Museum Artifacts

National Public Radio reporter Andy Carvin used this iPhone 3GS to monitor stories on Twitter during the Arab Spring movement in the winter of 2011. Twitter and social media became a large source of news during the movement as users on the ground in the Middle East relayed news and real-time even

Though a key requirement of citizenship is learning English, many guides are still available in the native languages of new immigrants. The Foreign Language Information Service provided translations of these guides in thirteen European languages.

The most basic right of citizenship has been equal access and protection under the law. The fight to extend this right to all began before the Declaration of Independence proclaimed “all men are created equal,” and continues today.

This poster was displayed at the Chinatown (New York) Health Fair, 1973. The first Chinatown street health fair was held in 1971 by Asian American activists concerned that Chinatown residents lacked access to adequate health care. The activists, many of whom were college students and inspired by the

In 1976, computer pioneers Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs began selling their Apple I computer in kit form to computer stores. A month later, Wozniak was working on a design for an improved version, the Apple II. They demonstrated a prototype in December, and then introduced it to the public in Apr

This sign was purchased by a North Beach second-hand shop from a proprietor in the neighboring Chinatown district of San Francisco. It is said to date from between 1890 and 1910. If that is so, the sign’s survival is quite miraculous: The 1906 earthquake in April of that year caused much damage

Over the course of her 60-year career, Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) became known to fans and colleagues as "The First Lady of Song." Her rise to international fame as a jazz and popular singer coincided with the rise of an American entertainment industry that brought music to millions through conc

The Henry rifle was the immediate forerunner of the famous Winchester rifles. About 14,000 Henrys were made between 1860 and 1866...

In Puerto Rico, the traditional center of lace making is the town of Moca. There, lace is made by hand on bobbins and is known as mundillo. Bobbin lace is a complicated process of weaving together different spools of thread held in place by pins. Lace making today is undergoing a resurgence of po

Muhammad Ali gained fame for his boxing skills, charisma and the controversy he generated outside the ring...