Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

A Nation of Nations

Through more than 5,000 original objects, this exhibition documents the diversity of people who have come to America over the centuries and affirms that America is linked to other nations by an intricate web of cultural ties.

March 12, 1976 – April 30, 1991

American History Museum

19th-Century African-American Artists

See 12 paintings and sculptures by 19th-century African-American artists Robert Scott Duncanson, Edmonia Lewis, Edward Mitchell Bannister, and Henry Ossawa Tanner.

March 7, 1990 – April 30, 1991

American Art Museum

This is Your Childhood, Charlie Brown: Children in American Culture, 1945-1968

Peanuts comic-strip characters examine children's lives from post WW II America.

October 31, 1990 – April 30, 1991

American History Museum

Charlie McCarthy

Charlie McCarthy, Edgar Bergen's dummy, was added to A Nation of Nations in November 1980.

November 1, 1980 – April 30, 1991

American History Museum

Dorothy's Ruby Slippers

Dorothy's ruby slippers from the movie The Wizard of Oz were added to the entertainment section of A Nation of Nations in October 1980.

October 1, 1980 – April 30, 1991

American History Museum

Gathered Visions: Selected Works by African American Women

This exhibition gathers works by a diverse group of African American women artists based in metropolitan Washington, D.C.

November 18, 1990 – April 28, 1991

Anacostia Community Museum

Healing a River: 50 Years in the Life of the Potomac

This exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of efforts to control and reduce pollution in the Potomac River Basin and includes graphics, maps, and more than 100 photographs.

November 29, 1990 – April 7, 1991

Natural History Museum

Principles of Flight

Visit a hands-on interactive exhibit that helps children understand how planes fly.

January 31, 1991 – March 31, 1991

Arts and Industries Building

Dwight D. Eisenhower Centennial

A special installation of 1952 and 1956 campaign memorabilia includes buttons, ribbons, and neckties.

October 13, 1990 – March 31, 1991

Portrait Gallery

Project Face to Face

This exhibition includes life masks of people from all walks of life who have been diagnosed as HIV positive.

January 31, 1991 – March 30, 1991

Arts and Industries Building

Stradivarius

This exhibition or four rare instruments commemorates the 250th anniversary of the death of Italian violin-maker Antonio Stradivari.

June 1, 1987 – March 30, 1991

American History Museum

Harlem: Photographs by Aaron Siskind, 1932-1940

See 60 photographs that describe life in New York's most significant black neighborhood, including street scenes, children at play, and domestic situations.

November 22, 1990 – March 27, 1991

American Art Museum

Terra Cottas from South India

Visit 11 large terra cotta figures representing Hindu deities and animals, made by potters of South India during the Aditi exhibiton, held at the Smithsonian in 1985 during the "Festival of India."

May 21, 1988 – March 17, 1991

Asian Art Museum, East Building

Paper and Clay from Modern Japan

Visit 16 works on paper and 11 ceramic objects by well-known 20th-century Japanese artists on exhibit for the first time.

January 20, 1991 – March 17, 1991

Asian Art Museum, East Building

Home of the Brave: Contemporary American Immigrants

See approximately 41 photographs of immigrants.

January 15, 1991 – March 15, 1991

American History Museum

Black Contribution to Postal History

Highlight the contribution to postal history by John T. Jackson Sr., who was Postmaster of Atlantis, Virginia, from 1891-1940.

June 16, 1990 – March 15, 1991

American History Museum

History As Seen from the National Museum of American History

Approximately 32 photographs document events that occurred around the National Mall over the past year.

December 10, 1990 – March 10, 1991

American History Museum

A Journey Through Chinese Hell: "Hell Scrolls" of Taiwan

View two rare sets of Chinese "Hell Scrolls," which depict the 10 stages or "courts" of hell, as envisioned by this culture.

September 6, 1990 – March 10, 1991

Natural History Museum

Traditional Iroquois Clothing

See intricate bead and ribbon work that decorates these modern items of clothing created by Sheila Smith (Oneida).

November 7, 1990 – March 10, 1991

American Indian Museum New York

Every 18 Minutes

View a video project on Responses to AIDS in the Black Gay Community, Part I: When It Hits Home: Coming Out In the Age of AIDS.

February 20, 1991 – March 7, 1991

Anacostia Community Museum

Reaching the Other World

See an exhibition about 8 men and women from Massachusetts who present their experience of intravenous drug addiction.

February 20, 1991 – March 7, 1991

Anacostia Community Museum

Turning Over Old Leaves: A Sampler of Written Records

A selection of written records from the Smithsonian Institution Libraries' collections reflects the variety of subjects studied at the Institution.

October 25, 1990 – March 5, 1991

American History Museum

Lawrence Weiner Works

View a site-specific installation of text along the museum's covered ceiling by this New York-based artist.

November 28, 1990 – March 3, 1991

Hirshhorn Museum

Mondo Materialis

See over 120 collage panels that use innovative new materials created by international architects, interior designers, and artists.

October 16, 1990 – February 24, 1991

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

Men and Women: A History of Costume, Gender and Power

Examine the standards of appearance and behavior for men and women in American culture from the 18th to the 20th century.

June 28, 1989 – February 24, 1991

American History Museum