". . . a National Museum, of which (let me whisper it) I hope to be director."

-Letter from Spencer Fullerton Baird to George Perkins Marsh, Smithsonian Regent, July 2, 1853

Spencer Fullerton Baird Enlargement

Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823-1887), an avid naturalist and collector, served as an assistant to Secretary Joseph Henry from 1850 to 1878. A pioneer in museum collecting and display, he was named the Institution's second Secretary upon Henry's death.

Whereas Secretary Henry had envisioned the Smithsonian primarily as a research institute, Baird saw Smithson's gift as the means to develop a national museum.

Secretary Baird's vision coincided with a growing sense of nationalism surrounding the celebration of the U.S. Centennial. By 1878 Congress had formally given responsibility for the U.S. National Museum to the Smithsonian Institution.

During the Baird years, the Smithsonian became a showcase for the nation's history, resources, and treasures.

Baird, the Collector

Baltimore Oriole Enlargement

Secretary Baird's most visible accomplishment was his role in building a national collection. In 1850, arriving to work at the Smithsonian as Secretary Henry's assistant, he brought two railroad boxcars full of natural history specimens. As Secretary, Baird wrote more than 3,600 letters a year to a far-flung network of collectors and taught a generation of naturalists how to prepare specimens for museum collections. By the end of his tenure, the National Museum housed more than 2.5 million specimens and artifacts.

Apparatus used by Secretary Baird Enlargement

Review of American Birds… Enlargement

Cigar box cover Enlargement

As this cigar box cover shows, Secretary Baird and the National Museum were popular facets of U.S. culture by the end of the 19th century.

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