Smithsonian Contributions in Visual and Material Culture

Emphasis upon publication as a means of “diffusing knowledge ” was expressed by the fi rst Secretary of the Smithsonian. In his formal plan for the Institution, Joseph Henry outlined a program that included the following statement: “It is proposed to publish a series of reports, giving an account of the new discoveries in science, and of the changes made from year to year in all branches of knowledge. ” This theme of basic research has been adhered to through the years by thousands of titles issued in series publications under the Smithsonian imprint, com-mencing with Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge in 1848 and continuing with the following active series