Everyone loves a scary story, especially on Halloween. Noted writer and linguist Lafcadio Hearn’s 1910 English translation of the ancient Japanese ghost tale, The Goblin Spider, transports children of all ages to an exotic world of samurai warriors, haunted temples, and monstrous goblin spiders. According to the tale, there used to be many goblin spiders in...
In Alvin Lustig’s cover design for Ezra Pound’s Selected Poems, one shape moves by the other, led by its emanation. Rising to the surface, from field to foreground, negative space turns positive. Infinite mutations form a continuum that is hard-edged yet sensuous.
An interview with animator James Duesing.
Susan Brown: The question I am most frequently asked as a curator is, “How long would it take to make something like that?” In trying to think of a contemporary form that is comparably labor intensive, animation came to mind.
To celebrate the Statue of Liberty’s 126th birthday, we’ve pulled together some of her baby pictures. These earliest images of Lady Liberty, from our National Design Library’s George A. Kubler Collection, depict her before her dedication in 1886 on Bedloe’s Island—now Liberty Island. You might notice a few differences from the statue we know today,...
This tea set, comprised of a kettle on a stand, coffee pot, tea pot, sugar bowl, and waste bowl, was given to the museum by Mrs. Roswell A. Miller, formerly Margaret Carnegie. The initials “RMA” are engraved on the pieces, signifying the owner of the elaborately decorated set. Margaret and Roswell were married on April...
Bandboxes, such as the one I wrote about earlier this month, were widely used in the first half of the 19th century and were precursors to the modern shopping bag. The decorative papers that covered bandbox exteriors were usually very crudely printed with just a few colors and often closely resemble folk art. This bandbox features a section...
The cravat is an early version of a man’s necktie. It could be a plain piece of white linen tied around the neck, with the free ends falling below the throat. A gentleman’s cravat would have been decorated with fine lace, as lace was especially fashionable for men in the 17th century. During this period,...
What are the National Design Awards? What makes the Awards unique and important to the country and the world? Acclaimed designers and design thinkers Massimo Vignelli, Debbie Millman, Steven Heller, Walter Hood, Davin Stowell and Isabel & Ruben Toledo explain in this short piece about the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt's National Design Awards, its meaning and legacy.
A conversation about libraries in the 21st century. This event was held in Cooper-Hewitt's newly renovated National Design Library. Features Gary E. Strong, University Librarian, UCLA, and Stephen H. Van Dyk, Head of the Art Division, Smithsonian Libraries. Moderated by Nancy E. Gwinn, Director, Smithsonian Libraries.
