 full-color reproductions of extraordinary creations that demonstrate how the Portuguese forged links among the continents and began cross-cultural dialogues. Essays by leading authorities shed light on the principal personalities of the period, the economic and religious motivations behind Portuguese expansion, and the technological advances that made the new sea routes navigable.

Encompassing the Globe: Portugal and the World in the 16th and 17th Centuries

Levenson, Jay A.

History & Criticism

From Dorothy's red slippers to the Wright brothers plane, the Smithsonian is filled with objects fascinating to kids. Yet choosing what to see in the nation's largest museum complex can challenge even the most enthusiastic families. Packed with information and pictures, this lively new guide offers eight to 12-year-olds a way to navigate the Smithsonian. 250 full color illustrations.

Kid's Guide to the Smithsonian

Ann Phillips Bay

Continental drift: the evolution of a concept

Ursula B. Marvin

The outdoor sculpture of Washington, D.C: A comprehensive historical guide (Smithsonian Institution Press publication no. 4829)

Goode, James M.

Hurricane

Science & Math

BISHOP, Edward

Earth Sciences

Millennial desire and the apocalyptic vision of Washington Allston (New directions in American art)

Bjelajac, David

Treasures in the Smithsonian: Gem Collection

DESAUTELS, Paul E.

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