Smithsonian

השכלה ‏ב‏‏ ‏‏וושינגטון די. סי.‏

More than 100 years ago, graduation attire looked...pretty much the same.

In our Smithsonian Libraries Trade Literature Collection, this Cotrell & Leonard catalog from about 1910 advertises custom-made caps and gowns that came in an array of colors. Explore more looks from the catalog: https://s.si.edu/2H8ApR4

Ladies and gentlemen...the beetles!

Don Flood’s 2016 wallpaper design in our Cooper Hewitt features a rose chafer beetle. It uses Mylar, a mirror-like substance, to mimic their naturally iridescent bodies.