Past Exhibitions

Portraits of House Speakers

Visit two portraits of the Speaker of the House; current Speaker Carl Albert and the first Speaker, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg.

May 10, 1974 – May 28, 1974

The Art of Simon Yavitz

See unique botanical subjects sculpted in gold and silver and enhanced with gems and ivory.

December 1, 1973 – May 28, 1974

Natural History Museum

President Monroe's Message: An Exhibition Commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine

See portraits of 21 key figures involved in formulating the Doctrine, including Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Simon Bolivar.

October 2, 1973 – May 26, 1974

The Glass of Frederick Carder

See a retrospective exhibition of glass craftmanship by Steuben Glass Works' founder.

January 28, 1972 – May 12, 1974

Anacostia Community Museum

Barnett-Aden Collection: 100 Years of Multi-Ethnic Art

See about 100 paintings and sculptures on loan from this important collection.

January 20, 1974 – May 6, 1974

Art of the Pacific Northwest: From the 1930s to the Present

See some 80 paintings, 20 sculptures, and 20 drawings with about 45 artists represented, including Mark Tobey, Morris Groves, C.S. Price, and Kenneth Callahan.

February 8, 1974 – May 5, 1974

Herman A. Webster: Etchings, Drawings and Watercolors

See some 70 works by the American Expatriate artist Herman Webster (1878-1970) that reveal his interest and skill in lovingly portraying a romantic Europe.

February 15, 1974 – April 21, 1974

Santos: Popular Forms of Faith in Latin America

See some 50 folk representations of religious personages from New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Bolivia and Brazil, ranging in date from the late 18th century to the present.

March 16, 1974 – April 15, 1974

Portrait of Senator Hubert Humphrey

View a portrait of Senator Hubert Humphrey by Iowa artist Robert Templeton, presented to the Portrait Gallery last month.

March 1, 1974 – April 15, 1974

Shaker: Furniture and Objects from the Faith and Edward Deming Andrews Collections Commemorating the Bicentenary of the American Shakers*

Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the Shakers in the U.S. as well as the 50th anniversary of Shaker connoisseurship by teacher and historian Dr. Edward Deming Andrews and his wife Faith.

November 2, 1973 – April 7, 1974

Grain and Feed Implements and Devices

Visit a newly acquired collection of pieces involved, for the most part, with the inspection and evaluation of grain quality in the late 19th century.

March 1, 1974 – March 31, 1974

American Self-Portraits

View about 100 works illustrating 300 years of changing taste and fashion in portraiture, in this International Traveling Exhibition Foundation show.

February 1, 1974 – March 15, 1974

Paintings from Pakistan

See a selection of some 30 paintings made by a panel of artists and art critics invited by the Pakistan Ministry of Information to choose significant and interesting works of contemporary Pakistani artists.

January 17, 1974 – March 3, 1974

Presentation Canes

See canes given as gifts, dating from Benjamin Franklin's time through Franklin Delano Roosevelt's.

February 1, 1974 – February 28, 1974

Violin Making

Follow the different stages in making a violin.

November 1, 1973 – February 28, 1974

Illustrated Covers

See mostly advertising and propaganda covers, including some Civil War patriotic covers, and political campaign covers, dating from the mid-19th century into the 20th century.

February 1, 1974 – February 28, 1974

Watches that Went to War

See a watch that belonged to General Sherman, a Regent of the Smithsonian Institution, and one that deflected a bullet, thus saving a soldier's life.

February 1, 1974 – February 28, 1974

Steinberg at the Smithsonian; The Metamorphoses of an Emblem

Follow 36 drawings on Smithsonian stationary that illustrate how Saul Steinberg, artist-in-residence at the Institution in 1967, wittily contained, adapted, re-read, and reworked the Smithsonian symbol at the top of the pages of official stationery.

December 21, 1973 – February 24, 1974

Modern American Woodcuts

Take in a survey of 20th century American woodcuts, many from the NCFA collection, others from the Library of Congress. Artists include Milton Avery, Carol Summers, Max Weber, and Leonard Baskin.

November 30, 1973 – February 10, 1974

Marguerite Zorach: The Early Years 1908-1920

View 40 paintings, drawings and prints centering around a group of 1912 California canvases not exhibited in 60 years. The exhibit is intended as a re-evaluation of Mrs. Zorach's status as an artist.

December 7, 1973 – February 3, 1974

Portrait of Pearl Buck

See a 1968 oil portrait of the author Pearl S. Buck, added to the permanent collection at a presentation ceremony January 21, 1974.

January 21, 1974 – February 3, 1974

James Renwick in Washington

See photos and architectural renderings that detail the architect's buildings in Washington.

January 28, 1972 – January 31, 1974

Railroad Handcar

Dating from about 1900, the handcar on display is representative of those used by railway lamp tenders, signalmen, etc.

January 1, 1974 – January 31, 1974

New Images 1839-1973

The opening print show in the Hall of Photography compares old and new photographic printing processes and their results.

April 6, 1973 – January 20, 1974