Inukshuks -- Canada; Indians of North America; Inuit; Cairns
Figures like this one, but much larger, can be seen in remote areas of Canada. There, the landscape is barren, without many landmarks to help people find their way. Years ago, people built their own landmarks out of stones, carefully chosen and...
Howdy Doody show (Television program); Dolls; Toys; Marionettes; Nineteen fifties
Television made Howdy Doody one of the most famous marionettes in history. The program, hosted by Buffalo Bob Smith, was one of the first and most popular TV shows made just for kids. Throughout the 1950s, millions of kids were entertained by Howdy...
Bela Karolyi is not only one of the most renowned coaches in the history of gymnastics; he is the most successful gymnastics coach in the world. Some of his most famous gymnasts during 30 years of coaching in Romania and the United States were...
Italy; Butter molds; Italy -- Social life and customs; Implements, utensils, etc.;
Early butter molds were shaped like paddles and had a decorative carving. Butter molds and stamps decorated the butter before being served at home or sold at the market. Most molds were made in all the prosperous dairying regions of northern...
Butter molds; Switzerland -- Social life and customs; Implements, utensils, etc.;
Early butter molds were shaped like paddles with a decorative carving and used to imprint the design on a mound of butter. Box-like butter molds decorated the top surface as well as the sides. Butter molds and stamps decorated the butter before...
About 85 species of chameleons are known, most living in Madagascar and Africa, although some live in Asia and one in Europe. There are several groups of lizards that can change their color, but the chameleon is the most accomplished. Pigments in...
Baby Louie is a very unique dinosaur specimen representing an unknown giant species of oviraptor with some very bird-like characteristics. This Late Cretaceous specimen consists of the fossilized remains of a small dinosaur emerging from an egg....
This specimen contains the mineral Calcite as well as some of the unique mineral Smithsonite. Calcite is the most common of the carbonate minerals. It has many varied forms. Most calcite is opaque, not allowing light to pass through, slightly...
Otavalo (Ecuador); Otavalo Indians; Otavalo Indians -- Social life and customs; Indians of South America; Dolls; Indian dolls
The Otavalo Indians of Ecuador produce some of the finest weavings and crafts. Many of their products are sold in the town of Otavalo at the Indian Market, one of the most famous and largest indigenous markets in South America. Otavalo is the...
Prayer books; Shamans; Thailand; Thailand --Social life and customs; Thailand--Rites and ceremonies
This prayer book was used by a shaman of northern Thailand during wedding and funeral ceremonies. Nearly all traditional villages and nomadic mountain villages in northern Thailand have a headman who performs most of the political and social...
Egypt -- Social life and customs -- To 332 B.C.; Egypt -- Civilization -- To 332 B.C.; Egypt -- Antiquities; Ushabti
Shabtis, also called shwabtis or ushabtis, were placed in ancient Egyptian burials from the Middle Kingdom (between about 4000 and 3500 years ago) until the Ptolemaic Period (around 2300 years ago), when the practice died out. They are small...
In Ancient Greece, men and women wore very simple clothing: linen in the summer and wool in the winter.The wealthy would buy most of their clothing in the marketplace which was expensive. Most families, though, made their own clothing and dyed it...
This wire mesh sculpture, made by Brazilian artist Monica Kabvegu in the 1980s, depicts a child playing soccer. Soccer is one of the most popular sports in Brazil, comparable to football and basketball in America. In fact, one of the most...
Ganesh or Ganesha is the Hindu elephant-headed god and is known as the Remover of Obstacles and the god of domestic harmony and of success. He is the most beloved and revered of all the Hindu gods and is always invoked first in any Hindu ceremony...
One of the most important Jewish religious celebrations is Passover, or Pesach. Observed during the spring, Passover is an eight day event commemorating the freedom of Jewish peoples from slavery in Egypt. It is an occasion when Jews spend time...
Holidays -- Mexico; Mexico -- Social life and customs; All Souls' Day; Sculpture; Skeletons
Skeleton sculptures like this one can be seen in Mexico and in parts of the United States during the Mexican celebration, Días de los Muertos (Days of the Dead). Celebrated from October 31 - November 2, the holiday is a special time when it is...
Gilbert, W. S. (William Schwenck), 1836-1911; Sullivan, Arthur Seymour, Sir, 1842-1900; Opera; Nineteenth Century; Music; Musical theater; Theaters; Savoy Theatre
Englishmen Sir William Schwenck Gilbert and Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan joined their talents of librettist (writer of operas) and composer to create fourteen operettas between 1871 and 1896, paving the way for modern musical theater. Their...
Pewter; Tankards; Tableware; United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; Plates (Tableware)
Pewter was a popular material for dishes until the mid 1800s when glass and pottery became more preferred. Pewter dishes were common in Colonial America, but England kept tight control of the import of the raw tin needed for making pewter, so most...
Just after the civil war, inventors began experimenting with bicycles with large front wheels. The wheel allowed riders to go faster and more smoothly on rough roads. Most riders were adventurous young men who were not afraid of falling! The...
Clothing and dress; 18th century; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783; United States--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Breeches are knee-length pants popularly worn by men during the 18th century. These were most likely part of a Revolutionary War uniform for a soldier in the Continental Army.
