July 24 -- American History Museum

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Heading down to the American History Museum.  I took this pic because we could see the Capitol.  I wasn't paying any attention to the marks on the street, but I think they are interesting.  Not only both-way bicycle lanes, but a special turning bicycle lane.....

As you would guess, there are TONS of office buildings in Washington, DC.

TONS of government buildings.  This says International Trade.

Look at all the trees on top of the buildings!

This looks relatively new, and very fancy.  These lamp things were huge.  The whole lamp assembly is taller than I am.

American History Museum, with Washington Monument in the background, and crape myrtle in the foreground.

Waiting in line to go through security to get into the American History Museum.  (I still hate terrorists and all other vandals!)



This is across the street from American History.  Google says it is the Andrew Mellon Auditorium.  Very grand.

Wandering in the American History Museum.  We avoided the most political stuff, and were drawn to technology.  There are lots of models of technology, including this classroom steam-engine model from about 1840.  You can almost make out the way the cylinders have been cut in half to show the pistons....

Amen.  Please.  Let's help, rather than hurt...............

"Uncut wafer with Tri-Gate chips, 2011.  It took hundreds of Intel scientists four years to move from proof of concept to manufacturing 3D transistors at high quality and a competitive price."

And innit pretty?  I would totally hang this on the wall..................  Though I wonder if it needs special lighting to show off its true colors.........

Of course there is a lot more to what goes on around this here USA than technology.  There is, for example, advertising............

I remember a person dressed as Mr. Peanut, in Atlantic City (when my grandparents took me there when I was 10).

Zoomed in on the above.  Gotta love the California Raisins doing their music video to "I Heard it on the Grapevine"..........

Dad, this one's for you.

This is what the Volkswagen ad above was a reaction to, I bet.

Hmmm. 

Are we all really that stupid?  Perhaps Volkswagen's beetle's success proved we aren't.  At least some of the time?

Pausing for lunch in the cafeteria.  Here's the view out the window.  Nice, yes?  The fancy building at right is the so-new-it's-not-open-yet African American Museum.

Back to the American History Museum's collection.

The American History Museum has Julia Child's kitchen, and it has have Ralph Baer's workshop.  I didn't recognize his name, but I surely recognize his work.....

We had Simon...........

It was fun to see all the dolls and do-dads.  I wonder what happened when you slid those sliders.

Barbie *and* her dressing table.......  Note Batman (and a cassette player) under the family picture.

Ralph Baer's office/workshop was in his basement, I guess.  The outside wall of his office looked like a building's exterior wall.  His office door looked like a building's exterior door, and there was a mailbox beside the door, and a fake window with a window box.  :-)  I thought I got a picture of that, but I don't find one, so apparently I didn't.........  If you click through to this article about Ralph and his workshop, you can have a look at the red-brick wall, door, "window," etc.

I love that our museum has this stuff.

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