What's New
Exploring the Big Picture with #BigPictureMorans
 In conjunction with our Thomas Moran & the 'Big Picture' exhibition, we’re collaborating with our colleagues at Yellowstone National Park on a fun and educational social media initiative. With #BigPictureMorans, we're virtually accompanying Thomas Moran into the Yellowstone region 150 years ago to the day and retracing his steps as a guest artist on the summer 1871 Hayden Survey expedition. Throughout July and August, we’ll be sharing entries from his diary, repeat photography of various landmarks, and other primary archival sources to re-create Moran's journey and chronicle how it shaped his career and the course of history! The overall #BigPictureMorans social media campaign will ultimately extend into next spring's 150th anniversaries of the founding of Yellowstone National Park and the debut of Moran's iconic painting, The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Follow along on our Twitter and Facebook accounts with the hashtag #BigPictureMorans.
New to the Collection: From the Ocean Floor to the Interior Museum
 Inscribed flag of the Federated States of Micronesia, a mission sticker, and a decorated standard-sized polystyrene cup that has shrunk due to ocean pressure (INTR 07785 - INTR 07787). Gifted by Nicole Yamase in remembrance of who we are and what we stand for.
Our collection spans "from West to East and from sea to sky," but a recent donation to the Interior Museum gave a whole new meaning to that phrase.
On March 11, 2021, Nicole Yamase made history by becoming the first Pacific Islander to descend to the deepest part of Earth's ocean: the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. Fewer people have been here than have gone to the Moon! Nicole is from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in marine biology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. We are honored that Nicole has gifted several items from her historically, culturally, and scientifically significant expedition “in remembrance of who we are and what we stand for." The signed FSM flag accompanied her in the two-person submersible DSV Limiting Factor on her 10-hour voyage to 10,925 meters below the surface. The second piece is a polystyrene cup she decorated with "United We Stand" and the names of the islands of Micronesia. This traveled in a pouch outside the submersible and literally shows the incredible effects of ocean pressure, shrinking it to the size of a large thimble. The third item is her mission badge sticker. Nicole's gift to the museum arrived during Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month and strengthens the museum's collection of artifacts representing island areas with long-standing connections to the Department of the Interior.
Hear more about Nicole Yamase's expedition and gift to the museum in her own words, via two OIA Conversations podcasts from the Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs.
Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital - Summer Encore Series
 Save the dates! We've teamed up with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital to co-present two FREE virtual screenings as part of the Summer Encore Series:
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Conservation Shorts I: Iconic Wildlife | July 8-11, 2021
Learn more about conservation efforts surrounding iconic American species. This streaming package includes four short films by some of the nation's leading independent filmmakers, plus a post-screening recorded discussion. Stream here anytime July 8 through 11.
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Conservation Shorts II: Wild Spaces | July 22-25, 2021
In bayous, forests, and coastal areas, follow the diverse and compelling stories of people working to celebrate nature and to redefine our relationships with wild spaces. This streaming package includes six short films and two recorded discussions with the filmmakers. RSVP now and stream anytime July 22 through 25.
Collections Spotlight
Hats
Unknown makers, circa 1930s–1950s
Tyre palm
U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, INTR 05996, INTR 01913, INTR 04995, INTR 01905, INTR 02274
A "tip of the hat" to Caribbean American Heritage Month with this fabulous headwear! Stylish and practical, these pieces are all from the U.S. Virgin Islands and date to the mid 1930s to 1950s.
Because of the Department of the Interior's historical and ongoing role with U.S. territories via the Office of Insular Affairs, our collection includes many beautiful examples of handcrafts from the U.S. Virgin Islands—from handheld fans to melon baskets, and more.
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