Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

American Portrait Prints: A Survey

View some 50 portrait prints of famous contemporaries by artists from the 18th-20th centuries.

May 11, 1979 – October 31, 1979

Sales Exhibition: Couturier Crafts

Admire and purchase wearable art created by craftsmen across the country, including handwoven coats, sweaters, quilted vests, unusual hats and headgear and gold and silver jewelry.

September 12, 1979 – October 31, 1979

Renwick Gallery

Make the Dirt Fly: Construction of the Panama Canal

Visit photographs, maps, and artifacts related to the construction of the Panama Canal.

September 18, 1979 – October 31, 1979

American History Museum

Chinese Paintings from the Ch'ing Dynasty

See about 20 examples of work by the innovative academic painters that were so influential during the beginning years of the Ch'ing Dynasty (1644-1911),

June 15, 1979 – October 22, 1979

Asian Art Museum, West Building

Two Centuries of Change: The Idea of Downtown Washington

Consider the diverse cultural heritages of the DC community through photographs, portrait reproductions and text in this exhibition which shows how downtown Washington has changed as a place to live, work and play.

September 14, 1979 – October 11, 1979

Portrait Gallery

They Have Made a Nation

Visit an exhibition that covers the period from the secession of South Carolina through the First Battle of Manassas.

May 26, 1979 – October 8, 1979

Portrait Gallery

Chinese, Japanese and Korean Ceramics

See the distinctive styles and techniques of the three Oriental cultures in a major exhibition of about 350 objects from the Freer's collections.

April 10, 1978 – October 1, 1979

Asian Art Museum, West Building

Loose the Mighty Power: Impressions of the Steam Engine in America

See 130 graphic representations -- engineering drawings, design sketches, blue prints, lithographs, etchings, advertising literature and decorative of professional motifs on textiles and ceramics that reflect the involvement of Americans with the steam engine. Also see 12 models of various types of steam engine, including the Centennial Corliss. Catalogue

November 3, 1978 – September 30, 1979

American History Museum

An Eye and an Instinct for Tools: Selections from the John R. Gerwig, Jr. Collection

See 35 tools used by carpenters, masons and other craftsmen in 19th century home building trades. They are selected from the recently acquired collection of 1200 18th and 19th century hand tools.

September 1, 1978 – September 30, 1979

American History Museum

Beyond the Ocean, Beneath a Leaf

See nature photography by Kjell Sandved, MNH Staff Photographer.

August 1, 1979 – September 23, 1979

Natural History Museum

Return to Albion: Americans in England 1760-1940

Examine the lives of famous American expatriates who left a mark on England's history by choosing to live there.

April 20, 1979 – September 16, 1979

Portrait Gallery

Childhood: Children in American Art

See 40 paintings, miniatures, prints and sculpture from NCFA collections, focusing on the special qualities of children.

July 4, 1979 – September 16, 1979

American Art Museum

Prints and Personalities: The American Theater's First Hundred Years

View 62 engravings, lithographs and woodcuts that present 18th and 19th century entertainment figures from the legitimate stage, opera, ballet, and musical and acrobatic shows.

May 4, 1979 – September 9, 1979

American Art Museum

Child's Play

Enjoy an exhibition of 14 educational toys, the result of a juried international competition, that celebrate UNESCO'S International Year of the Child.

June 15, 1979 – September 9, 1979

Renwick Gallery

A Shell Game: Reconstructing Designs of Pre-Columbian Shells from Spiro, Oklahoma

See pre-historic rubbings and drawings of designs on shells and shell fragments from the Spiro, Oklahoma Indian mound.

July 21, 1979 – September 9, 1979

Natural History Museum

Grant Mudford Photographs

View 40 prints made by the California photographer. In a simple, almost stark style, they focus on details of the Los Angeles cityscape.

June 28, 1979 – September 9, 1979

Hirshhorn Museum

Sales Exhibition: Crafts of West Virginia

Admire and purchase quilts, woodware, pottery, glassware, leather goods and baskets.

June 6, 1979 – September 3, 1979

Renwick Gallery

Immovable Objects III: Urban Open Spaces

Visit a city-wide exhibition of 'immovable objects' -- parks, plazas, streets and playgrounds.

June 26, 1979 – September 3, 1979

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

Ten Years of Sesame Street

Mark the 10th anniversary of the TV program with Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch, part of the stage set and properties plus video tapes of shows.

June 1, 1979 – September 3, 1979

American History Museum

Directions

See 65 sculptures, paintings, site-oriented projects and video pieces by 18 artists.

June 14, 1979 – September 3, 1979

Hirshhorn Museum

Sportsmen of the Year

Marking the 25th anniversary of the Sports Illustrated Magazine award, this exhibit features sports equipment from the country's leading athletes.

June 18, 1979 – September 3, 1979

American History Museum

The First Western States Biennial Exhibition

View a juried exhibition of 63 contemporary paintings, and works on paper, sculpture and porcelain created in a variety of styles by 28 artists of 13 western states.

June 7, 1979 – September 3, 1979

American Art Museum