For the first time in its 174-year history, the Smithsonian Institution has released 2.8 million high-images from across its collections onto an open access online platform for the public to peruse and download, free of charge.

“Being a relevant source for people who are learning around the world is key to our mission,” says Effie Kapsalis, who is heading up the effort as the Smithsonian’s senior digital program officer. “We can’t imagine what people are going to do with the collections. We’re prepared to be surprised.”

Let’s do our best to surprise them. 

Check out their release video below. 

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