Mark Your Calendar: Black History Month, Exhibits, Jazz and More at the National Museum of American History

EXHIBITION
“Entertainment Nation”/”Nación del espectáculo”
Exhibition Update with New Artifacts on View
Ray and Dagmar Dolby Hall of American Culture
Third Floor, West
Opens Feb. 1
(Gallery Closed Jan. 27-31 for installation)

A major refresh to this permanent exhibition will bring some 60 popular culture objects to “Entertainment Nation,” the museum’s vibrant showcasing of its vast collections related to theater, music, sports, movie and television. The exhibition invites audiences to look through the lens of how entertainment brings Americans together, shaping and providing a forum for important national conversations. Among new objects on display are a number reflecting African American contributions in film, music and sports. On view will be a costume worn by child actor William “Billie” Thomas, Jr. who portrayed Buckwheat in the “Our Gang” comedy shorts in the 1940s, the banjo played by Lou Snowden, an ensemble member of a group of Black farmers who performed across rural Ohio and Nipsey Hussle’s Crenshaw sweatshirt and lyric notebook. Among the sports objects are a bat made for Jacinto “Jack” Calvo, an Afro-Cuban who played in the majors and the Negro Leagues, a travel bag belonging to Buck Leonard, a first baseman in the Negro Leagues, athlete and civil rights champion Bill Russell’s 10,000 rebounds basketball and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA jersey.

Other new on view objects will include the "Breaking Bad” hazmat suit worn by Bryan Cranston, Judy Garland’s Harvey Girl’s costume, and from the “Indiana Jones” movie franchise, the jacket and hat worn by Harrison Ford. Four beloved puppets are making their debut in the exhibition: famous friends Bert and Ernie from 1969, Fozzie Bear and Wilkins, an early prototype Muppet. Bob Ross’ home-made easel and one of his paintings will also go on display. 

The “Ruby Slippers” are featured in a special spotlight case within this exhibition. At 7,200 square feet, the exhibition anchors the third floor of the Museum’s Culture Wing.

PODCAST LAUNCH

“Collected: The Musical Genius of Black Women”
TrailerRelease Jan. 23; Episode 1 Release Jan. 30; new episodes each week to March 6
On Apple Podcasts and other Major Platforms

Season two of the museum’s “Collected” podcast will launch Jan. 30, beginning its six-episode series, exploring a season that will look at Black women entertainers on the mainstream musical stages of America popular music. With a focus on four musical artists, the podcast will release weekly through March 6 on Apple Podcasts and other major platforms. An examination of work of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter will kick off a season that will touch on musical genres from jazz to disco and one that spans approximately 100 years, from the 1920s to today. The host, museum curator Krystal Klingenberg, will bring together scholars, music critics and authors to bring perspective to a pantheon of women who changed the popular culture soundscape. Over six-weeks, audiences will learn about the evolution of the musical careers of Ella Fitzgerald, Tina Turner, Donna Summer, and Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon.

FEATURED EVENT – DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

“Day of Remembrance: The Ireichō - Book of Names”
Nicholas F. and Eugenia Taubman Hall of Music, 3 West
Feb. 19 to 21; |1 - 4 p.m. daily
Registration is required to participate in the stamping of the book

Each year, Feb. 19, marks the anniversary of the signing of Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt that led to the wrongful mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. The museum will host a commemorative event in conjunction with the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) and The Irei Project, featuring a special display of The Ireichō – Book of Names. The Ireichō is a large format book, envisioned as a monument representing the first comprehensive listing of 125,284 persons of Japanese ancestry who were incarcerated in federally run camps during World War II. Led by University of Southern California Professor Duncan Ryuken Williams, The Irei Project is a non-profit organization that created the book with a team of artists and researchers, based on three years of research using government camp rosters, train transfer lists, internee cards, Japanese-language internee directories, and other archival materials. The Ireichō aims to provide a healing experience by inviting the public to place a small mark using a Japanese “hanko” stamp” under the name of someone in the book who has not yet been acknowledged. The project's goal is to have each of the 125,284 names in the book honored during a 20-month national tour to the 10 former War Relocation Authority camps. For more information and to register in advance to participate in the stamping activity, visit the museum’s events website.

PROGRAM

“Game Changers: Invention, sports, and style”
Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, all-day, free event, open to all ages
First Floor, 1 West

Visit the “Change Your Game”/“Cambia tu juego” exhibition for a day of innovation, exploration and learning. This event, organized by the museum’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and innovation, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and Politics of Patents, is designed for future inventors of all ages and includes interactive displays, educational activities, a panel discussion, and more, with a special focus on women in sports and recreation. Celebrate the innovators who have transformed sports and the world. This event is open to inventors, students, teachers, local industry, and community organizations. No registration is required. For more information, visit the Lemelson Center website.

JAZZ

Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Presents: 
“Claude Thornhill and the Subtle Side of Jazz” 
Sat. Feb. 15; 7 - 9:30 p.m.
Note Location: Baird Auditorium, National Museum of Natural History
10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. 20560
Baird Auditorium

The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the big band ensemble in residence at the National Museum of American History, continues its 2024-2054 concert season under the artistic direction of maestro Charlie Young with a special tribute to Claude Thornhill and his Orchestra. Making its debut in 1940, the Claude Thornhill Orchestra introduced a new and innovative texture to Big-Band jazz. In contrast to the established orchestras of the era—including those of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, and Duke Ellington—Thornhill’s ensemble introduced “cool” to the genre with its unconventional instrumentation. The concert includes selections including "Jeru" by Gerry Mulligan; "Buster’s Last Stand" by Gill Evans; and "Snowfall" by Claude Thornhill.
To purchase tickets: Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Claude Thornhill and the Subtle Side of Jazz - Smithsonian Associates
Members $30; Nonmembers $40

UPDATES AND CLOSINGS:

“The First Ladies”
Third Floor Center
NOTE: This exhibition will be closed Jan. 14 - 17 to accommodate updates to the gallery

“The First Ladies” explores the unofficial but important position of first lady and the ways that different women have shaped the role to make their own contributions to the presidential administrations and the nation. The exhibition features more than two dozen gowns from the Smithsonian’s almost century old First Ladies Collection, including those worn by Frances Cleveland, Jacqueline Kennedy, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump.

“(re)Framing Conversations: Photographs by Richard Avedon 1946-1965” 
“(re)Enmarcando conversaciones: Fotografías de Richard Avedon 1946–1965” 

Closes Feb. 2

Marcia and Frank Carlucci Hall of Culture and the Arts

North Gallery; Third Floor, West

The National Museum of American History hosted photographer Richard Avedon’s very first one-man show in November 1962. Avedon then gifted the entire work represented in that exhibition to the museum, followed shortly by two additional donations. It is from those gifts that the second selection of images on view in “(re)Framing Conversations: Photographs by Richard Avedon 1946-1965” are drawn. Though widely known for his fashion photography, it’s Avedon’s striking black and white portraits of culture makers that are on display. Designed to inspire visitors in thought and conversation, the exhibit also includes a living room with magazines from the 1940s - 1960s for visitors to peruse, as well as interactive tabletops about portraiture, encouraging visitors to sit, pause, reflect and engage. The last day to see this exhibition will be Sunday, Feb. 2.

Gunboat Philadelphia
Third Floor, East
Temporarily closed through May to prepare for on-site conservation

The Gunboat Philadelphia, the only surviving ship of the early U.S. Navy, under the direction of Benedict Arnold, helped stall British forces. The museum will begin an on-site conservation project to preserve this National Historic Landmark for future generations. The Gunboat gallery will be temporarily closed to prepare for the conservation work.

VISITING

What to know:
The museum is open seven days a week, except Dec. 25, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free, and passes are not required. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu/visit

Food:

The Eat at America’s Table Cafe is open for complete food and beverage service, featuring Ethiopian cuisine for Black History Month, inlcuding Tibs, tender cubes of beef, and Asa Goulash, cubed filet of fish, both served with Injera. On the side, the Cafe will offer Kik Alecha (yellow split peas), Keye Sir (beets and potatoes) and Atakilt Wot (cabbage, potatoes and carrots, along with T’ei (honey wine). The LeRoy Neiman Jazz Cafe serves light lunch and delicious pastries as well as hot and cold beverages, including Starbucks coffee. For more information, visit the website.

Bottled water is allowed in the museum. We recommend bringing a refillable water bottle for fountains.

Stores: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM

Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The museum, located on Constitution Avenue N.W., between 12th and 14th streets, is open daily except Dec. 25 and in 2025, Jan. 20, between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. The doors of the museum are always open online and the virtual museum continues to expand its offerings, including online exhibitions, K–12 educational materials and programs. The public can follow the museum on social media via Instagram and Facebook. For more information, go to https://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.

Amy Kehs | READ MORE

Amy Kehs is a brand strategist and communications expert for museums.