From its very beginnings, the Smithsonian has accepted donated specimens from scientists and the public. As its collections grew—with the US National Museum building officially opening in 1881—items in the display cases often had histories detailing how they came to Washington, D.C.
Learn the stories behind some of these objects—sent from professors in England, from scientists in Costa Rica, and citizens across the United States—in the Smithsonian’s Department of Prehistoric Anthropology 1882 annual curator’s report.
From its very beginnings, the Smithsonian has accepted donated specimens from scientists and the public. As its collections grew—with the US National Museum building officially opening in 1881—items in the display cases often had histories detailing how they came to Washington, D.C.
Learn the stories behind some of these objects—sent from professors in England, from scientists in Costa Rica, and citizens across the United States—in the Smithsonian’s Department of Prehistoric Anthropology 1882 annual curator’s report.