The Smithsonian Institution—21 museums plus a National Zoo—is known for being bureaucratic. Creating new exhibits or expanding current ones isn’t an easy task, and getting the institution’s approval to recover materials and objects from what is considered America’s first microbrewery, Anchor Brewing Company, just days before its liquidation was no simple feat. But that’s precisely what Theresa McCulla did this summer while serving as curator for the Smithsonian’s American Brewing History Initiative.
It was a fitting culmination after years of work at the Smithsonian, where McCulla’s efforts created a collection of special objects, oral histories, and business records from Anchor from the late 1800s to early 2000s. The collection represents crucial pieces of archival preservation, but wasn't the only noteworthy thing McCulla pulled off this year 2023 with long-lasting implications.
She orchestrated “Wiki Focus: Black Women in Food and Drink History,” a Wikipedia edit-a-thon event to address the neglect and under-reporting of Black women’s history—less than 10% of Wikipedia editors identify as women, and about 19% of Wikipedia biographies in English represent women. The event resulted in eight new articles, over 800 edits to existing entries, and over 17,000 words added to this blooming area of history. She also organized "American Beer in a Changing Climate” as part of the Smithsonian's Food History Weekend. The event highlighted brewery owners, maltsters, and hop dealers whose efforts focus sustainability, inclusivity, and raw materials from Africa and the Caribbean.
After seven years in her position at the Smithsonian, 2023 was McCulla’s final one. But like the history she collected and events she led, her impact will linger for much longer.
Words,Michael Stein