Smithsonian Collection Showcase Screensaver
The Smithsonian Collection Showcase screensaver rotates through real artworks from the Smithsonian's Open Access collection. It is free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
Live preview
Press ESC to leave fullscreen. Settings are saved in your browser only.
How the Smithsonian Collection Showcase screensaver works
The saver reads a real rotating sample of objects with public images from the Smithsonian's Open Access API.
Each object shows its real title and maker as catalogued by the Smithsonian.
The pipeline refreshes the sample on its own schedule.
Works with the public DEMO_KEY; a free personal key removes its low throttle.
Smithsonian Open Access and its many museums
The Smithsonian Institution is not one museum but a group of museums, research centres, libraries and the National Zoo, founded with a bequest from the British scientist James Smithson and based mainly in Washington, DC. Congress established it in 1846. Its Open Access initiative, launched in February 2020, released millions of digital images and catalogue records into the public domain under a CC0 dedication, and exposes them through an API so developers can build on them.
A record usually has a title, a maker or creator, a date and a unit code showing which museum, archive or library holds it, such as an art museum, a natural history collection or an air and space museum. Makers’ names can carry extra detail such as dates, because catalogue entries often store the fuller descriptive form. Titles for natural history specimens and botanical illustrations can use Latin names, which are the scientific identification of the subject.
The open set is only a subset of what the Smithsonian holds, which runs to well over a hundred million objects, so most of the collection is not included. Some images remain restricted by copyright or donor terms. Descriptions reflect the museum’s catalogue and may be updated when research changes an attribution or date. What the display shows is a small window onto an enormous collection.
A worked example
A real painting catalogued with its real artist name fills the screen exactly as the Smithsonian describes it in its open collection.
Settings & tips
- All artworks and makers are real Smithsonian collection records, not generated.
- Accent recolours the caption panel.
- Only objects with a public Open Access image are shown.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this real museum data?
- Yes — real artwork records from the Smithsonian's Open Access API.
- Is a key needed?
- The shared public DEMO_KEY works for light use; a free personal key is more reliable.
- Are these real photos of the objects?
- Yes — real Open Access images published by the Smithsonian.
- Is it free?
- Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
- What does the unit code mean?
- It identifies which Smithsonian museum, archive or library holds the object, so you can tell an art piece from a specimen or an aircraft part.
- Can I reuse these images?
- Objects in the Open Access set are released under a CC0 public-domain dedication, so they can generally be reused. Check the record’s rights statement to be sure.
- Is the whole collection available?
- No. Open Access covers a subset of the Smithsonian’s holdings, the objects with a CC0 designation, and the rest remains under normal rights.