Things New and Strange: A Southerner’s Journey through the Smithsonian Collections

by G. Wayne Clough, G. Wayne Clough

Things New and Strange chronicles a research quest undertaken by G. Wayne Clough, the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution born in the South. Soon after retiring from the Smithsonian, Clough decided to see what the Smithsonian collections could tell him about South Georgia, where he had spent most of his childhood in the 1940s and 1950s. The investigations that followed, which began as something of a quixotic scavenger hunt, expanded as Clough discovered that the collections had many more objects and documents from South Georgia than he had imagined. These objects illustrate important aspects of southern culture and history and also inspire reflections about how South Georgia has changed over time.

Clough’s discoveries―animal, plant, fossil, and rock specimens, along with cultural artifacts and works of art―not only serve as a springboard for reflections about the region and its history, they also bring Clough’s own memories of his boyhood in Douglas, Georgia, back to life. Clough interweaves memories of his own experiences, such as hair-raising escapes from poisonous snakes and selling boiled peanuts for a nickel a bag at the annual auction of the tobacco crop, with anecdotes from family lore, which launches an exploration of his forebears and their place in South Georgia history. In following his engaging and personal narrative, we learn how nonspecialists can use museum archives and how family, community, and natural history are intertwined.

Genres: Nonfiction

264 pages, Hardcover

Published May 1, 2019

Reviews

[Mer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Smithsonian and all the museums and work they do. I've even worked behind the scenes in the Natural History Museum's archives on a research project. And I love the idea of a Secretary of the Smithsonian combing thru all their collections and taking advantage of the staff on a treasure hunt of sorts.

Which is why I'm surprised that I wasn't so interested in the story itself. I didn't make it very far in the book even after having it 6 weeks on my book shelf. In hindsight I should have known better. I've never visited the Natural History Museum. Not even when I worked on the research project in that building. I've always visited the air and space, the cultural history, and the non-modern art museums.

[Jen Juenke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned so much about the author, South Georgia, and the Smithsonian Museum while reading this book. I loved how the author included Native Americans, Colonists, Slaves, art, music, fossils, animals, fish, land, meteors, etc in his retelling of the story of South Georgia.
I liked that we also got to see glimpses of his story and his familys story.
One thing I learned is that you can search the Smithsonian records for your own town's/areas history.
Overall a great book.

[Heather Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things New and Strange was interesting and informative. I learned a couple things about the Smithsonian that I didn't know.