Citizen Group Archives Smithsonian Exhibits
A volunteer group of "citizen historians" has begun archiving the wall text from Smithsonian exhibits. The effort aims to preserve and document museum narratives amid debates over historical representation and potential political revisions to exhibit content.
The "Citizen Historians for the Smithsonian" project was founded on August 21, 2025, by Georgetown University history professors Chandra Manning and James Millward, with Jessica Dickinson Goodman as the technical lead. The initiative emerged in response to an August 12, 2025, letter from the White House to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, which mandated a "comprehensive internal review" of the institution's exhibits. The review's stated goal is to ensure museum content aligns with "American exceptionalism" and removes "divisive or partisan narratives" ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary in 2026. This directive is part of a broader effort outlined in a March 2025 executive order to combat "distorted narratives" and "divisive, race-centered ideology" in federally funded institutions. The citizen archiving effort took inspiration from a similar project called "Save Our Signs," which documented National Parks signage after the administration ordered a review of signs deemed "negative about either past or living Americans." The Smithsonian initiative operates as a "Crowd to Cloud" project, mobilizing volunteers to systematically photograph and video-document every exhibit and label across the Smithsonian's 21 museums and the National Zoo. Within its first seven weeks, the project recruited over 1,700 volunteers who contributed more than 50,000 photos and videos, successfully documenting 100% of the then-current exhibits. This digital archive aims to serve as a public record against any politically motivated alterations or censorship. Specific concerns were heightened after the removal and alteration of text related to President Trump's two impeachments at the National Museum of American History and the National Portrait Gallery. The White House has also compiled a list of objectionable exhibits, including those focused on race, immigration, gender identity, and slavery. The administration's review initially targets eight major museums, including the National Museums of American History, Natural History, and African American History and Culture. In a December 2025 letter, the White House threatened to withhold funding if the Smithsonian did not comply with requests for extensive documentation, including internal guidelines and plans for future exhibits. In response to the pressure, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III has asserted the institution's independence and commitment to scholarship while also providing requested documents to the White House. The volunteer archivists aim to ensure a public record of the museum's content remains, regardless of the review's outcome.
