The Smithsonian has become the latest museum to license its brand name to a furniture collection. The Smithsonian Collection by Bernhardt, is as you might suspect, a rather classic collection that includes dining and bedroom sets, chandeliers, sinks and fireplace accessories all based on designs in the Smithsonian Institution's museums, libraries and archives. The furniture is made by Bernhardt Furniture, the same company that makes Martha Stewart's line. The Smithsonian Collection by Bernhardt includes two furniture lines: the National Heritage Collection which is based on 19th-century Regency and Empire designs and the American Archive Collection which is based on Southern, "low country" designs in cherry wood. Prices range from about $250 to $2,400. Some purists and historians have raised questions about this and other museum licensing deals but for the museums it is a chance to earn money without having to court donors. As I mentioned previously when talking about museums which are offering their names and collections to new institutions around the world, the power of a brand is emerging as one of a museum's most powerful assets.
