goSmithsonian - February 2009 - (Page 28) Paul and Julia Child began work on their Massachusetts kitchen in 1961 adapting it to the many quirks of the famous chef, who donated the room’s entire contents to the museum in 2001. FIRST FLOOR EAST TRANSPORTATION AND TECHNOLOGY “America on the Move” Visitors are transported back in time and immersed in the sights, sounds and sensations of rail and road transportation in the United States from 1876 to 1999. Among the 300 objects in the 26,000-square-foot exhibition are a 1950s Chicago Transit Authority mass transit car and a 1903 Winton, the first car to be driven across the United States. “Power Machinery” Investigate a world-class collection of full-size engines and models, including those from the early age of steam power and a number of historic internal combustion engines. “Lighting a Revolution” A chronicle of the invention of the light bulb and the man behind it—Thomas Edison. Jokemeister Stephen Colbert is a “National Treasure,” wink, wink. See his portrait on view next to Dumbo. FIRST FLOOR WEST SCIENCE AND INNOVATION “Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Hall of Invention” Ever wonder who the genius was who developed the microwave oven? At “Invention at Play,” learn about the great creators and innovators and get some insight into how to go from an idea to an invention. In the special showcase, “Sporting Invention,” located by the elevator, check out the skis and tennis racquets invented by Howard Head and the accessible snowboard for people with disabilities developed by student inventors at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. “Science in American Life” From genetics to the atomic bomb, this exhibition examines the ever-increasing role of science in American society. New to the exhibit is a robotic vehicle, called “Stanley,” the winner of the 2005 Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge race. “Bon Appétit! Julia Child’s Kitchen at the Smithsonian” offers a peek into the famous chef ’s legendary Cambridge, Massachusetts, kitchen. In 2001, Child donated the contents of her 14- by 20-foot custom-designed kitchen, including small utensils, personal cookbooks, stainless steel kitchen sink and six-burner Garland commercial range. The kitchen RICHARD STRAUSS/SI; HUGH TALMAN/SI; NMAH 28 goSmithsonian.com http://www.goSmithsonian.com
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