#smithsonian-institution

#smithsonian-institution

"The object of the Museum is to acquire power," announces a crusty old archaeologist in Penelope Fitzgerald's 1977 satire, The Golden Child. It isn't a goal he respects. He wants the museum where he's settled into semiretirement to genuinely devote itself to educating its visitors. Instead, he correctly charges, its curators act like a pack of Gollums, hoarding "the art and treasures of the earth" for their own self-aggrandizement and pleasure.

Cornyn and Weber's letter cited the Anti-Lobbying Act as restricting the use of federal funds to influence the public regarding legislation or appropriations matters.

Though it has long functioned as the Smithsonian's administrative offices, the famous building known as the Castle previously served as living quarters for the institution's first secretary and his family.

The legislators emphasized that the Smithsonian's curatorial independence is crucial for maintaining its reputation as a world-class cultural institution, independent from political influence.