113K views · 3.3K reactions | Months? Try 179 years. The Smithsonian was officially created on this day in 1846. One of the first things on the to-do list? Construct a building! The 1850 glass lantern slide at the end of this video is the earliest-known photo of our Smithsonian Institution Building, known as the Castle, and the only image we have of it under construction. : Smithsonian Libraries and Archives | Smithsonian | Facebook