A Far Better Location than the Hirshhorn Lobby

Where: Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture, Kogod Courtyard

When: closing April 28, 2019

One of the best things about winter in Washington is the return of the orchid exhibit at the Smithsonian.  In my view, there's no better location for this than the Natural History Museum.  It's set in a tucked-away space, far from the more popular (and populous) exhibits, and you feel transported to a tropical paradise when you enter.  I especially like to go on a day that's cold, grey and miserable, so I can enjoy the contrast all the more.

In 2017, much to my chagrin and dismay, the display was put in the lobby of the Hirshhorn.  Not enough room, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of people coming and going, stuck on shelves, rather than planted in a natural looking setting - it was dreadful.  This year, the display has moved to the National Portrait Gallery/SAAM, to the covered courtyard in the middle of the building.

This location is superior to the Hirshhorn in every way.  Lots of room to move around and see the beautiful flowers, real displays - no horrible white shelving, and a quieter atmosphere all around.  The fact that this is only a block from my office is a great benefit to myself, but obviously, it could be nearer or farther from your own place.  I'll say that I still prefer the Natural History site - it's more like entering a different world, but this is so much better that I shall not quibble.

Our theme for this year's extravaganza is adaptation.  Orchids make themselves at home on every continent except Antarctica (there's even some that live in the Arctic), so they are masters at survival.  There are 28,000 different species, and in addition to living in soil, they also live on rocks and on other plants.   They fool insects into thinking they are prey or mates, but rather than getting food or sex, the insects wander off, spreading orchid pollen as they go.

And they have different aromas: sweet smells for bees and rotting smells for flies.  Happily, in this show, I only smelled pleasant scents, so some kind person decided to leave the rancid varieties off display.  They come in all different shapes, sizes and colors - just like people, as the notes remind us.  They also perform a vital service as a sort of "canary in the coal mine"; when they fail to thrive, it's an indication that something is wrong in the habitat.

In addition to the lovely flowers, I also enjoyed learning about the work of the Smithsonian Gardens and the U.S. Botanic Gardens.  Both organizations are members of CITES, rescuing illegally imported orchids and other plants.  They work around the world to preserve orchids and their habitats - this is important work, and I'm glad the shutdown is over, so the Smithsonian can get back to it.

This show is part of a year long series of displays and programs called Habitat, that will go on throughout the Smithsonian Gardens - I look forward to seeing what else in on their agenda.  Fun fact: the Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection started in 1974 with five plants; they now have approximately 8,000 specimens.

Verdict: Don't just see this once!  The flowers rotate every week, so there's always something new to see.

Fifty Years of Daguerreotypes

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: closing June 2, 2019

The National Portrait Galley collects daguerreotypes, and since they've been in existence for 50 years, they have a lot of them.  When they were first made available, they were a way of democratizing portraiture, as they were much less expensive than paying an artist to paint a picture.  Think of them as the selfies of the 19th century.  Although it was a Frenchman, Louis-Jacques-Mande Daguerre who invented them, it was Americans who saw their potential and made them a commercial success.

The daguerreotypes on display in this small display are of famous people of the day.  P.T. Barnum makes an appearance, so that makes twice I've seen him lately - he was also featured in the "Lincoln's Contemporaries" show.  In addition, Robert Dale Owen is represented.  He was elected to Congress in 1842 and is known for introducing the legislation that established the Smithsonian.  So thanks very much Robert!

Verdict: If you are interested in 19th century portraiture, have a look.

It Wasn't Just About Us

Where: American History Museum

When: closing July 9, 2019

I don't know about you, but the history classes I had in elementary school (and high school too, for that matter) tended to portray the American Revolution as a stand-alone event, where the underdog colonists defeated the evil British, to establish liberty and justice for all.  Setting aside the fact that the liberty and justice were for a very select few, the war in North America was part of a much larger conflict, the Americans had lots of help from other nations, and the British basically gave up on keeping the colonies because they had bigger fish to fry elsewhere.  Not the sort of story that would go over big on the Fourth of July, but a more realistic picture nonetheless.

The Revolution had its origins in the Seven Years' War of 1756 - 1763.  In that war, the Americans were British subjects and fought with the British against the French.  France lost its land claims in North America and began plotting revenge against the British.

One of the historical items on display in this show is a pistol owned by General Braddock and given to George Washington.  Braddock was killed at the Battle of Monongahela (one of the major North American conflicts of the Seven Years' War), where Washington earned acclaim.  This is part of the reason I'm such a museum geek - here on display is an item that actually belonged to George Washington.  I hate to say it makes history come alive, because that's such a cliche, but it does make long ago events seem much more immediate.

France bided its time, and when the colonists took up arms against the British, they offered their assistance.  "The enemy of my enemy is my friend" was apparently their philosophy, and it worked out for them.  Britain, facing a large number of adversaries, with no allies to assist them, decided after their defeat at Yorktown to pack up and go.

Verdict: This is one of those exhibits at American History that's a bit tucked away.  Take the time to seek this out, as it provides a lot of context to a story you may think you know well.

Off We Go, Into The Wild Blue Yonder

Where: National Postal Museum

When: closing May 27, 2019

Since the trip to the Postal Museum is a long one for me, involving a Metro ride, rather than a couple of blocks of walking, I try to see several shows at once.  I saw this one the same day that I took in the one on stamps with flowering plants, and it was a rather incongruous pairing.  As my previous post described, the flowering stamps show was a relaxing trip into the garden, a way to retreat from winter into a philatelic springtime.  The early years of air mail was a frequently lethal trip into the skies.

1918 marked the first air mail delivery in the United States.  As perilous a journey as the Pony Express doubtless was, flying mail from one city to another appears to have been even more dangerous.  Starting on the East Coast, on a DC - Philadelphia - New York City route, by 1920, there was a New York City - San Francisco route.  Of the 200 pilots used to fly the planes, 34 were killed on the job.  There was no navigation as we know it today; the pilots depended on rivers and train tracks to determine their location.  In bad weather, when visibility would have been minimal, there was no way to know where you were.  One of the actual planes used is on display (hanging from the ceiling), and it looks pretty rickety.

If you go to see this show, note that it's not in the Franklin Foyer, as the website indicates.  It's on Level 1, in the "Networking a Nation" area.

Verdict: Probably not worth a trip all on its own (unless you're a postal history enthusiast), but if you're there anyway, give it a look.

Flowering Stamps

Where: National Postal Museum

When: closing July 14, 2019

I wasn't really looking forward to seeing this show; it was on my list, so I went to the Postal Museum to see it, but it wasn't with a sense of eager expectation.  As it happened, I really enjoyed it.  That happens sometimes, a show surprises me by being much better than I think it's going to be.  It's what encourages me to go to things I would otherwise skip.

This is a display of stamps featuring flowering plants, which doesn't sound terribly exciting, but the display is so well done that you feel as if you've stepped into a garden.  In fact, as you can see a bit in the photo, the Smithsonian Gardens set up a small arrangement of plants at the entrance, and there are garden benches scattered through the show.

Flower stamps are some of the most lovely in the museum's collection, and they are perennial (forgive the pun) favorites among customers.  Stamps from the 1960s were the result of Lady Bird Johnson's highway beautification efforts; there have been any number of stamps featuring the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin (if you ever visit DC in the springtime, go to see those in person - they are stunning), and in 1992 the USPS released a series of stamps featuring wildflowers from each state.

I loved this quote from Moya Andrews, an Australian gardening expert: "I can satisfy my addiction to flowers even when I mail my bills."

Verdict: A show that provides a colorful respite from the grey days of winter.

Those Who Lived With Lincoln

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: closing May 12, 2019

In 1860, the carte de visite, a photographic calling card, was all the rage.  Political candidates used them to spread the word on the campaign trail, and they were inexpensive enough that lots of people could use them in social situations.

Matthew Brady, the 19th century photographer everyone knows, capitalized on this fashion and photographed everyone who was anyone in the mid-1800s.  What's on display are modern prints from his original negatives.

We see politicians, artists, musicians, clergymen - even Joseph Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonian makes an appearance.

Verdict: If you're interested in photography or the 19th century, give this a look.

One Life Becomes One Year

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: closing May 19, 2019

The National Portrait Gallery has transformed its "One Life" space into "One Year," a look at 1968, which is now 50 years ago.  So much for the "Don't trust anyone over 30" idea.

My own memories of 1968 are spotty at best.  I remember Robert Kennedy's assassination, and I remember my brother being born.  That's about it.  Turns out, there was a lot more going on than just those two things.

1968 was one of those cataclysmic years that happen every so often.  TIME magazine described it as the year "history cracked open."  From turmoil at home: guns in America, police brutality, the role of protest in sports, the election of diverse candidates to public office - stop me when this sounds familiar, to space exploration: Apollo 8 and the Earthrise photograph, 1968 was a year of ups and downs.

Verdict: You don't want to miss this walk down memory lane.  It's pretty groovy.