Foreword by Robert D. Sullivan
Prologue
Part One Curtain Time, Stages, Characters
1 My Smithsonian Beginning
2 Man and Beast: Two Inquiries, 1969 and 1986
3 The Cultural Drama: Identity and Ferment
4 Our Simply Sensational Salon: The South Tower
5 Savants and Muses in the Castle
Part Two Enrichments
6 Our French Connection
7 Variations on Indian and Chinese Themes
8 Space Age on the Ground
9 Play and Inventiveness
10 New Generations at the Smithsonian
Part Three Interactions
11 Encountering the White House, Congress, and Judiciary
12 Owls and Falcons
13 Imagining a Museum of Humankind
14 Elizabeth Taylor and Mr. Smithson's Ghost
15 Linking Yves Klein and Marcel Mauss
Part Four Commemorations
16 Celebrating Copernicus
17 Whither "STEM" and the Liberal Arts?
18 Einstein Redux
19 Pax Americana: 1976
20 Edinburgh 1984: The Enduring Scottish Enlightenment
Acknowledgments and Epilogue
Appendices A Harvest of Smithsonian Contributions to
Knowledge
Major Symposia and Participants
Index
Wilton S. Dillon is senior scholar emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution, USA. He served as president of the Institute for Intercultural Studies in New York, USA.
-Who would have thought that the British scientist James Smithson's
odd bequest would blossom into one of our Republic's greatest
treasures, the nation's attic, the Smithsonian Institution? It has
fallen to Wilton Dillon to chronicle its golden age from 1964 to
1984--and he does it magnificently. A wonderful story plucked from
that invaluable attic.- --Ken Burns, filmmaker -Smithsonian Stories
is a riveting story that throws a spotlight on a little noticed key
part of American cultural history.- --Edward O. Wilson, Harvard
University -Wilton Dillon provides this much-needed, erudite, and
enjoyable backstage account of the legendary Dillon Ripley's
exciting 'golden age' at the Smithsonian. These stories illustrate
Ripley's quest: rediscovery of the wholeness of knowledge. He
shared that quest with my husband, Arthur, to which end they both
urged partnerships of scientists, artists, and humanists. The
founding of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (the National Museum of
Asian Art) brought a vital new extension of the Smithsonian's
coverage of global cultures, one of many far-sighted initiatives of
the Ripley era.- --Dame Jillian Sackler, philanthropist -Wilton
Dillon has starred discreetly in an extraordinarily long
extraordinary career at the very center of American intellectual
public life. He tells the story in a memoir of Mozartean elegance
of phrase and captivatingly warm wryness. A joy to read, it even
generated genuine tense excitement about planning international
symposia at the Smithsonian. Oh, and always use loose tea when
entertaining foreign visitors at 4 o'clock.- --Lionel Tiger,
Rutgers University -What can one say of such a glittering scope of
accomplishments, breadth of fields, sensitivity to the
institution's mission, insights to such a variety of disciplines,
the collecting of so large a number of thinkers who defined the
20th century and provided to them a forum for their vision? An
awesome panorama that epitomizes the profound meaning of 'increase
and diffusion of knowledge.'- --Paul Perrot, Smithsonian; Virginia
Museum of Fine Arts -Wilton Dillon's memoir of his activities and
exploits at the Smithsonian give a unique and absorbing insight
into this landmark institution. By sheer force of his generous
personality and his professional curiosity, Wilton was able to
attract an extraordinary array of intellectuals from all over the
world to participate in the symposia and conferences that he
organised at the Smithsonian. These meetings, tackling a variety of
subjects and issues, have become part of contemporary history. With
his remarkable memory, Wilton has been able to recreate the
exciting debates that took place at the Smithsonian under his
aegis. The Smithsonian memoirs deserve to be read by anyone who is
interested in gaining a greater understanding of the issues that
swirled around the second half of the 20th century. The Smithsonian
should be proud that one of its stalwarts has provided this
challenging feast.- --Hella Pick, former Diplomatic Editor and
Washington Bureau Chief of the Guardian (newspaper) -This is a
moving, at times inspiring story of a young American Werther,
provincial by birth but metropolitan by aspiration, propelled by
chance into the center of American cultural and intellectual life,
who rose to become one of Washington's most accomplished
impresarios of ideas. The book is a paean to the power of words, to
the joys of discovery, and to the life of the mind. It is also
largely a tribute to the values of education, hard work, and
respect for knowledge that Americans have treasured, and--thanks to
the Smithsonian bequest--need never forget. Above all, Wilton
Dillon's prose is a play on the importance of play, even amidst the
intensity of introspection. His life story is one of which Goethe
himself might have been proud.- --Roy MacLeod, University of Sydney
-Wilton Dillon's Smithsonian Stories scores on several fronts. The
book covers the history of our national museum complex during a
great era. It contains a wonderful series of vignettes connecting
things and exhibitions to the issues of our day, and the cultures
of past and present. It shows why many of us love museums, and why
that love is germane to integrating the arts, sciences, humanities,
and technology. The stories are also fun.- --John R. Rowe, Exelon
Corporation; The Field Museum -Anthropologist, chronicler, and
raconteur extraordinaire, Wilton Dillon paints a lively portrait of
life in the Tower during two decades of unprecedented expansion.
The list of scholars, artists, and statesmen whom the Smithsonian
engaged in its activities--as an unparalleled center for research
and guardian of our nation's cultural heritage--is an impressive
one. In this charming and exceptionally detailed account, Dillon
tells us something about them all.- --Pauline Yu, American Council
of Learned Societies -I am very glad that these stories are out,
for the record, because they reflect an insider's view of a time at
the Smithsonian that sparkled with creativity and mischief of the
good sort. Dillon Ripley (like Wilton) was restive under authority,
the antithesis of -the man in the grey flannel suit.- He used his
tenure as Secretary of the Smithsonian to be outrageously
unpredictable and inventive. He was a perfect match for the spirit
of eccentric British nobleman, James Smithson, who willed his
fortune to the newly independent United States for the
establishment of an institution devoted to -the increase and
diffusion of knowledge among men.- Ripley worked against the grain
of political and business conventions to carve out a campus of
cosmopolitan culture, play and experimentation at the heart of
Washington, DC. As a theater aficionado he knew the importance of a
stage presence and of ritual, and went all out in that direction.
With glee. I particularly like his idea that the nation's capital
needed (needs) a Museum of Man -- an ethnographic museum--
operating from its own building, not as part of the museum of
Natural History, and wanted Wilton to be in charge of the project.
The Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi's design for a new
Pitt-Rivers Museum in Oxford (1960's, never executed) was the
model. Alas, that was one battle Ripley did not win. I hope
Wilton's book rekindles interest in the Ripley years, a Camelot
period in American culture and museum history.- --Edgardo C. Krebs,
Research Associate, Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian
Institution
"Who would have thought that the British scientist James Smithson's
odd bequest would blossom into one of our Republic's greatest
treasures, the nation's attic, the Smithsonian Institution? It has
fallen to Wilton Dillon to chronicle its golden age from 1964 to
1984--and he does it magnificently. A wonderful story plucked from
that invaluable attic." --Ken Burns, filmmaker "Smithsonian Stories
is a riveting story that throws a spotlight on a little noticed key
part of American cultural history." --Edward O. Wilson, Harvard
University "Wilton Dillon provides this much-needed, erudite, and
enjoyable backstage account of the legendary Dillon Ripley's
exciting 'golden age' at the Smithsonian. These stories illustrate
Ripley's quest: rediscovery of the wholeness of knowledge. He
shared that quest with my husband, Arthur, to which end they both
urged partnerships of scientists, artists, and humanists. The
founding of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (the National Museum of
Asian Art) brought a vital new extension of the Smithsonian's
coverage of global cultures, one of many far-sighted initiatives of
the Ripley era." --Dame Jillian Sackler, philanthropist "Wilton
Dillon has starred discreetly in an extraordinarily long
extraordinary career at the very center of American intellectual
public life. He tells the story in a memoir of Mozartean elegance
of phrase and captivatingly warm wryness. A joy to read, it even
generated genuine tense excitement about planning international
symposia at the Smithsonian. Oh, and always use loose tea when
entertaining foreign visitors at 4 o'clock." --Lionel Tiger,
Rutgers University "What can one say of such a glittering scope of
accomplishments, breadth of fields, sensitivity to the
institution's mission, insights to such a variety of disciplines,
the collecting of so large a number of thinkers who defined the
20th century and provided to them a forum for their vision? An
awesome panorama that epitomizes the profound meaning of 'increase
and diffusion of knowledge.'" --Paul Perrot, Smithsonian; Virginia
Museum of Fine Arts "Wilton Dillon's memoir of his activities and
exploits at the Smithsonian give a unique and absorbing insight
into this landmark institution. By sheer force of his generous
personality and his professional curiosity, Wilton was able to
attract an extraordinary array of intellectuals from all over the
world to participate in the symposia and conferences that he
organised at the Smithsonian. These meetings, tackling a variety of
subjects and issues, have become part of contemporary history. With
his remarkable memory, Wilton has been able to recreate the
exciting debates that took place at the Smithsonian under his
aegis. The Smithsonian memoirs deserve to be read by anyone who is
interested in gaining a greater understanding of the issues that
swirled around the second half of the 20th century. The Smithsonian
should be proud that one of its stalwarts has provided this
challenging feast." --Hella Pick, former Diplomatic Editor and
Washington Bureau Chief of the Guardian (newspaper) "This is a
moving, at times inspiring story of a young American Werther,
provincial by birth but metropolitan by aspiration, propelled by
chance into the center of American cultural and intellectual life,
who rose to become one of Washington's most accomplished
impresarios of ideas. The book is a paean to the power of words, to
the joys of discovery, and to the life of the mind. It is also
largely a tribute to the values of education, hard work, and
respect for knowledge that Americans have treasured, and--thanks to
the Smithsonian bequest--need never forget. Above all, Wilton
Dillon's prose is a play on the importance of play, even amidst the
intensity of introspection. His life story is one of which Goethe
himself might have been proud." --Roy MacLeod, University of Sydney
"Wilton Dillon's Smithsonian Stories scores on several fronts. The
book covers the history of our national museum complex during a
great era. It contains a wonderful series of vignettes connecting
things and exhibitions to the issues of our day, and the cultures
of past and present. It shows why many of us love museums, and why
that love is germane to integrating the arts, sciences, humanities,
and technology. The stories are also fun." --John R. Rowe, Exelon
Corporation; The Field Museum "Anthropologist, chronicler, and
raconteur extraordinaire, Wilton Dillon paints a lively portrait of
life in the Tower during two decades of unprecedented expansion.
The list of scholars, artists, and statesmen whom the Smithsonian
engaged in its activities--as an unparalleled center for research
and guardian of our nation's cultural heritage--is an impressive
one. In this charming and exceptionally detailed account, Dillon
tells us something about them all." --Pauline Yu, American Council
of Learned Societies "I am very glad that these stories are out,
for the record, because they reflect an insider's view of a time at
the Smithsonian that sparkled with creativity and mischief of the
good sort. Dillon Ripley (like Wilton) was restive under authority,
the antithesis of "the man in the grey flannel suit." He used his
tenure as Secretary of the Smithsonian to be outrageously
unpredictable and inventive. He was a perfect match for the spirit
of eccentric British nobleman, James Smithson, who willed his
fortune to the newly independent United States for the
establishment of an institution devoted to "the increase and
diffusion of knowledge among men." Ripley worked against the grain
of political and business conventions to carve out a campus of
cosmopolitan culture, play and experimentation at the heart of
Washington, DC. As a theater aficionado he knew the importance of a
stage presence and of ritual, and went all out in that direction.
With glee. I particularly like his idea that the nation's capital
needed (needs) a Museum of Man -- an ethnographic museum--
operating from its own building, not as part of the museum of
Natural History, and wanted Wilton to be in charge of the project.
The Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi's design for a new
Pitt-Rivers Museum in Oxford (1960's, never executed) was the
model. Alas, that was one battle Ripley did not win. I hope
Wilton's book rekindles interest in the Ripley years, a Camelot
period in American culture and museum history." --Edgardo C. Krebs,
Research Associate, Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian
Institution
"Who would have thought that the British scientist James Smithson's
odd bequest would blossom into one of our Republic's greatest
treasures, the nation's attic, the Smithsonian Institution? It has
fallen to Wilton Dillon to chronicle its golden age from 1964 to
1984--and he does it magnificently. A wonderful story plucked from
that invaluable attic." --Ken Burns, filmmaker "Smithsonian Stories
is a riveting story that throws a spotlight on a little noticed key
part of American cultural history." --Edward O. Wilson, Harvard
University "Wilton Dillon provides this much-needed, erudite, and
enjoyable backstage account of the legendary Dillon Ripley's
exciting 'golden age' at the Smithsonian. These stories illustrate
Ripley's quest: rediscovery of the wholeness of knowledge. He
shared that quest with my husband, Arthur, to which end they both
urged partnerships of scientists, artists, and humanists. The
founding of the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (the National Museum of
Asian Art) brought a vital new extension of the Smithsonian's
coverage of global cultures, one of many far-sighted initiatives of
the Ripley era." --Dame Jillian Sackler, philanthropist "Wilton
Dillon has starred discreetly in an extraordinarily long
extraordinary career at the very center of American intellectual
public life. He tells the story in a memoir of Mozartean elegance
of phrase and captivatingly warm wryness. A joy to read, it even
generated genuine tense excitement about planning international
symposia at the Smithsonian. Oh, and always use loose tea when
entertaining foreign visitors at 4 o'clock." --Lionel Tiger,
Rutgers University "What can one say of such a glittering scope of
accomplishments, breadth of fields, sensitivity to the
institution's mission, insights to such a variety of disciplines,
the collecting of so large a number of thinkers who defined the
20th century and provided to them a forum for their vision? An
awesome panorama that epitomizes the profound meaning of 'increase
and diffusion of knowledge.'" --Paul Perrot, Smithsonian; Virginia
Museum of Fine Arts "Wilton Dillon's memoir of his activities and
exploits at the Smithsonian give a unique and absorbing insight
into this landmark institution. By sheer force of his generous
personality and his professional curiosity, Wilton was able to
attract an extraordinary array of intellectuals from all over the
world to participate in the symposia and conferences that he
organised at the Smithsonian. These meetings, tackling a variety of
subjects and issues, have become part of contemporary history. With
his remarkable memory, Wilton has been able to recreate the
exciting debates that took place at the Smithsonian under his
aegis. The Smithsonian memoirs deserve to be read by anyone who is
interested in gaining a greater understanding of the issues that
swirled around the second half of the 20th century. The Smithsonian
should be proud that one of its stalwarts has provided this
challenging feast." --Hella Pick, former Diplomatic Editor and
Washington Bureau Chief of the Guardian (newspaper) "This is a
moving, at times inspiring story of a young American Werther,
provincial by birth but metropolitan by aspiration, propelled by
chance into the center of American cultural and intellectual life,
who rose to become one of Washington's most accomplished
impresarios of ideas. The book is a paean to the power of words, to
the joys of discovery, and to the life of the mind. It is also
largely a tribute to the values of education, hard work, and
respect for knowledge that Americans have treasured, and--thanks to
the Smithsonian bequest--need never forget. Above all, Wilton
Dillon's prose is a play on the importance of play, even amidst the
intensity of introspection. His life story is one of which Goethe
himself might have been proud." --Roy MacLeod, University of Sydney
"Wilton Dillon's Smithsonian Stories scores on several fronts. The
book covers the history of our national museum complex during a
great era. It contains a wonderful series of vignettes connecting
things and exhibitions to the issues of our day, and the cultures
of past and present. It shows why many of us love museums, and why
that love is germane to integrating the arts, sciences, humanities,
and technology. The stories are also fun." --John R. Rowe, Exelon
Corporation; The Field Museum "Anthropologist, chronicler, and
raconteur extraordinaire, Wilton Dillon paints a lively portrait of
life in the Tower during two decades of unprecedented expansion.
The list of scholars, artists, and statesmen whom the Smithsonian
engaged in its activities--as an unparalleled center for research
and guardian of our nation's cultural heritage--is an impressive
one. In this charming and exceptionally detailed account, Dillon
tells us something about them all." --Pauline Yu, American Council
of Learned Societies "I am very glad that these stories are out,
for the record, because they reflect an insider's view of a time at
the Smithsonian that sparkled with creativity and mischief of the
good sort. Dillon Ripley (like Wilton) was restive under authority,
the antithesis of "the man in the grey flannel suit." He used his
tenure as Secretary of the Smithsonian to be outrageously
unpredictable and inventive. He was a perfect match for the spirit
of eccentric British nobleman, James Smithson, who willed his
fortune to the newly independent United States for the
establishment of an institution devoted to "the increase and
diffusion of knowledge among men." Ripley worked against the grain
of political and business conventions to carve out a campus of
cosmopolitan culture, play and experimentation at the heart of
Washington, DC. As a theater aficionado he knew the importance of a
stage presence and of ritual, and went all out in that direction.
With glee. I particularly like his idea that the nation's capital
needed (needs) a Museum of Man -- an ethnographic museum--
operating from its own building, not as part of the museum of
Natural History, and wanted Wilton to be in charge of the project.
The Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi's design for a new
Pitt-Rivers Museum in Oxford (1960's, never executed) was the
model. Alas, that was one battle Ripley did not win. I hope
Wilton's book rekindles interest in the Ripley years, a Camelot
period in American culture and museum history." --Edgardo C. Krebs,
Research Associate, Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian
Institution
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
