Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Gems of Hawaii: The Honolulu Advertiser Collection

This exhibition of rare stamps traces the history of the Hawaiian Kingdom, its rulers, and the political change that swept the territory in the 19th century.

July 29, 1994 – October 16, 1994

Postal Museum

Beaded Splendor

See an exhibition that illustrates the colorful tradition of beadworking in dress and regalia, as a way for Africans to express individual status and group identity.

June 1, 1994 – October 10, 1994

African Art Museum

Gertrude Kasebier, Photographer

This exhibition features portraits and experimental and avant garde photographs by this pioneer art photographer, who was a leader in the Photo-Secession movement at the turn of the century.

July 8, 1994 – October 2, 1994

Portrait Gallery

Painting Wondrous Wings

This showcase contains watercolor paintings of butterflies and moths by Vichai Malikul, MNH entomologist.

April 5, 1993 – September 30, 1994

Natural History Museum

The Face of the Spirits: Masks from the Zaire Basin

See more than 105 masks that reveal artistry and cultural values of 40 ethnic groups found in the Zaire River Basin.

April 20, 1994 – September 25, 1994

African Art Museum

Talents of the Brush: Jill Sackler Chinese Calligraphy Competition

See more than 100 works of contemporary Chinese Calligraphy chosen from among the winners of biannual competitions in China.

May 28, 1994 – September 25, 1994

Ripley Center

Earth Sense

This photography exhibit focuses on efforts to safeguard our fragile, ever-changing planet.

October 2, 1992 – September 20, 1994

Natural History Museum

James Renwick in Washington

See 6 19th-century photographs and 4 craft objects that portray Washington buildings designed by Renwick.

June 28, 1994 – September 18, 1994

Renwick Gallery

Toward Modern Design: Revival and Reform in Applied Arts 1850-1920

View more than 80 examples of ceramics, glass, furniture, wallpapers, books, and jewelry that are featured in this exhibit.

September 27, 1993 – September 11, 1994

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

Felix Gonzalez-Torres

This exhibit includes mixed-media installations by the Cuban-born, New York based artist.

June 16, 1994 – September 11, 1994

Hirshhorn Museum

The Collection Reviewed: Thomas Eakins

Commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of artist Thomas Eakins with 15 paintings and photos created between 1871 and 1904.

May 28, 1994 – September 11, 1994

Hirshhorn Museum

The Tongass: Alaska's Magnificent Rain Forest

View 42 photographs that celebrate the beauty and power of Alaska's vast, but little-known rain forest.

April 22, 1994 – September 11, 1994

Natural History Museum

Seeing is Believing: Photos of the Civil Rights Movement

Get a comprehensive view of the Civil Rights Movement through more than 60 photographs from the archives of the movement's leading organizations.

February 1, 1994 – September 11, 1994

American History Museum

The Madden Family Letters

A collection of letters trace the history of an African American family from Virginia through 5 generations (1740-1992).

July 30, 1993 – September 10, 1994

Postal Museum

Edison After Forty

This exhibition of 60 photographs focuses on the later years of Thomas Edison's career.

January 11, 1994 – September 6, 1994

American History Museum

Contemporary Porcelain from Japan

View 30 works of art made of porcelain between 1972-1992 by the members of the Ceramic Arts Division of the Issuikai.

November 21, 1993 – September 5, 1994

Asian Art Museum, East Building

Reporting the War: The Journalistic Coverage of World War II

Paintings, photos, recordings, manuscripts, and memorabilia of 35 journalists tell the story of WWII.

April 22, 1994 – September 5, 1994

Portrait Gallery

To the President: Folk Portraits by the People

Spanning 60 years and 12 presidents, this exhibition includes approximately 56 one-of-a-kind creations made by Americans for their presidents.

December 10, 1993 – September 5, 1994

Portrait Gallery

Traditions from There to Here: Mixed-Media Works by Lydia Thompson

View an exhibition that features works by artist Lydia Thompson.

June 1, 1994 – September 4, 1994

Anacostia Community Museum

Air Power in World War II: The Arado 243B "Blitz"

See the German-built aircraft Arado, the 1st operational jet bomber.

October 26, 1993 – August 30, 1994

Air and Space Museum

North American Wildflowers: Watercolors by Mary Vaux Walcott

Admire 50 original watercolors from North American Wildflowers published in 1925 by the Smithsonian Institution, that represent a fraction of the over 700 watercolors Walcott created.

April 15, 1994 – August 29, 1994

American Art Museum

Contemporary Navajo Weavings: The Gloria F. Ross Collection of the Denver Art Museum

This exhibition showcases both the artistry of modern weaving and individual weavers and their unique style.

June 3, 1994 – August 21, 1994

Renwick Gallery

Venezuelan Wildlife Photos

Visit an exhibition of 100 photographs of Venezuelan wildlife.

June 22, 1994 – August 15, 1994

National Zoo

Capital View: A New Washington Panorama by Mark Klett

Take in a 360-degree panorama of Washington, D.C., photographed by Mark Klett from the Tower of the Old Post Office Building from September 1992 through April 1993.

April 15, 1994 – August 14, 1994

American Art Museum

Packaging the New: Design and the American Consumer 1925-1975

Examine the ways in which design was marketed to the public before and after World War II in this exhibit.

February 8, 1994 – August 14, 1994

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum