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THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN DIPLOMACY

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Diplomacy is more than meets the eye.

Diplomacy is more than meets the eye .

Discover Diplomacy

Diplomacy is more than meets the eye.

Discover Diplomacy
From the Collection: Ping-Pong Paddle
From the Collection: Ping-Pong Paddle Curious what a ping-pong paddle has to do
with diplomacy? Tap one of these to see. A surprising cultural exchange. A trip
with a lasting impact.

Diplomacy is more than meets the eye.

Discover Diplomacy
From the Collection: Passport issued to David Hinckley
From the Collection: Passport issued to David Hinckley An important official
signature The dangers of 18th century Atlantic travel

Diplomacy is more than meets the eye.

Discover Diplomacy
From the Collection: LAFD Fire Helmet
From the Collection: LAFD Fire Helmet Rescuing survivors in Nepal Disaster
response and relief.
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What does a ping-pong paddle have to do with diplomacy?

A historic diplomatic opening.

For over 20 years, there had been no diplomatic ties and few contacts between
the United States and China. That began to change in April 1971, when a friendly
encounter between two ping-pong players, one American and the other Chinese, at
a championship in Japan led to an extraordinary invitation. When the U.S. team
arrived in Beijing, they were greeted by officials.

See this Item in the collection:

Ping-Pong Paddle

China 1971

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What does a ping-pong paddle have to do with diplomacy?

A surprising cultural exchange.

The U.S. team was invited to China to play exhibition matches against the
Chinese team, but the trip included banquets and cultural tours. They visited
some of China’s landmarks, including the famous Great Wall of China. There, the
team posed for a group photo that would become an iconic image of their trip—and
was featured on the cover of Time magazine.

See this Item in the collection:

Ping-Pong Paddle

China 1971

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What does a ping-pong paddle have to do with diplomacy?

A trip with a lasting impact.

The U.S. team’s trip was the start of “ping-pong diplomacy,” which generated
goodwill and provided a public face for serious diplomatic negotiations.
President Richard Nixon visited China in February 1972. That April, the Chinese
table tennis team toured the United States, starting in Detroit. Formal
diplomatic relations were established in 1979.

See this Item in the collection:

Ping-Pong Paddle

China 1971

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How did passports protect Americans from capture?

An important official signature

In the early republic, just like today, diplomats overseas protected American
travelers. But unlike today, diplomats then personally signed passports. Rufus
King, U.S. Minister to Great Britain (1796-1803) signed this passport to permit
safe passage to this American citizen under international law.

See this Item in the collection:

Passport issued to David Hinckley

Great Britain 1798

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Passports protected Americans

The dangers of 18th century Atlantic travel

David Hinckley, this passport’s bearer, was a wealthy Boston merchant who
frequently traveled to London on business. Barbary corsairs captured him during
an Atlantic crossing, holding him for ransom. The U.S. and Algiers negotiated a
treaty in 1796 ending the practice, ensuring Americans would no longer be taken
hostage. Hinckley likely carried this passport to prove his citizenship if
Barbary corsairs intercepted his Atlantic travel again.

See this Item in the collection:

Passport issued to David Hinckley

Great Britain 1798

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When are firefighters diplomats?

Rescuing survivors in Nepal

When a powerful earthquake shook Nepal in 2015, killing more than 8,000 people,
the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) deployed Los Angeles
County Fire Department personnel to Nepal to assist with recovery efforts.
Working with Nepalese rescue crews, they freed 15-year-old Pemba Lama from the
wreckage of a collapsed hotel parking garage.

See this Item in the collection:

LAFD Fire Helmet

Los Angeles, CA c. 2015

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When are firefighters diplomats?

Disaster response and relief.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provides humanitarian aid
and training to help countries respond to natural disasters. The Fairfax County,
Virginia, and Los Angeles County, California, fire departments are the only two
units in the United States trained and authorized to deploy with USAID disaster
response teams.

See this Item in the collection:

LAFD Fire Helmet

Los Angeles, CA c. 2015

Explore the museum

A Museum to Come

Located in the heart of Washington, DC, the National Museum of American
Diplomacy tells the story of the history, practice, and challenges of American
diplomacy.

Through exhibitions and programs, NMAD inspires the American public to discover
diplomacy and how it impacts their lives every day.

About NMAD Visiting
Explore Future Museum Exhibit Halls


BROWSE DIPLOMATIC HISTORY

Explore Collections

Explore the vivid history of American diplomacy through our searchable
collections database featuring a selection of items.

Start Browsing

From the Collection


FIRST BASE FROM U.S.-CUBA BASEBALL GAME

This base was in play during the March 22, 2016 exhibition game between the
Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team in Havana, Cuba. The game occurred
during Obama’s historic visit to Cuba after the two countries re-established
official diplomatic relations in 2015.

From the Collection


IRAN HOSTAGE BLINDFOLD

This piece of cloth was fashioned into a blindfold and used on U.S. diplomat
Robert Blucker, who was serving at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, Blucker
was one of 52 who were ultimately held hostage for 444 days, in what became
known as the Iran Hostage Crisis.

From the Collection


KELLOGG-BRIAND PACT SIGNING PEN

This gold fountain pen was used by Secretary Kellogg and his 14 foreign
counterparts to sign the Kellogg-Briand Pact in France in August 1928. This
historic treaty pursued the lofty goal of ending war.

From the Collection


PATTI MORTON’S PISTOL CLUTCH PURSE

In 1972, Patricia “Patti” Morton became the first woman to serve as a Diplomatic
Security Service Special Agent. At the time, Diplomatic Security did not issue
gun holsters that could be worn practically by a woman. Morton found her own
solution by using this clutch to carry her .357 magnum service weapon during
protective detail assignments.

From the Collection


BUGGED BRICK FROM U.S. EMBASSY MOSCOW

This unusual looking device protruding from a brick is an electronic
“bug”—essentially a microphone that could transmit conversations remotely. It
was found in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in the 1960s by Diplomatic Security
personnel.



FEATURED EXHIBIT

Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection

In August 2024, the National Museum of American Diplomacy opened Read My Pins:
The Madeleine Albright Collection, an exhibit featuring a selection of stories
and pins from Secretary Albright’s famed collection.
Read More


EDUCATION AT NMAD

Equip students with the diplomatic skills and knowledge required to tackle
complex challenges using our teacher resources.


DIPLOMACY SIMULATIONS

Participate in immersive, skill-building scenarios based on real-world events.


LESSON PLANS

Browse our lesson plans to teach diplomacy in your classroom.


EDUCATION VIDEOS

Explore topics such as wildlife trafficking, a freshwater crisis, or migration
through our expert videos.


CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Explore our classroom activities to use in various educational settings.




STORIES OF DIPLOMACY

What does it mean to live a life of foreign service and what impact can a
diplomat make? Explore the stories of ambassadors, influential civilians, key
diplomatic players, treaty negotiators, and more.

The Fall of Saigon (1975): The Bravery of American Diplomats and Refugees From
D-Day to the U.S. Foreign Service: Lt. Col. Karl F. Mautner

Story of Diplomacy

A Diplomat Risks His Life to Save Americans: Michael Metrinko in Iran

September 5, 2024

During the Iranian Revolution, Michael Metrinko was the only diplomat at the
U.S. Consulate in Tabriz, Iran. Despite threats to the Consulate, Metrinko chose
to stay behind to support American citizens there. The choice nearly cost him
his life.

Story of Diplomacy

From D-Day to the U.S. Foreign Service: Lt. Col. Karl F. Mautner

May 31, 2024

Karl Mautner was a Jewish Austrian who became a U.S. soldier in WWII, a U.S.
citizen, and a U.S. Foreign Service Officer.

Spotlight on Diplomacy

Commemorating 100 Years of Our Foreign Service: The 1924 Rogers Act

April 26, 2024

This Spotlight celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the 1924 Rogers Act, which
created the modern-day merit-based U.S. Foreign Service.

Spotlight on Diplomacy

Tangier Old Legation: America’s First Diplomatic Property

August 21, 2023

This Spotlight highlights the history of the Tangier American Legation is a
symbol of cultural exchange between the Kingdom of Morocco and the
United States.

Collection Highlights

The August 7, 1998, East Africa Embassy Bombings

August 3, 2023

On August 7, 1998, at 10:30 am, truck bombs exploded at U.S. embassies in Kenya
and Tanzania, killing more than 200 people and wounding more…

Story of Diplomacy

The Fall of Saigon (1975): The Bravery of American Diplomats and Refugees

April 29, 2021

On April 30, 1975, the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon fell to the North
Vietnamese Army, effectively ending the Vietnam War. In the days before, U.S.
forces evacuated thousands of Americans and South Vietnamese. American diplomats
were on the frontlines, organizing what would be the most ambitious helicopter
evacuation in history.

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Donate to the Collections

Do you have an item that you feel would be at home in our collections? The
National Museum of American Diplomacy is always looking for new additions and
would love to hear from you. Help us tell the stories of diplomacy and contact
us about donating your object. Our curatorial team will be in touch.

Contact Us
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