The Smithsonian just released 2.8 million free digital images of its collection in an 'unprecedented' move. Here are some the most iconic.

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The Smithsonian just released 2.8 million free digital images of its collection in an 'unprecedented' move. Here are some the most iconic.
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Smithsonian museum.

  • The Smithsonian Institution is putting 2.8 million images online for anyone to access for the first time ever.
  • The online open-access platform has images from all 19 Smithsonian museums, plus research centers, archives, and the National Zoo.
  • The Smithsonian says it will add 200,000 more images by the end of 2020, eventually hoping to digitize all 155 million objects in its collection.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Smithsonian is the latest institution to open part of its collection to online visitors. 2.8 million images will now be accessible through an online platform, and enter into the public domain, Smithsonian Magazine reported.

So far, the collection has 2.8 million images from across the Smithsonian's 19 museums, nine research centers, libraries, archives, and even the National Zoo. It also said that it will add 200,000 more images by the end of 2020, with the eventual goal of digitizing its entire 155 million item collection, which also continues to grow.

The Smithsonian joins other museums around the world in digitizing its collections, like the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Art Institute of Chicago, though digital culture heritage expert Simon Tanner said that the scope of the Smithsonian's project is "unprecedented."

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Check out some of the highlights now available online.

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1. The Lockheed Vega 5B that Amelia Earhart flew across both the Atlantic and the United States.

1. The Lockheed Vega 5B that Amelia Earhart flew across both the Atlantic and the United States.

2. Muhammad Ali's boxing headgear.

2. Muhammad Ali's boxing headgear.
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3. A proof of the 1765 Stamp Act, part of the lead-up to the American Revolution and one of only 32 in the world.

3. A proof of the 1765 Stamp Act, part of the lead-up to the American Revolution and one of only 32 in the world.

4. The plane the Wright brothers first flew for only 12 seconds in 1903

4. The plane the Wright brothers first flew for only 12 seconds in 1903
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5. Certainly less well-known than other entries on this list, this "Natural Creeping Baby Doll" was patented in 1871.

5. Certainly less well-known than other entries on this list, this "Natural Creeping Baby Doll" was patented in 1871.

6. The Mercury Friendship 7 Capsule, the vehicle John Glenn used to became the first American to orbit the Earth.

6. The Mercury Friendship 7 Capsule, the vehicle John Glenn used to became the first American to orbit the Earth.
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7. The Peacock Room from a Victorian London estate can take you back in time.

7. The Peacock Room from a Victorian London estate can take you back in time.

8. The command module from Apollo 11, the mission that led to the first humans on the moon

8. The command module from Apollo 11, the mission that led to the first humans on the moon
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9. A digital reconstruction of the Cassiopeia A supernova from the Hubble Space Telescope.

9. A digital reconstruction of the Cassiopeia A supernova from the Hubble Space Telescope.

10. Photographs from the alcoholic specimen room at the National Museum.

10. Photographs from the alcoholic specimen room at the National Museum.
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