So I walked to the Metro station and headed out to see the quilts at the Museum of American History (AH) I had one train transfer and it was fine. Up the steps from the Smithsonian Station and I am on the National Mall at last. I was close to the Washington Monument, the Capitol Building, and assorted Smithsonian museums. I spied the AH building and headed right over. First, coffee in the cafe while looking over the museum map. I did not see anything about quilts so I stop at the information desk. When I asked them to direct me to the quilts, they both looked embarrassed. One said, “uh-oh”. They informed me after a bit of squirming in their seats that the museum does not display the quilts. Twice a month they have tours of the archives, but that is it. I smiled. What else could I do? Anyway, I have seen many of the quilts online (Smithsonian has an online data base with photos of everything they own!!!) I did ask two questions: “why doesn’t the web site say that” (reply: it doesn’t??) and “I bet you get some grumpy quilters when they find out” (reply” affirmative). Such a crazy situation. It would be so easy to tell people that the quilts are not on display.
I was a-okay, and I toured the entire museum (except war stuff). Oddly, I was goose bumpy and close to tears most of the time. The displays are beautiful and many things from my own era were on display, and that made me nostalgic. My absolute favorites: First Lady inaugural and other ball gowns, White House China, Ruby Slippers, a realistic street car station in an early 1900s DC, and Julia Child’s kitchen. Everything is so well done. Yet, I saw so many blanks walls around the halls and in common areas. I know they own millions and millions of items and would love to have seen more, more, more of their Americana. Also, I may have missed it, but I did not see anything about the pioneer era, which is a huge part of American History. I was expecting a prairie schooner and pioneer artifacts. Maybe it was all in storage. Bring it out! Bring out some quilts. Maybe not the ones from the 1700s, but something!
Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers
Child’s Kitchen, through the door. It is actually closed off with Plexiglass (look at floor and you will see the bottom of the enclosure.) Other windows around the corner allow you to peer in from many angles.
Next stop, the Museum of National History. I noticed that the drove of school buses that had been parked in front earlier in the morning were now gone. Woo hoo, time to get over there before more kids flood the place (I know, I know, mean old lady). Loved the bones, gems, butterflies, and all the other exhibits. May favorites were the award winners in the Photographing Nature contest. The Hope Diamond, which I had seen before in NYC was not impressive this time either. Diamonds don’t do much for me. Once again the displays were magnificent but I saw lots of white space. More, more, more stuff. Fill those blank spaces. More hanging from the ceiling, on the walls, dangling from balconies. It does not need to be so neat and tidy. On the way out I plopped down on a bench to drink some water and stretch out my legs. The guards thought I was fainting and came rushing over. Way to cause a scene.
Next stop: across the mall to the Hirschorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, another Smithsonian building (all are free). It is small and about 1/2 was under renovation: I didn’t see much and what I did was kind of out there. I knew this would be modern art, but this stuff was the ultra-ultra-edgy side of modern. The first item once I got off the elevator: a giant painting of a large, older man full frontal naked and lounging the way women are usually painted. I kind of get that, Why not paint a man in the usual female pose. Around the corner, a life-like but extremely large man (the width of a Volkswagen Beetle and almost as tall) was sitting in the corner moping. He was completely naked. I snapped a photo of him when the guard walked the other way; I couldn’t resist, especially the full frontal. I kept thinking that he might be less mopey if they covered him up with one of those archived quilts. Poor naked guy sitting in front of the world with his privates in full view.
Not something I often see in an art museum, unless it is on crumbling statues from ancient Greece.
After this, I walked in the fresh but nippy air then headed back to the Metro for the ride home. Now that I know the way, I walked back to my room instead of calling Uber. Will have to stretch a great deal tonight before I sleep.
Tomorrow, I will go first to the other side of the National Mall, to see the Vietnam Vets Memorial. Taking hankies for that. Then, back to the large Museum of Art, where I may get lucky and see more naked men. Depending on how long that takes and how many naked men I find, I may also stop at the Air and Space Museum.
