Stories from the Vaults
Encyclopedia
Hosted by actor Tom Cavanagh
, Stories from the Vaults is a series of 30-minute shows featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the Smithsonian Institution
, the world's largest museum complex. The new series, produced by Caragol Wells Productions, showcases the Smithsonian's rarest treasures as Tom Cavanagh meets with the experts behind the Smithsonian and discusses what it takes to preserve these precious artifacts for the generations to come. Stories from the Vaults debuted September 2007 on Smithsonian Networks
. The second season premiered Sunday July 12th, 2009.
for a unique test. In a “cello challenge” Cavanagh has to identify the difference in sound between an ordinary cello and that of a 300-year-old Stradivarius
, one of the finest instruments in the world.
of the plains Indians, mobile homes, and the life of the roundworm – a parasite able to make its home in almost any type of ecosystem.
’s earliest light bulbs, and the first video game consoles ever invented.
for study in future centuries.
and visit the National Museum of Dentistry
, where host Tom Cavanagh learns how food takes a toll on our teeth.
filled with mail make a political statement to the world? These questions are answered.
in Panama tracks sloths
. Then search the Panama Canal
for clues to the creation of the Panamanian Isthmus
, and rise sixteen stories atop the rainforest in a construction crane to do bug research.
; finding new ways to preserve a provocative work of art; or reviving an entire genre of music. Also learn what Smithsonian experts are doing to protect the best aspects of our world for future generations.
.
Tom Cavanagh
Thomas "Tom" Cavanagh is a Canadian actor.-Early life:Cavanagh was born in Ottawa, Ontario. He is of Irish descent and was raised in a large Roman Catholic family. Cavanagh moved with his family to Winneba, a small city in Ghana, when he was seven years old. In his teens, the family moved to...
, Stories from the Vaults is a series of 30-minute shows featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, the world's largest museum complex. The new series, produced by Caragol Wells Productions, showcases the Smithsonian's rarest treasures as Tom Cavanagh meets with the experts behind the Smithsonian and discusses what it takes to preserve these precious artifacts for the generations to come. Stories from the Vaults debuted September 2007 on Smithsonian Networks
Smithsonian Networks
Smithsonian Networks is a joint venture between CBS Corporation's Showtime Networks and the Smithsonian Institution. The service consists of Smithsonian Channel, Smithsonian On Demand, and ....
. The second season premiered Sunday July 12th, 2009.
Episode 1: "Famous Donors"
Cavanagh visits with Dr. Hans-Deiter Seus and collections manager Linda Gordon who oversee 580,000 mammal specimens. They discuss the science of tracking environmental and ecological changes and examine the Smithsonian’s vast collection of specimens. Cavanagh also stops by to see the Entertainment Collection curator to enjoy a collection of jokes donated by the first woman to enjoy a comedy career in television.Episode 2: "Superlatives"
Tom Cavanagh goes in search of the most misunderstood, the best and the tiniest to learn what it takes to stand out in a collection of 142 million objects. Paul Rhymer discusses the art of taxidermy with Tom before Cavanagh heads over to the National Museum of American HistoryNational Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
for a unique test. In a “cello challenge” Cavanagh has to identify the difference in sound between an ordinary cello and that of a 300-year-old Stradivarius
Stradivarius
The name Stradivarius is associated with violins built by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari. According to their reputation, the quality of their sound has defied attempts to explain or reproduce, though this belief is controversial...
, one of the finest instruments in the world.
Episode 3: "No Place Like Home"
In “No Place Like Home”, Tom examines four unique forms of homes: the earliest space suits, the tipiTipi
A tipi is a Lakota name for a conical tent traditionally made of animal skins and wooden poles used by the nomadic tribes and sedentary tribal dwellers of the Great Plains...
of the plains Indians, mobile homes, and the life of the roundworm – a parasite able to make its home in almost any type of ecosystem.
Episode 4: "Beauty"
Beauty comes in many forms and in this episode Tom Cavanagh explores the subject through the perspective of three Smithsonian curators and their views on ants, orchids and the world of advertising.Episode 5: "Firsts"
In the world of technological innovation there are many important firsts. Join Tom Cavanagh as he examines the cockpit of a jumbo jet, Thomas EdisonThomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
’s earliest light bulbs, and the first video game consoles ever invented.
Episode 6: "Life after Death"
At the Smithsonian, many researchers and historians find valuable clues about life through the study of death. From a colony of flesh-eating beetles to the idea seeking immortality by posing for a portrait, the Smithsonian presents many ways to answer the question, “Is there life after death?”Episode 7: "Random"
The Smithsonian collection is anything but random. Each of its objects has a scope that encompasses answers to questions as yet unasked, from photography, providing a multiplicity of meaning a single image, to the National Zoo, housing animals and DNADNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
for study in future centuries.
Episode 1: "Let's Eat!"
Learn how to cook Native American dishes with the executive chef of Mitsitam Café; discover the origins of the American coffee break at the National Museum of American HistoryNational Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History: Kenneth E. Behring Center collects, preserves and displays the heritage of the United States in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Among the items on display are the original Star-Spangled Banner and Archie Bunker's...
and visit the National Museum of Dentistry
National Museum of Dentistry
The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry -- located in Baltimore, Maryland, and opened in 1996—preserves and exhibits the history of dentistry in United States and throughout the world...
, where host Tom Cavanagh learns how food takes a toll on our teeth.
Episode 2: "Top Secret"
The Smithsonian’s most compelling mysteries are revealed. Can an artist outsmart the world's top spies? How does a missileMissile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
filled with mail make a political statement to the world? These questions are answered.
Episode 3: "Nature's Vault"
The Smithsonian Tropical Research InstituteSmithsonian Tropical Research Institute
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, the only bureau of the Smithsonian Institution based outside of the United States, is dedicated to understanding biological diversity. What began in 1923 as small field station on Barro Colorado Island in the Panama Canal Zone has developed...
in Panama tracks sloths
Sloth
Sloths are the six species of medium-sized mammals belonging to the families Megalonychidae and Bradypodidae , part of the order Pilosa and therefore related to armadillos and anteaters, which sport a similar set of specialized claws.They are arboreal residents of the jungles of Central and South...
. Then search the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
for clues to the creation of the Panamanian Isthmus
Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama, also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country of Panama and the Panama Canal...
, and rise sixteen stories atop the rainforest in a construction crane to do bug research.
Episode 4: "Crystal Ball"
The Smithsonian’s Vaults and labs feature designers who have shaped our future, sneak a peek at museum of the future, and talk to scientists helping to preserve the future of the tropical rainforest.Episode 5: "Going, Going, Gone"
This episode goes behind the scenes and see what might be called “extreme conservation”: like saving animals from the brink of extinctionExtinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
; finding new ways to preserve a provocative work of art; or reviving an entire genre of music. Also learn what Smithsonian experts are doing to protect the best aspects of our world for future generations.
Episode 6: "Sex 101"
People may not like to talk about it, but sex is everywhere... even at the Smithsonian. The topic may not be featured in major museum exhibitions, but the vaults and labs of the Smithsonian feature stories about “the birds and the bees.” Host Tom Cavanagh goes behind the scenes of the Smithsonian to find evidence of romance and sex.Episode 7: "Villains and Rogues"
Explore the crime “scene” at the Smithsonian’s Vaults: photographic evidence from the Crime of the Century; everyone’s favorite natural villain, the snake; and America’s first “Lone Gunman”: John Wilkes BoothJohn Wilkes Booth
John Wilkes Booth was an American stage actor who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865. Booth was a member of the prominent 19th century Booth theatrical family from Maryland and, by the 1860s, was a well-known actor...
.