Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

Lilly Martin Spencer (1822-1902): The Joys of Sentiment

See the first exhibition of the works of one of America's formost 19th century woman artists, including some 30 paintings, 28 drawings and 10 prints, all of pretty, sentimental and anecdotal subjects.

June 15, 1973 – September 3, 1973

American Art Museum

Divergent Representation: Five Contemporary Artists

Focus on the very divergent directions of these 5 representational American artists - Joseph Shannon, Robert Gordy, Ralph Goings, Gage Taylor and Darryl Abraham.

June 15, 1973 – September 3, 1973

American Art Museum

Mrs. Julian James

See examples of the contributions (her gift founded the costume collection) of this early Smithsonian benefactress, such as silver, jewelry, and furniture.

August 1, 1973 – August 31, 1973

American History Museum

Fire Fighting Memorbilia

From the Division of Transportation come examples of equipment used by fire fighters in parades, such as torches and hats.

August 1, 1973 – August 31, 1973

American History Museum

Geometric Models

See 3-dimensional paper or plastic models from the collection of A. Harry Wheeler, teacher and professor in Worcester, MA.

August 1, 1973 – August 31, 1973

American History Museum

Women in Politics

The role of women is traced from supportive to active, through the suffrage struggle to current activities.

August 1, 1973 – August 31, 1973

American History Museum

Shaving Through the Ages

Trace the history of shaving from the shark's teeth used by cavemen to the razors used today.

June 4, 1973 – August 31, 1973

American History Museum

Baskets

View 19th century woven baskets, some of them patented, made of a variety of materials.

August 1, 1973 – August 31, 1973

American History Museum

Fourth of July

Objects and music set the mood of the holiday; a color slide presentation guides the visitor to exhibits of interest inside the museum.

July 1, 1973 – August 15, 1973

American History Museum

Five Years Later

The 5th anniversary of the founding of the Federal City College Art Department is celebrated in a two-room environmental production: paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, ceramics and photos are blended with tape-recorded sounds, real city objects and projected images.

June 25, 1973 – August 5, 1973

American Art Museum

A Measure of Beauty: The Diffusion of Style in Early 19th-Century America

Visit about 80 prints, drawings, watercolors, bank notes, bandboxes and pieces of wallpaper by artists of the early 1800s, who emulated the standards of the antique works of Greece and Rome.

July 6, 1973 – August 5, 1973

American Art Museum

Anacostia Today: The Evolution of a Community, Part 2: Continued

Originally shown in 1972 as part of Museum’s fifth anniversary, this exhibit continues its focus on five major topics of deep concern to the residents of Anacostia, a neighborhood in southeast Washington, DC.

March 1, 1973 – July 31, 1973

Anacostia Community Museum

Three Contemporary Printmakers: Jacob Kainen, Albert Christ-Janer, Tadeusz Lapinski

View recent lithographs by 3 American artists showing their highly original personal reaction to images, ideas, and the surrounding world.

June 1, 1973 – July 1, 1973

American Art Museum

2500 Years of Persian Art

See decorative work from manuscripts, metalwork, ceramics and architectural decorations.

February 1, 1973 – June 30, 1973

Asian Art Museum, West Building

The Design Necessity

See photographic panels, texts and a film that document case histories of good design in Federal projects, including restoration of the Renwick and the Fine Arts and Portrait Galleries.

April 5, 1973 – June 30, 1973

Renwick Gallery

The Dusseldorf Academy and the Americans

Organized by the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, this exhibition presents 150 watercolors and drawings by major American artists and their German instructors at an art school prominent nearly 150 years ago.

April 27, 1973 – June 24, 1973

American Art Museum

5 Sense Store: An Aesthetic Design for Education

An experiential exhibition, planned for groups of 30 children, is divided into 3 areas of exploration: Sound/Image Society, the Activity Area and the Space Place.

April 10, 1973 – June 17, 1973

American Art Museum

Chaim Goldberg's Shtetl

See paintings, drawings, and prints by the artist on his childhood in a Polish-Jewish community.

March 1, 1973 – June 15, 1973

American History Museum

Masterpieces of Eskimo Ivory Carving

See examples of ivory carving in this exhibit prepared in conjunction with the National Gallery of Art's show The Far North: 2000 Years of American Eskimo and Indian Art.

April 1, 1973 – June 10, 1973

Natural History Museum

New Zealand - A Nation's History in Stamps

See an exhibition from the Postal Administration of New Zealand.

April 1, 1973 – June 4, 1973

American History Museum

Recent Acquisitions

View 25 new portraits, including the only known painting of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and also a painting of Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts.

February 1, 1973 – May 30, 1973

Portrait Gallery

Graphics '73: Rawlston Crawford

See some 65 drawings, watercolors and prints by the American artist; organized by the University of Kentucky.

April 27, 1973 – May 28, 1973

American Art Museum

Tropical Blossoms

See 35 color photos by Dr. Edward Ayensu, Chairman of the Smithsonian's Department of Botany, and Smithsonian photographer Kjell Sandved.

March 16, 1973 – May 15, 1973

National Zoo

The Magnificent West: American Heritage

Take in 45 color photos of landscapes taken in U.S. wilderness areas by Milton Goldstein.

April 4, 1973 – May 15, 1973

Natural History Museum

Alfred H. Mauer

Visit a retrospective exhibit of this American artist, including about 90 paintings and some drawings, including figure studies, landscapes, still-lifes and portraits.

February 23, 1973 – May 15, 1973

American Art Museum