Legacies: Collecting America's history at the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History houses some 3.2 million artifacts. Some, such as the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner" and the first chunk of gold found at Sutter's Mill, are of indisputable importance; others, such as a sleeveless denim jacket worn by a late member of a motorcycle gang, may seem less significant to the casual observer. But, write museum curators Steven Lubar and Kathleen Kendrick, every artifact in the museum's holdings is important in its own way. In this highly selective tour of the museum's inventory, they point out curiosities and treasures alike, all of them providing clues about the American past: a clamshell used in the Depression as currency, accepted as an object of value by the denizens of a California beach town; a fragment of a Confederate flag torn from its post by an angry Union sympathizer the day after Virginia voted for secession; the overstuffed chair from which actor Carroll O'Connor delivered Archie Bunker's diatribes on the sitcom All in the Family; a 1903 Teddy bear, made after then-president Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear cub while out hunting; Tom Thumb's hat, Prince's guitar, Cesar Chavez's windbreaker, and dozens of other items that chronicle the ever-changing culture. Accompanied by 260 photographs, the book makes for a delightful and informative survey not only of the Smithsonian's extensive holdings, but also of the nation's past. History buffs and collectors will revel in it. --Gregory McNamee