The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum—a “museum without walls” dedicated to placing women’s stories at the center of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.—has introduced a new augmented reality initiative titled Unhidden Heroines. Launching on June 18, the project allows anyone with a smartphone or computer to digitally encounter five influential women who helped shape American history over the past 250 years, bringing their stories vividly into public view.
Through this experience, five virtual monuments are added—at least visually—to a landscape long dominated by memorials to well-known male figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Martin Luther King, Jr. The featured women include Julia Ward Howe, the poet behind “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”; Polly Cooper, an Oneida woman who supported the Revolutionary Army as a cook; Mary Katharine Goddard, a pioneering publisher; Elizebeth Smith Friedman, a groundbreaking codebreaker during both World Wars; and Dorothy Height, a leading voice in the civil rights movement.
Each digital monument pairs an illustration of these women with an existing landmark on the National Mall. For example, Dorothy Height is virtually placed near the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, while Julia Ward Howe is associated with the Lincoln Memorial. These pairings are designed to highlight hidden historical connections between widely recognized figures and those often left out of public memory.
Visitors can access the experience by scanning QR codes linked to each of the five women. Depending on whether users are physically present at the National Mall or exploring remotely, the augmented reality visuals will shift slightly, offering a layered and location-sensitive interaction. A non-interactive version is also available for general viewing.
Each digital installation provides biographical context, detailing the women’s achievements and their connections—direct or thematic—to the better-known historical figures near whom they are symbolically placed. For instance, Mary Katharine Goddard, paired with Thomas Jefferson’s memorial, is recognized for publishing one of the first official signed copies of the Declaration of Independence.
The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum was formally established by Congress in 2020 following decades of advocacy. Initially projected to take around ten years and an estimated $375 million to complete, the timeline and costs have since evolved. As of now, the museum still anticipates at least another decade before a permanent physical building opens to the public.
The Unhidden Heroines project will remain accessible through December 31, coinciding with the conclusion of America’s 250th anniversary commemorations.
