The Castle - Signed Copy

The Castle: An Illustrated History of the Smithsonian Building, Second Edition
by Richard Stamm

When visitors to the nation’s capital embark on a day of museum visits at the National Mall, the most striking building in their midst is undoubtedly the Smithsonian Castle. Its iconic architecture has come to symbolize the Smithsonian. Today the Castle is both the central administration building for the entire Smithsonian Institution and the public doorway to all of its museums and galleries. But in years past it housed the families of the head of the Smithsonian at the same time that it served as research offices for far-flung explorations and as space for collections, exhibitions and restorations. The newly designed second edition of The Castle: An Illustrated History of the Smithsonian Building explores the architectural details of turrets and tombs, and layers that with the stories of the people who have served inside this beloved, nineteenth-century medieval revival landmark.  Softcover, 192 pages, 25 color and 165 b&w photographs.

Museum Provenance

This product is adapted from or inspired by an item in the Castle Collection. The Architectural History and Historic Preservation Division was organized in 1986 to act as curator of the Smithsonian’s diverse campus of buildings. The Division strives to foster an understanding of the heritage of the Smithsonian buildings through preservation, research and education. The three primary areas of responsibility are architectural history, historic preservation and collections management.

Every Smithsonian purchase will arrive with a museum provenance card explaining how it is adapted from or inspired by an object or objects in our collection.