A Hole in the Floor

Smithsonian International

Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, commander of the U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838-42, painted this portrait of the expedition's flagship, Vincennes, at anchor in Disappointment Bay, Antartica, in 1840. The need to accommodate objects collected on Wilkes's voyage led to the establishment in 1858 of the National Museum in the Smithsonian Building, now known as the Castle. Today's flags from around the world adorn the Castle's protico, while a statue of Joseph Henry, the Institution's first Secretary, looks out over the Mall.