Past Exhibitions

Design is...

Diverse objects from a heart pacemaker to a sleek modern fireplug show elements of design, both old and new, in the objects and systems we encounter in daily life.

January 28, 1972 – February 2, 1975

Renwick Gallery

John Brown: Madman or Martyr?

See the only known life portrait of the famed abolitionist, featured in a small exhibit exploring Brown's pivotal role in polarizing pro- and anti-slavery feelings.

October 16, 1974 – January 31, 1975

Louis Comfort Tiffany

Enjoy more than a score of examples of Favrile glass, created and patented by the son of the founder of Tiffany & Co.

December 1, 1974 – January 31, 1975

The 19th Century Navy

See an early officer's uniform, a rare print of Commodore Biddle's 1846 visit to Japan, and a 19th century model of the frigate, Constitution.

January 1, 1975 – January 31, 1975

1876 Centennial

See mementos and souvenirs of the Philadelphia event.

December 1, 1974 – January 31, 1975

Winston Spencer Churchill

See a portrait, photographs and cartoons that are used to illustrate the multi-facets of his long career.

November 27, 1974 – January 30, 1975

William Spencer Churchill

View a portrait, photographs and cartoons that are used to illustrate the multi-facets of his long career.

November 27, 1974 – January 30, 1975

Anacostia Community Museum

D.C. Art Association | Exhibition 1974-75

Members of the District of Columbia Art Association display artwork, including sculptures and paintings in oil, watercolor, and acrylic.

November 17, 1974 – January 29, 1975

A Future for Our Past: The Conservation of Art

Explore the art and science of conservation in paintings, sculptures, photographs and other graphics.

June 28, 1974 – January 28, 1975

Ben Benn/Jose de Creeft

Visit a small exhibit, taken from the Musem's collection, in honor of the 90th birthdays of the artists.

December 15, 1974 – January 13, 1975

Hirshhorn Museum

Portrait of Dolley Madison

Painted by William Elwell in 1848, see Dolley as the grand dame she appeared in her later years, upon her return to Washington following her husband's death.

November 25, 1974 – January 5, 1975

Plant Portraits

Enjoy 50 botanical watercolors of pharmaceutical plants, combining great accuracy with sensitive insight, painted by the late Ida Hrubesky Pemberton.

October 16, 1974 – December 31, 1974

National Zoo

The Madrid Manuscripts of Leonardo da Vinci

See 14 sheets, each rich with drawings, of Leonardo's manuscripts rediscovered in recent years in Madrid, Spain, are on loan from the Spanish Government.

October 1, 1974 – December 31, 1974

Hollow Ware Renderings

Delight in 30 watercolor renderings of American teapots, mugs, ladles, and bowls from colonial times through the 19th century.

August 1, 1974 – December 31, 1974

Renwick Gallery

World War I Field Utility Chest of Kaiser Wilhelm II

See the contents of the case, which include the Berlin dog license issued to the Kaiser's dachshund.

December 1, 1974 – December 31, 1974

When Coal Was King: Breakers and Depots

View pen and ink drawings by Fred Bartlett of coal breakers and railroad stations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland.

March 15, 1973 – November 30, 1974

Universal Postal Union Stamp Collection

Visit important portions of Ohio Legislator M. William Tyrrell's award-winning collection.

October 9, 1974 – November 30, 1974

Prints by M.C. Escher

Marvel at a selection of about 50 prints by the late Dutch printmaker from the Roosevelt Collection recently given to the Gallery.

September 1, 1974 – November 30, 1974

Gilbert Stuart "Lansdowne" Portraits

For the first time since they left his studio in 1796, see two full-length portraits of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart displayed together side by side.

August 9, 1974 – November 30, 1974

Portrait of Walt Whitman

View Thomas Eakins' portrait of Walt Whitman, created to mark the publication of Whitman's celebrated collection of poems, Leaves of Grass.

October 1, 1974 – November 30, 1974

Made in Chicago

Visit nearly 100 contemporary paintings and sculptures by 12 artists associated with Chicago activity known as "imagist art."

October 31, 1974 – November 29, 1974

Venetian Drawings From American Collections

Enjoy about 120 drawings on loan from private and public collections of works ranging from the 15th to the 18th centuries, including such artists as Titian and Tintoretto.

September 29, 1974 – November 24, 1974