Smithsonian's 150th Anniversary
Completing The
Rose Parade Float
Every inch of every float in the Tournament of Roses Parade must be covered with flowers or other natural materials, such as leaves, seeds or bark.
Together with the other floats in the 107th Parade, the Smithsonian's "Remembering, Imagining, Discovering" required months of planning, and a marathon final decorating session the night before the parade.
(Left), Inside a huge tent, covered in scaffolding, and swarmed by decorators, the Smithsonian Rose Parade float is covered with flowers and other natural materials the night before the parade. (Smithsonian Photo by Jeff Tinsley)
Float construction begins shortly after the previous year's Parade is over. The process starts with a specially-built chassis, on which a framework of steel and chicken wire is built. The frame is sprayed with a polyvinyl material, which is then painted in the colors of the flowers to be applied later. Volunteer workers swarm over the floats in the days after Christmas, their hands and clothes covered with glue and petals. The most delicate flowers are placed in individual vials of water, which are set into the float one by one.
(Right), Stretching to reach the base of the model of the Smithsonian Castle, a decorator places greenery on the float. (Smithsonian Photo by Jeff Tinsley)
(Left) The Smithsonian's 150th Anniversary logo created by flowers ready for placement on the float. (Right) A volunteer carries flowers, each one in its own individual vial of water, to decorate the float. (Smithsonian Photo by Jeff Tinsley)
The Smithsonian float in its final stages of completion. (Left), Details of a giant panda holding an autographed Babe Ruth baseball. (Right), Some of the flowers on the side of the float are carefully put into place. (Smithsonian Photos by Jeff Tinsley)