Smithsonian.com

Inventor William Lawrence Murphy (1856-1957) began tinkering with hideaway beds while living in a one-room apartment in San Francisco in the late 19th century. He was falling for a young opera singer and courting customs at that time would not permit a lady to enter a gentleman’s bedroom. But according to family legend, Murphy’s limited finances and a strict moral code didn’t spoil his chance at love. His invention allowed him to stow his bed in his closet, transforming his one-room apartment from a bedroom into a parlor.

The couple married in 1900.

Today, the Murphy bed, a bed that can be folded into a cabinet, is a household brand. National Museum of American History’s Assistant Collections Manager Robyn J. Einhorn researched the bed’s place in American history for her second master’s thesis.

The Murphy bed’s increasing popularity came “because of a combination of good timing, a quality product, and an inventive marketing strategy,” Einhorn writes, “A housing shortage, brought on by large population spurts in the country resulted in the building of smaller homes.”

More often slapstick rather than theses, see Charlie Chaplin take on a finicky Murphy bed above. The bed continues to make us laugh in films like, Police Academy II (1985) and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) as well as television’s “Family Guy.”

William Murphy first patented his bed in 1911. His design placed a full-sized mattress on a metal frame that hid in a closet during the day and easily converted a dressing room, sleeping porch, or parlor into an extra bedroom at night. Through the 1920s, newspaper advertisements for apartments used the Murphy bed as a selling point.

Though Murphy beds are often pricier than their normal counterparts, “[they] continue to fill a need in living spaces of today, whether it is for small city apartments or suburban homes of empty nesters turning a college student’s old bedroom into an office/guest space,” Einhorn says.

– Additional reporting by Daniel Friend, Inside Smithsonian Research

District of Columbia War Memorial, courtesy of Flickr user Avelino Maestas

The Smithsonian Institution may not be legally responsible for the upkeep of the National Mall, but it certainly considers the green space between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial precious turf. After all, the Mall, long called “America’s Front Yard”, literally is the Institution’s front yard, with doors to many of its buildings opening up onto the park.

So it’s no surprise that we here at ATM have been following the ups and, well, mostly downs of the current state of the Mall. First, it was the all-too-vague definition of the Mall and its purpose. Later, the Mall in all its glory for Obama’s inauguration, and then the subsequent dust bowl created by the trampling of so many feet and renovation budget cuts.

But now, there’s a victory to report! Last week, the Interior Department announced that $56 million of the $76.8 million going to Washington, D.C. parks from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is earmarked for the National Mall. The Washington Post reported that more than $30 million will go to improving the murky Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, $7.3 million will be used to restore the abandoned District of Columbia War Memorial for World War I veterans (between the reflecting pool and the Tidal Basin) and several million will go to fixing the slowly submerging seawall near the Jefferson Memorial.

With over $400 million in overdue maintenance, it’s a start.

Jitterbugs III (1941) by William H. Johnson. Image courtesy of the American Art Museum.

Monday, April 27: Operation Babylift: Saving Children from the Vietnam War

In April 1975 American humanitarian workers in South Vietnam worked to evacuate orphaned children to North America, Europe and Australia just as North Vietnamese were sweeping through the region. Operation Babylift transferred approximately 2,500 children to the United States, changing the nation’s “complexion” and ushering in an era of international adoption. This event will feature guest speakers who were a part of the airlift operation, as well as photographs and other artifacts. Free. Hirshhorn Museum, 6:30 PM

Tuesday, April 28: Brig. Gen. Dan Cherry and Nguyen Hong My: A Pilot and the Enemy He Shot Down: General Electric Aviation Lecture

In April 1972, Brig. Gen. Dan Cherry (USAF, ret.) was operating in North Vietnam when he shot down an enemy aircraft flown by Nguyen Hong My, who survived. Thirty-six years later, the two pilots who fought on opposite sides of the war met face to face. Come to the Air and Space Museum to hear a lecture where both men talk about their experiences. This program is preceded by a screening of the IMAX film Dogfights: Hell Over Hanoi and succeeded by a book signing. Free, but tickets are required. To reserve a ticket, please use the online Ticket Request Form or call 202-633-2398. National Air and Space Museum, 7:00 PM

Wednesday, April 29: Chops: D.C. Film Premiere and Conversation with Director Bruce Broder

Come enjoy the DC premiere of the movie “Chops,” which follows three high school jazz bands that go to compete in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2006 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival. Director Bruce Broder will be available after the screening to discuss his film. Repeats today at 5:30 and 8:00. Free. American History Museum, 3:00 PM

Thursday, April 30: Great Communicators: Eudora Welty: Face-to-Face Portrait Talk

Eudora Welty’s photography was recently featured in Smithsonian —so if you’re in the DC area, come out to the National Portrait Gallery to see a photograph of this great woman of letters taken by Mildred Wolfe. Researcher Warren Perry is on deck to provide a wealth of insight into the image and the context in which it was taken. Free. National Portrait Gallery, 6:00 PM

Friday, May 1: Cabaret with Tomson Highway: Performance

What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play! Life is a cabaret, ol’ chum—come to the cabaret at the American Indian Museum. Playwright and novelist Tomson Highway will be joined onstage by singer/actress Patricia Cano and sax player Leigh Pilzer for a perfectly marvelous night of musical entertainment. Tickets required. Rates are: $20 general admission; $15, members; or call 202-633-3030. American Indian Museum, 7:30 PM

View of the annual Smithsonian Craft Show at the National Building Museum. Image courtesy of the Smithsonian Craft Show website.

Friday, April 24: Forensic Friday

Join Smithsonian forensic anthropologists as they study new cases from America’s historic past. Take advantage of this opportunity to ask the forensic anthropologists questions and observe first-hand the basic methods used for documenting human remains recovered from archaeological investigations. Relates to the exhibit Written in Bone, which was recently covered in Smithsonian. Free. Repeats the fourth Friday of every month through June. Natural History Museum, 1:00 PM

Saturday, April 25: Saturday Star Party: Evening Telescope Viewing at Sky Meadows Park

Museum astronomer Sean O’Brien and local amateur astronomers bring out their high-power telescopes and share their knowledge of the night sky. Get away from the glare of city lights and see stars you never new existed. First, hear a presentation by a Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Ambassador. Then, weather permitting, witness the thousands of stars that litter the dark night sky, and with the help off high-powered optics, view nearby planets and stars up close. Free but, parking is $4 per vehicle. Event is located at Sky Meadows State Park, near Paris, VA. National Air and Space Museum, 8:00-11:00 PM

Friday through Sunday, April 24-26: Smithsonian Craft Show

It’s the 27th Annual Smithsonian Craft Show! There are some amazing sights to be seen as artists from all over the nation show off their exemplary skills. (And I should note that this is a juried show—a sure sign that all the artists are bringing their A-game.) From clothing to jewelry to ceramics—and everything in between—I guarantee you won’t be able to find objets d’art like these once this show is gone. (And don’t forget: Mother’s Day is on the horizon and you may be able to find some unique gift ideas.) Tickets are required. Rates are: $15 general admission; $12 for SI Associates/Seniors/Military/Students. National Building Museum, 11:00 AM-5:00 PM

See forensic anthropologists at work at Forensic Friday series. (Courtesy of the National Museum of Natural History.)

The lives of forensic anthropologists Doug Owsley and Kari Bruwelheide have all the ingredients for a great television show:

1. There’s murder: The team found the skeleton of a 17th-century Chesapeake indentured servant crammed in his employer’s cellar.

2. There’s mystery: Piecing together clues, like linen shroud fibers and copper staining, Owsley and Bruwelheide identified a colonial Maryland woman buried in a lead coffin.

3. There’s drama: The FBI called on Owsley to identify the remains of the women and children who died in the 1993 Waco Massacre.

4. And there’s romance: Both Owsley and Bruwelheide love their jobs.

Until a gifted producer brings their story to the networks, visitors to the National Museum of Natural History’s “Written in Bone” exhibition can watch the curators live, starting today.

A new monthly event, called “Forensic Fridays,” will allow visitors to join Owsley and Bruwelheide as they study new cases from America’s past. Visitors are encouraged to ask the celebrity anthropologists about their work, while learning how skeletons are aged, sexed and identified.

“We’re going to give a behind-the-scenes look at the kinds of data that [Bruwelheide] and I collect from the skeletons,” Owsley says. “We’re going conduct our examinations as if the visitors were in our laboratory.”

At the moment, three “Forensic Fridays” are planned: Today (April 24), May 22 and June 26. All take place from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., though you can drop by at any point during that time.

Today’s case is part of a current tomb restoration project at the Congressional cemetery. As grounds crews stabilize the 19th-century tombs, Owsley and Bruwelheide are working with the families of the deceased to identify who are buried in the vaults. Since many of the bodies lack death records or obituaries, the goal is to match the remains with the family names.

If that’s not must-see reality—then you’re watching too much T.V.

The Forensic Anthropology Lab is open to the public, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. No reservations are required for public hours and the activities are self-directed.