Star-Spangled Banner Gallery, White House Copy of Lincoln's Gettysburg

Address Are Highlights of Opening Year Exhibitions



    WASHINGTON, July 30 /EMWNews/ -- The Smithsonian's

National Museum of American History will open its doors to the public

Friday, Nov. 21, providing a new look at the almost 200-year-old

Star-Spangled Banner and a rare chance to see the White House copy of

President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. The reopening will mark the

completion of a two-year, $85 million renovation of the building's center

core, dramatically transforming the museum's architectural appeal while

reorganizing and renewing the presentation of its extensive collections.



    Visitors will enter a dramatic five-story sky-lit atrium, surrounded by

artifact displays filled with more than 400 objects showcasing the breadth

and depth of the museum's three million objects representing the cultural,

social, technological and political history of the United States. An

architectural representation of a waving flag -- 960 reflective tiles made

of polycarbonate material -- frames the entrance to the Star-Spangled

Banner gallery. The gallery itself is a climate-controlled state-of-the-art

chamber designed to evoke the "dawn's early light." An exhibition that

includes multimedia displays and historic objects will tell the story of

the flag and the National Anthem.



    "For people of all ages, a visit to the National Museum of American

History can be a defining event--providing a deep and fundamental

understanding of what it has meant to be an American," said Brent D. Glass,

director of the museum. "Millions of visitors will enjoy new opportunities

to explore the American narrative and the core stories of our national

experience in an inspiring and memorable setting."



    The renovation project focused on three areas: architectural

enhancements to the center core, including a grand staircase and a

skylight; construction of a new Star-Spangled Banner gallery and updates to

the 44-year-old building's infrastructure. Architectural firm Skidmore,

Owings & Merrill LLP of New York designed the project and Turner

Construction Company is responsible for the overall construction. New York

design firms Chermayeff & Geismar Studio and C&G Partners are working with

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill on the new gallery for the Star-Spangled Banner.



    The Star-Spangled Banner



    The Star-Spangled Banner will return to the heart of the museum in a

dramatic new display that provides a contemplative setting for visitors. A

40 by 19 foot abstract representation of the flag will soar above the

entrance and will be a focal point of the second floor. The Morris and

Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation generously provided $2.5 million for its

construction.



    A special enclosure, fronted by a 45-foot-long floor-to-ceiling glass

wall, will protect the fragile wool and cotton flag while providing maximum

visibility to visitors. The chamber's lighting, mechanical, security and

fire prevention systems, as well as the table upon which the flag rests and

the new gantry (movable bridge) that museum staff will use to inspect the

flag, are designed to work together to ensure the long-term care of the

flag. All support structures and mechanisms will be hidden from public view

and the flag will appear to be floating.



    The 30-by-34-foot banner will be displayed at a horizontal orientation

according to U.S. flag code and, in order to reduce stress to the textile,

at a 10-degree angle of elevation. Low light levels will protect the flag

yet are dramatic enough to evoke an atmosphere of the "dawn's early light,"

similar to what Francis Scott Key experienced on Sept. 14, 1814, when he

penned his poem that became the national anthem in 1931. The room has

separate environmental systems maintaining a constant temperature of 68 to

72 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity of 50 percent.



    The first stanza of Key's poem will be projected prominently on the

wall above and behind the Star-Spangled Banner. An interactive image of the

flag will provide additional information.



    The Star-Spangled Banner Preservation Project is made possible by major

support from Polo Ralph Lauren. Generous support is provided by The Pew

Charitable Trusts, the U.S. Congress, the John S. and James L. Knight

Foundation and the American Express Historic Preservation Fund. The

conservation project is part of Save America's Treasures, a public-private

project of the White House Millennium Council and the National Trust for

Historic Preservation.



    The History Channel, a donor through financial contributions and

in-kind gifts, will release a new one-hour special touching on the flag's

colorful history, including the specialized conservation treatment

undertaken by the museum and the new high-tech flag chamber. A part of the

channel's "Save Our History" series, the documentary will air in November.



    The Gettysburg Address



    Lincoln's short address at the Gettysburg, Pa. cemetery on Nov. 19,

1863, became one of the most eloquent speeches in American history. The

manuscript that will be on view in the museum's new Albert H. Small

Documents Gallery is one of five drafts, the last known to have been

written in Lincoln's hand. Penned in March 1864 for an anthology to raise

funds for the Union, it was kept by one of the book's publishers, Alexander

Bliss, and was auctioned in 1949. Oscar Cintas, a former Cuban ambassador,

purchased it and on his death in 1957, he asked that it be placed in the

White House collection. There, the document is displayed in the Lincoln

Bedroom, in the private quarters not open for public tours. Mrs. Laura Bush

approved the loan of this copy of the Gettysburg Address to the museum for

display from November 21 to January 4, 2009.



    Renovation



    The renovation is made possible through a public-private partnership

with $46 million in federal funds and the remaining $39 million from

individuals, foundations and corporations. The museum's $80 million dollar

donor, Kenneth E. Behring, has contributed $16 million to the project.



    The Nina and Ivan Selin Welcome Center on the second floor will help

orient visitors as will six landmark objects located in the wings of each

of the three exhibit floors. For example, the Vassar College telescope,

circa 1865, and used by the first American female astronomer, will be on

the west wing of the first floor, representing science and technology. That

wing includes the Lemelson Hall of Invention and Spark!Lab, a hands-on

science and invention center.



    The renovation also includes the Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Lobby for

the 275-seat Carmichael Auditorium, new elevators and restroom facilities,

food and retail operations. The Constitution Cafe will face Constitution

Avenue on the first floor and offer sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts

while the lower level 600-seat Stars and Stripes Cafe will serve American

fare.



    Throughout its reopening year, the museum will present new exhibits and

programs with one highlight being the 8,000-square-foot exhibition, "On the

Water: Stories from Maritime America" which opens in spring 2009. The Susan

and Elihu Rose Gallery, also opening in 2009, will feature changing

exhibitions. Programming will take center stage with visitors able to

encounter historic characters every weekend and on federal holidays as well

as tours, theater and popular song programs. A list of 2008-2009

exhibitions and programs will be available in October.



    Visitors may explore virtual exhibitions, collections and find updates

via the museum's Web site: americanhistory.si.edu. The public may also

subscribe to a monthly electronic newsletter for re-opening updates and

upcoming exhibitions.



    The National Museum of American History documents the American

experience from Colonial times to the present. For more information call

Smithsonian Information at (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY).