A history and description of the Smithsonian Institution. "At first mainly a research center for scientific studies, the Smithsonian has developed in many directions and. . . includes museums devoted to air and space, science and technology, nature, and Americana; galleries of the fine arts, including the National Portrait Gallery and the Freer Collection; a zoo; various laboratories and observatories. ... [Attention] is given to the various directors of the Smithsonian."