American Artifacts visited the Library of Congress to learn about a new exhibit, "The Last Full Measure: Civil War Photographs from the Liljenquist Family." We spoke with Tom Liljenquist, who explains how – fifteen years ago – his family started collecting photographs of ordinary Union and Confederate soldiers. In 2010, the family donated more than 700 of these ambrotypes and tintypes to the Library of Congress.

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The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is commemorating the 75th anniversary of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance on an around-the-world flight. She was called “Lady Lindy” after pioneering aviator Charles Lindbergh, and the mystery surrounding her loss continues to fascinate Americans. We visited the exhibit “One Life: Amelia Earhart,” which chronicles her much-photographed life and exploits. (Amelia Earhart image courtesy of Seligman Family Foundation.)

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Using works of art, mechanical inventions, and scientific discoveries, “The Great American Hall of Wonders” exhibit examines innovation in 19th Century America. American History TV attended a press preview and toured the Smithsonian American Art Museum show with guest curator Claire Perry.

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The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC includes a permanent exhibit of Presidential Portraits. Former gallery director Marc Pachter gave American History TV a tour of a portion of the exhibit to discuss the art and politics of presidential portraits. The second half of this two-part program will air next weekend.

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The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC includes a permanent exhibit of Presidential Portraits. Former gallery director Marc Pachter gave American History TV a tour showcasing the art and politics of these portraits – with a focus on presidents Lincoln, Hoover, Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton,  Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson and both George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. This is the second half of a two-part program.

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American History TV visited the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery for a look at an unprecedented gathering of portraits and objects representing the major personalities of this little-known war. Curators Sidney Hart and Rachael Penman take us on a guided tour through the collection assembled from the United States, Canada and Great Britain. The War of 1812 technically ended in a draw, but it buoyed American nationalism, birthed the national anthem and Uncle Sam, and anointed a future president in General Andrew Jackson. The exhibit, “1812: A Nation Emerges,” is open at the National Portrait Gallery until January 27, 2013.

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50 years ago, on April 16, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” while being held in prison for his involvement in a city-wide civil rights protest called the Birmingham Campaign. King’s daughter, Bernice King, CEO of the King Center in Atlanta, joins Alabama’s governor, Birmingham’s Mayor and others for the unveiling of a historical marker aside the Birmingham Jail.

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Birmingham civil rights campaign. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his famed “Letter from Birmingham Jail” after being arrested for taking part in the protests. The campaign gained national attention after local officials used dogs and water cannons on kids after they took to the streets in what was known as the “Children’s Crusade.” A panel of authors and historians recall the turmoil of the time, as well as how Birmingham has chosen to remember its past. This event was part of the Alabama Historical Association’s annual conference.

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At the direction of Congress, the voices and experiences from the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20^th century are being documented in an oral history project. This effort is a collaboration of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, the Library of Congress and the Southern Oral History Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign in Alabama. The protests gained national attention after local officials used dogs and water cannons on kids after they took to the streets in what was known as the “Children’s Crusade.” This event features first-person accounts of the events in Birmingham that spring, including remarks by those who took part in the children’s protest, as well as student leaders of a boycott of segregated businesses. The discussion took place at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. 

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