called "Smithsonian Minutes," were produced with the 

 assistance of the Office of Telecommunications and OPA and 

 broadcast throughout the year. In these spots, prominenc 

 Americans share anecdotes and pose mind-teasers about 

 well-loved objects in Smithsonian museum collections: 

 President Jimmy Carter with Jonas Salk's polio vaccine 

 bottles and syringe, General Colin Powell with the 

 Star-Spangled Banner, actor Robin Williams with Albert 

 Einstein's pipe, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor with 

 Geronimo's bow and arrow, poet Maya Angelou with the 

 Southern Railway 1401 steam locomotive, and many more. 



The Smithsonian offered its visitors enhanced information 

 during the anniversary year. The Visitor Information and 

 Associates' Reception Center (VIARC) expanded the theater 

 program in the Smithsonian Information Center and 

 maintained a master calendar of events on the Smithsonian's 

 World Wide Web site (http://www.si.edu) and America 

 Online. VIARC's public inquiry phone lines were especially 

 active, as volunteers handled thousands of calls about 

 "America's Smithsonian" and the Birthday Party. 



Millions of printed pieces focusing on 150th anniversary 

 facts, events, and celebrations went out to the public through 

 the Smithsonian Information Center, museum information 

 desks, and pre-visit mailings as well as in response to mail, 

 phone, and online requests. OPA's publications unit geared a 

 number of projects to the anniversary, including a color 

 information brochure, special features in Research Reports, and 

 articles in Smithsonian Runner, a newsletter about Native 

 American activities. These and other publications had broader 

 distribution via the Smithsonian's Web site. 



The 150th anniversary had its own visual identity, centered 

 on the sunburst logo and the traditional blue-and-yellow 

 colors of the Institution. Distinctive banners and flags 

 produced by VIARC proclaimed the anniversary from public 

 entrances to museums and research facilities and from 

 lampposts on Mall walkways and near Smithsonian buildings 

 and gardens. The new Smithsonian flag was a collaborative 

 effort of offices throughout the Institution, including the 

 Architectural History and Historic Preservation Division of 

 the Office of Physical Plane and VIARC. 



The tour and travel industry was a vital partner in 

 promoting 150th anniversary events and activities. VIARC 

 reached this audience through advertising in selected trade 

 publications and by representing the Smithsonian at 

 professional meetings. Haifa million copies of a four-color 

 card promoting participatory events were distributed, and 

 some 300,000 travel agents worldwide had online access to 

 information through TravelFile. 



Communications during the 150th 



Multimedia communications were vital to the 150th 

 anniversary as we continued to pursue innovative 

 opportunities for taking the Smithsonian to the public. Using 

 the familiar realms of television, books, and magazines and 



exploring the new horizons of CD-ROM and the Internet, the 

 Institution made its vast resources available. 



Millions of U.S. households tuned in to Smithsonian 

 Fantastic Journey, the three prime-time specials about the 

 Smithsonian on CBS, which drew enthusiastic reviews and 

 high ratings. The programs were made possible by the four 

 150th Anniversary Corporate Partners: Discover® Card, Intel 

 Corporation, MCI Communications Corporation, and Trans 

 World Airlines, Inc. Viewers sampled highlights of the 

 Institution, including a report on packing and preparations 

 for "America's Smithsonian" from Kermit the Frog, 

 heart-stopping airplane stunts by aerobatic pilot Patty 

 Wagstaff, whose plane is in the National Air and Space 

 Museum, and observations about elephant behavior from the 

 National Zoo's John Lehnhardt. In other segments, National 

 Museum of Natural History volcanologist Dick Fiske stood 

 on the edge of Mount Kilauea in Hawaii while explaining 

 what happens when a volcano erupts, and the Birmingham 

 Sunlights sang birthday greetings to the Smithsonian, live 

 from the Birthday Party on the Mall. 



In an organizational change that holds great promise for 

 future ventures, the Office of Telecommunications (OTC) 

 merged with Smithsonian Institution Press to form 

 Smithsonian Press/Smithsonian Productions. The new 

 division combines the Press' program of general-intetest and 

 specialized academic publishing, classic recordings, historic 

 videos, and popular works with OTC's award-winning radio 

 and television broadcasts and video and audio productions. 



Smithsonian Press' publishing efforts this year focused on 

 the 150th anniversary, beginning with The Smithsonian: 150 

 Years of Adventure, Discovery, and Wonder from Smithsonian 

 Books and including the full-color exhibition catalogue 

 America's Smithsonian: Celebrating 150 Years. The Book 

 Development/ New Media division created A Kids Guide to 

 the Smithsonian and a new Official Guide to the Smithsonian. The 

 Office of Telecommunications coordinated video production 

 for the "American Voices: Music at the Smithsonian" section 

 of "America's Smithsonian," sponsored by Discover® Card. 

 OTC also spearheaded negotiations with Macmillan Digital 

 U.S.A. for distribution of the interactive CD-ROM 150 Years 

 of America's Smithsonian, which features full-color 

 photography, animation sequences, and supplemental audio, 

 video, and graphic elements. 



Smithsonian magazine devoted its May 1996 issue entirely 

 to the 150th anniversary, with articles reflecting the wealth of 

 activity in museums, research institutes, and offices. 

 Throughout the year, other articles and columns related to the 

 anniversary. Special features in Research Reports, published by 

 the Office of Public Affairs, informed the 75,000 

 Contributing Members and 8,500 scientists and scholars who 

 receive the quarterly. 



The Smithsonian's Internet presence expanded during the 

 year, linking the public to even more ot the Institution s 

 resources through imaginative online offerings. The popular 

 World Wide Web site, http://www.si.edu, was in great 



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