The MuseumCelebrates the resilience of American cultural institutions in the face of national crises and challenges On an afternoon in January 1865, a roaring fire swept through the Smithsonian Institution. Dazed soldiers and worried citizens could only watch as the flames engulfed the museums castle. Rare objects and valuable paintings were destroyed. The flames at the Smithsonian were not the firstand certainly would not be the last disaster to upend a museum