Smithsonian Struts More of Its Stuff With Affiliations

The Smithsonian Affiliations program has allowed 146 museums and cultural organizations to exhibit Smithsonian treasures such as a 1969 Kermit the Frog muppet, the Apollo 13 space capsule and the top hat worn by Lincoln on the night of his assassination at Ford's Theatre. (National Air And Space Museum)

The Apollo 13 space capsule has been to Hutchinson, Kan.

Kermit the Frog has gone to Dubuque, Iowa.

A triceratops skull went to Anniston, Ala.

Lincoln's top hat, the one he was wearing the night of his assassination, visited Danville, Calif.

The four trips are part of a plan to get the Smithsonian Institution to empty its closets. In exchange for a $2,500 annual fee, museums may become Smithsonian "affiliates" and borrow artifacts. Some are less important items. Some are icons. Some go out on a short-term basis. Some, long-term. Now 146 museums and cultural organizations are part of the program, called Smithsonian Affiliations. The latest is the International Museum of the Horse in Lexington, Ky., which has its eye on a famous stuffed steed from the Civil War.

The Smithsonian owns about 136 million objects. Ninety-nine percent of them are in storage. Through the affiliates program, more than 7,000 have gone on the road in 10 years.

The loans give local museums a stamp of approval and can help boost attendance.

The California Science Center in Los Angeles borrowed an Apollo command module from the National Air and Space Museum and meteorites from the National Museum of Natural History. The Oklahoma Historical Society borrowed the Gemini 6 spacecraft, piloted by Tom Stafford of Oklahoma. The Museum of Discovery in Little Rock borrowed Jim Lovell's flight suit from his Apollo 13 mission and John Glenn's foil-wrapped malted-milk tablets from his Friendship 7 flight.

"We make it clear they are not mini-Smithsonians or satellites," says Harold A. Closter, a longtime Smithsonian administrator who directs the affiliations office. "They are independent and responsible for administration and finances. They are good partners."

The Smithsonian achieves one of its goals -- going beyond the Mall -- and builds better relationships with smaller museums. It also sends its specialists out for talks and consultations. Additionally, visitors to the affiliates receive a Smithsonian membership when they join the local institution, which means they get Smithsonian magazine (and boost its circulation).

Some affiliates have sent exhibitions to Washington, too. At the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center, curators used objects from the Smithsonian and 11 countries to create a show about the 250th anniversary of the French and Indian War. The exhibition is now in Ottawa and will come to the Smithsonian in December.

Some of the affiliates have extra clout. The Lincoln hat was lent to the Blackhawk Museum, which was founded by Kenneth Behring. The Behring family has given $100 million to the Smithsonian, the largest gift it's ever received.