Innovative Lunder Conservation Center Receives Prestigious Keck Award

International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Gives Keck Award to the SAAM and NPG Conservation Lab

Washington, DC- Today, the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works awarded the prestigious Keck Award to the

Lunder Conservation Center, which is jointly administered by the

Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.

Julie Heath, the

Lunder Conservation Center coordinator, accepted the award on behalf of the two museums at the 2008 International Institute for Conservation Congress in

London.
The

Lunder Conservation Center, which opened July 2006, is the first art conservation facility in the

United States that allows visitors to the museums permanent, behind-the-scenes views of crucial preservation work. Five conservation labs are visible through floor-to-ceiling glass walls, which allow the public to see all aspects of conservation work that traditionally takes place out of view at other museums and conservation centers. The 10,200-square-foot center includes laboratories and studios equipped to treat paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, sculptures, folk art objects, decorative arts and frames.
“It has been a joy to see visitors appreciate the essential work that our conservators are doing to preserve the nation’s cultural heritage, and to see our conservators’ profound commitment to sharing what they do with the public,” said Elizabeth Broun, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

“It is a great honor to have the

Lunder Conservation Center recognized with the Keck Award,” said Martin E. Sullivan, director of the National Portrait Gallery. “Offering the public the opportunity to view the labs gives our museums great teachable moments where we have a chance to show how we treat and conserve our nation’s treasures.”
The center is a destination for learning about conservation and modern techniques that conservators use to examine and treat artworks. Conservators from across the

United States advised on its educational components. Public outreach and interpretive programs-from weekly behind-the-scenes tours to specialized lectures-are offered to students, families, the general public and conservation professionals. Interactive kiosks and special displays make it easy for visitors to learn about the importance of conservation and show how to take an active role in caring for public art and monuments, as well as how to care for personal treasures at home. Each lab and studio is introduced by a kiosk that includes specific information about the types of treatments performed in each area with video clips and photographs of before-and-after treatments. A 40-foot media wall features 16 experts, with brief video clips exploring special conservation projects and career experiences. Extended interviews with 22 experts, along with many other educational resources, are available at lunderconservation.si.edu.
The Keck Award, established in 1994, is presented every two years at the International Institute for Conservation Congress to the individual or group who has, in the opinion of the Institute’s council, contributed most toward promoting public understanding and appreciation of the accomplishments of the conservation profession. The Institute, an independent international organization, serves as a forum for communication among professionals who aim to provide the highest possible level of care for the world’s cultural heritage. In 2000, the

Smithsonian American Art Museum received the Keck Award for its program “SOS! Save Outdoor Sculpture,” which is sponsored jointly with Heritage Preservation.
The National Historic Landmark building that houses the museums and the

Lunder Conservation Center is located at Eighth and F streets N.W., in the heart of a revitalized downtown arts district in

Washington, D.C. Hours are from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Admission is free. Metrorail station:
Gallery Place

Chinatown (Red, Yellow and Green lines). Smithsonian Information: (202) 633-1000; (202) 633-5285 (TTY). Web site: lunderconservationcenter.si.edu.

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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the Smithsonian

Washington, DC- From Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, the Smithsonian celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with a series of performances, lectures, exhibitions, family activities and tours at various museums around the Institution. All programs are free, unless otherwise indicated. For a full calendar of events, visit www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage.Feature Event

The Smithsonian will present “Living in Many Worlds: Hispanic Heritage Month Family Day” Saturday, Sept. 13, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard at the

Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The family day will include crafts and art activities, music and dance performances, storytelling and bilingual tours. Children will be able to create posters in the style of those in the exhibition “Posters from the Division of Community Education (DIVEDCO) of Puerto Rico, 1949-1989,” on view at the S. Dillon Ripley Center from Sept. 17 through Jan. 18, 2009.
This is the first event in the Smithsonian Heritage Month series “Living in Many Worlds,” which explores the dynamism of family, history, heritage and identity. The event also is part of the program series ”

Puerto Rico at the Smithsonian.”
Performances

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian will present “Mestiza Power,” a play that sheds light on the everyday lives of contemporary Mayan women, Friday, Sept. 19, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m. in the museum’s Rasmuson Theater. The play will be shown in Spanish with English subtitles.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery will present “Dance D.C.-Pan American Symphony Orchestra” Sunday, Sept. 28, at 3 p.m. Founded and conducted by Sergio Alessandro Buslje, the Pan American Symphony Orchestra has enlivened Washington’s music scene for more than a decade. As part of the Dance D.C. Festival, the Pan American Symphony Orchestra will perform traditional Latin music infused with contemporary influences.

Film

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian’s George Gustav Heye Center in New York City will present “The Last Conquistador” (2007, 52 minutes) Thursday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m. This documentary follows the story of sculptor John Houser and his plans to erect the largest bronze equestrian statue in the world, a monument to the conquistador Juan de Oñate, in

El Paso, Texas.
Lecture

Artist Jesús Moroles will take part in a discussion of Latino contributions to American history, art and culture. “Artists Roundtable and Festival,” held Saturday, Oct. 4, from 1 to 7 p.m. will feature performances by Trés Raices Art Collective, Trio Caliente and Raices de Borinquen. The lecture and festival will be held in the McEvoy Auditorium and Kogod Courtyard at the

Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.
Family Activities

The Smithsonian’s

National Zoological Park will host “Fiesta Musical,” its annual all-day fiesta, Sunday, Sept. 21, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event for the whole family includes costumed dancers, Latino music and food, traditional crafts and animal demonstrations. In addition, Zoo scientists will be on hand to discuss field research in Latin American countries. This event will be held rain or shine.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, from 2 to 5 p.m., the Smithsonian’s

National Postal Museum will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with the tropical rhythms of Latin jazz. The afternoon includes interactive percussion demonstrations and presentations of oral histories of jazz. Participants will learn the story behind a recently released

U.S. stamp honoring Latin jazz and then design their own stamps. This activity is recommended for all ages.

Tour

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the

Smithsonian American Art Museum‘s Renwick Gallery will offer daily docent-led tours highlighting the work of Hispanic artists. The tours will take place weekdays at noon and weekends at 1 p.m. from the Information Desk.
Workshop

The

Smithsonian American Art Museum will present “Hispanic Heritage Month Teacher Workshop” Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 5 to 8 p.m. This workshop will provide teachers with resources and ideas for Hispanic Heritage Month programming. Participants will explore the

Smithsonian American Art Museum galleries and come away with a “Latino Art and Culture Kit” for the classroom. Register online at  americanart.si.edu/education/programs/pdw_form.cfml.
Exhibition

The Smithsonian Latino Center will present “Posters from the Division of Community Education (DIVEDCO) of Puerto Rico, 1949-1989″ from Sept. 17 through Jan. 18, 2009, at the S.

Dillon Ripley Center‘s Concourse. This exhibition highlights posters produced by artists enlisted by a government agency known as DIVEDCO, and illustrate the connection between art and social policy during one of Puerto Rico’s most culturally defining decades-the 1950s-and into the 1980s. Representing the work of some of

Puerto Rico‘s best graphic artists, the exhibition will include rich educational programming and a film series of short and feature length films.
This information is subject to change. For more information on the Hispanic Heritage Month programs, call (202) 633-5299 or e-mail heritagemonths@si.edu. For general Smithsonian information, call (202) 633-1000 or (202) 633-5285 (TTY).

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“Moving Perspectives: Video Art from Asia”

Opens Sept. 6 at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

The expressive possibilities of moving image and sound have inspired many Asian artists to examine the relationship between past and present through the video medium. “Moving Perspectives: Video Art from Asia” at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery presents for the first time a series of exhibitions focusing on recent works of video art that will engage viewers in the experience of Asian art and rapidly changing contemporary society. Opening Sept. 6, 2008, and continuing through February 2010, “Moving Perspectives” will present works in two galleries which will be turned into black boxes. Each exhibition will remain on-view for approximately 12 weeks.

Carol Huh, curator of contemporary art at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, has initiated “Moving Perspectives” to expand upon the “Perspectives” series of contemporary installations in the Sackler pavilion begun in 2003.

The series begins with works by Yang Fudong and Cao Fei and Ou Ning, Sept.-Nov. 30, 2008. Both artists effectively use the properties of video to explore a society adapting to rapid social, cultural and economic change. “Liu Lan” (2003), by Yang Fudong, draws on Chinese painting and folklore to create a dreamlike environment in which two lovers from different times and places are destined to remain apart. “San Yuan Li” (2003), by Cao Fei and Ou Ning, engages the viewer with a sharply contrasting approach to image composition and sound to convey a sense of the unprecedented transformation overtaking the urban landscape of

China, particularly in the Pearl River Delta.
The next video rotations include works by Lida Abdul and Dinh Q Lé, Dec. 6, 2008-March 1, 2009, and Jun Nguyen-Hatsushiba and Fiona Tan, March 14-June 7, 2009.

Future installments in the “Moving Perspectives” series will be determined as artists complete new projects.

The galleries are located near the Smithsonian Metrorail station on the National Mall. For more information about the Freer and Sackler galleries the public is welcome to visit www.asia.si.edu. For general Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.

Spectacular Grand Canyon Photography Explored in New Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition

Washington, DC- The

Grand Canyon is wild and unforgiving. But it is also one of the most stunning landscapes on Earth-a place for recreation, reflection and reverence. A new Smithsonian exhibition allows us to marvel at this natural wonder without camping equipment, emergency rations or rappelling ropes.

 

Featuring 60 color photographs, “Lasting Light: 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography” is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Grand Canyon Association. The exhibition will be on view at the Phoenix Public Library in

Phoenix, Ariz., Jan. 10, 2009, through March 29, 2009, and will continue on a national tour through 2013.
“Lasting Light” reveals the dedication of those who have attempted to capture the

Grand Canyon on film from the earliest days to modern times. Covering nearly 125 years of photographic history, the exhibition includes images of early photographers dangling from cables to get the perfect shot, their cumbersome camera equipment balanced precariously on their shoulders. More modern images are bold and dramatic, revealing the canyon’s capricious weather, its flora and fauna, waterfalls and wading pools, and awe-inspiring cliffs and rock formations. The stunning contemporary images were selected by representatives from Eastman Kodak’s Professional Photography Division and National Geographic.

Grand Canyon National Park, 2,000 square miles of snaking river beds and sheer rock walls, is a world like no other, where vibrant cliffs and flowing water create a striking complement to the Western sky. “What you do is keep it for your children, your children’s children, and for all who come after you, as one of the great sights which every American should see,” Teddy Roosevelt urged. Roosevelt, ever the naturalist, was just one of the canyon’s devotees. There are millions of others, including the 26 featured photographers of “Lasting Light,” who ran the river and climbed the rocks to capture these breathtaking images.
“The

Grand Canyon taught me a way of seeing. How to see light and design,” said featured photographer John Blaustein. This and other intriguing narratives accompany the spectacular photographs, giving audiences the artists’ personal insight into the power of the Canyon.
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside

Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. Exhibition descriptions and tour schedules are available at www.sites.si.edu.
The Grand Canyon Association is a non-profit, membership organization founded to support education, scientific research and other programs for the benefit of

Grand Canyon National Park and its visitors. www.grandcanyon.org

Smithsonian “Earth from Space” Exhibition to Appear in Classrooms Across the Country

Washington, DC- Beginning this fall, students across the country will be able to experience a Smithsonian exhibition in their own schools. The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey, is providing a free poster version of the popular exhibition “Earth from Space” to more than 700 schools, universities, libraries, community centers and other venues.The 20-poster set features beautifully detailed satellite images of the planet-from the swirling arms of a massive hurricane and the grid-like pattern of Kansas farmland to the triangular shadows cast by the Great Pyramids and the sinuous channels entering the Arctic Ocean. “Earth from Space” illustrates how satellite imagery is gathered and used to expand mankind’s understanding of life on Earth. It also explores the remote-sensing technology used to gather the images and describes the individual satellites whose images are on display.

“The Smithsonian is proud to be able to share illuminating scholarship from the National Air and

Space Museum in a format that allows for extraordinarily widespread distribution,” said Anna Cohn, SITES director. “‘Earth from Space’ inspires dreams and discovery, and while the photographs were taken from far away, they can launch learning opportunities about our lives here on earth.”
The poster exhibition was born of the popular and award-winning museum exhibition of the same title that premiered November 2006 at the National Air and

Space Museum. In 2007, “Earth from Space” won a U.S. Geological Survey communications award for science content.
The images provide clues about the nature of our planet and offer teachers opportunities to engage students in a broad array of science topics, including geography, environmental studies, ecology, oceanography and meteorology.

An educational companion Web site, www.earthfromspace.si.edu, contains an online version of the exhibition, and additional images and information. It also provides numerous educational resources, including lesson plans, classroom activities, Web site links and available publications.

“Earth from Space” was developed by the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the National Air and

Space Museum, in collaboration with SITES. Andrew Johnston, a geographer at the center and author of “Earth from Space” (Firefly Books, 2004), is the exhibition’s curator.
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside

Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. Exhibition descriptions and tour schedules are available at www.sites.si.edu.

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Photograph of Michael Phelps by Ryan McGinley to be installed at the National Portrait Gallery

WHAT: Photograph of Michael Phelps by Ryan McGinley to be installed at the National Portrait Gallery

WHEN: On view beginning Aug. 28
11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

WHERE: National Portrait Gallery
Eighth and G streets N.W.
Washington, D.C.

A large chromogenic print photograph of Michael Phelps, taken by Ryan McGinley, will be installed on the first floor of the National Portrait Gallery’s north wing , Thursday, Aug. 28. The photograph will be on view when the museum opens at 11:30 a.m.
The photograph, which was first on display when the museum reopened in July 2006, shows Phelps underwater, with his right arm reaching toward the surface, bubbles streaming from his nose. The swimmer became the first athlete to win eight gold medals in one Olympiad at the Beijing Summer Olympics. Counting six gold medals he won in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the swimmer now holds 14 gold medals and two bronze.

Ryan McGinley photographed Phelps in 2004 on commission from the New York Times Magazine. McGinley photographed the members of the 2004 United States Olympic swim team for a special edition of the magazine; this photograph was published on the cover.

The photograph will be on view through January 2009.

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Freer and Sackler Galleries’ Fall Programs Feature a Weekend Celebration of India

This fall the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery presents exciting public programs to commence the season. On Oct. 18 and 19, the galleries’ celebrate the opening of “Garden and Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur,” with two days of Rajasthan music, dance, storytelling, food and children’s activities. The festival features performances by Rupayan, an eight member ensemble from Jodhpur; Kalapriya, a Chicago based dance company composed of Rajasthani dancers; and storytelling by Sushmita Mazumdar, who will share tales of Hindu deities. These events conclude the yearlong “Inspired by India” celebration on the National Mall.

The festivities don’t stop there, other programs include: “Between Tides,” performed by an international quartet that combines Japanese and Western instruments; “Three Rivers, One Source,” presented by Vietnamese artists who perform rarely seen traditional styles of music and dance; “Documentaries from Iran,” with discussions from Iranian filmmaker Persheng Sadegh-Vaziri; and “The Secret History of Yoga,” an examination of hatha yoga with Dr. Vijay (William) Pinch.

In ImaginAsia children ages 8 – 14 and their accompanied adult can explore the exhibition,”Garden and Cosmos,” and create their own version of a Naguar palace garden or make their own “Seascape” pastel painting to take home.

Please see press release for full schedule of fall programs.

Free tickets required for films and performances. Two tickets per person are distributed at the Meyer Auditorium one hour before the event on a first come, first served basis. For performances only, up to four tickets per person are available through Ticketmaster beginning at 10a.m. two Mondays before the event.

The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, located at 1050 Independence Ave. S.W., and the adjacent Freer Gallery of Art, located at 12th Street and Independence Avenue S.W., are on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, except Dec. 25, and admission is free. The galleries are located near the Smithsonian Metrorail station on the Blue and Orange lines. For more information about the Freer and Sackler galleries and their exhibitions, programs and other events, the public is welcome to visit www.asia.si.edu. For general Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000 or TTY (202) 633-5285.

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Smithsonian Exhibition Explores the Role of Fences in America: Traveling to Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky and South Dakota

Washington, DC-Fences are icons of the American landscape. They can be used to create a welcoming picture of home or a wall of privacy and security. Fences have pitted rancher against rancher in the battle for scarce resources; back fences serve as meeting places where neighbors share recipes, local gossip or a friendly joke. Americans live between fences.”Between Fences,” an exhibition from Museum on Main Street, a partnership of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Federation of State Humanities Councils, examines the history and meaning of fences in

America. Included in the exhibition are tools, photographs, journals, postcards and posters relating to the history of fences. Fences are an integral part of the fabric of the communities in the

United States; so too is their rich history.
In September and October, five copies of the exhibition will begin touring rural museums in Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky and

South Dakota. Working in conjunction with their state humanities councils, the host museums will develop public programs and local exhibitions to supplement the Smithsonian exhibit. The exhibition will tour additional states in 2009.
Fences are as complex as they are simple. Consider some of the more popular types-a rusted barbed-wire fence; a new, perfectly aligned white-picket fence; or a tall chain-link fence-each potentially conveys a message about the owners of the fence, their lives, and the nature of their relations with their neighbors.

“Between Fences” focuses on a range of fence materials and how they have varied over time and by region. Colonial

America‘s first fences were made of wood or stone. But as settlement moved westward, forests dwindled. Farmers who needed to protect their crops from free-ranging cattle came to rely on the steel-wire industry to create strong, inexpensive fence material. Using fences to establish boundaries led to the fence wars of the late 19th century. These conflicts turned neighbor against neighbor, sometimes with deadly consequences. More than two centuries later, the question is posed: What is the intent of fences?
“Between Fences” encourages visitors to embrace the importance of a crucial aspect of our personal and national heritage. As visitors explore the exhibition, encountering fences and gateways, they will get a sense of the unspoken communication and interaction that fences play in our lives. Do fences contain or exclude? When does a privacy fence become a spite fence? Do gated communities give the residents a special bond or exclude outsiders? Further, visitors will be asked to consider how and why we build fences, and how they reflect who we are as individuals, communities and a nation.

Just looking at the diversity of fences speaks to the American culture. The worm fence, one of the most widely built, garnered the attention of many 18th- and 19th-century visitors to the

United States. Its unique design facilitated international understanding of the American culture.
The exhibition is part of Museum on Main Street, which serves museums, libraries and historical societies in rural

America. The SITES-Federation of State Humanities Councils partnership, which began in 1994, was formed as a creative response to the challenge faced by rural museums to enhance their own cultural legacies. Major funding for Museum on Main Street is provided by the U.S. Congress.
Communities that have already participated in Museum on Main Street have found it has raised public awareness and support for the facilities that are so often the cultural backbone of small towns. The exhibitions have greatly increased community involvement, leaving lasting legacies in the museums that host them. Writing about a Museum on Main Street exhibit, Teresa M. Goforth of the Courthouse Square Association in

Charlotte, Mich., said, “I must say this is by far one of the best programs we have offered to our community. Our visitation increased approximately 400 percent. Museum on Main Street is a godsend to small museums such as ours.” For more information, visit www.museumonmainstreet.org.
SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside

Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. For more information, including exhibition descriptions and tour schedules, visit www.sites.si.edu.

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Eldredge Bermingham Is Named Director of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Eldredge “Biff” Bermingham has been named the director of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama City, Panama, effective Sept. 28. Bermingham has been STRI’s acting director since March 2007. He joined the institute’s scientific staff in 1989 and has served as deputy director since 2003.

“Biff is a great choice as the director of STRI,” said Charles Alcock, acting Under Secretary for Science at the Smithsonian. “He is an accomplished scientist and leader who, I am sure, will make great strides in helping the institute further its goals in research, education and conservation.”

As STRI’s director, Bermingham, 55, oversees the world’s premier tropical biology research institute, dedicated to increasing the understanding of the past, present and future of tropical biodiversity and its relevance to human welfare. The institute furthers the understanding of tropical nature and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems.

Bermingham joined STRI’s scientific staff in 1989 where he established a new program in DNA-based molecular systematics and evolution and introduced a generation of young U.S. and Latin American scientists to molecular tools used to study tropical biodiversity. His laboratory has made principal contributions to the study of birds of the Lesser Antilles and freshwater fish of the Americas as model systems for understanding the evolutionary diversification of Neotropical flora and fauna.

Bermingham has published more than 135 peer-reviewed articles and edited the book “Tropical Rainforests: Past, Present and Future.” He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Cornell University in 1977 and a doctoral degree in genetics from the University of Georgia in 1986.

Bermingham replaces STRI’s previous director, Ira Rubinoff, who is now STRI’s director emeritus and senior scientist.

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The National Portrait Gallery Presents “One Life: The Mask of Lincoln” in Celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th Anniversary

Washington, DC- Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12, 1809-April 15, 1865) is one of

America‘s most revered presidents. His leadership during

America‘s most divisive crisis, the Civil War, was essential to the abolition of slavery and the preservation of the union. In this exhibition, “One Life: The Mask of Lincoln,” National Portrait Gallery historian David C. Ward continues the museum’s “One Life” series with an exploration of how Abraham Lincoln crafted his public persona. “The Mask of Lincoln” will open Nov. 7, in anticipation of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of

Lincoln‘s birth, and will continue through July 5, 2009.”The National Portrait Gallery is pleased to participate in the events surrounding the commemoration of Abraham Lincoln’s birth,” said Martin E. Sullivan, director of the National Portrait Gallery. “Lincoln‘s role in shaping

America cannot be understated, and this exhibition uses portraits from our collection to offer us insight into how he shaped his identity and personality.”
The exhibition includes more than 30 images of Lincoln; most are from the Portrait Gallery’s extensive collection, such as the “tousled hair” portrait taken in 1857, and a Mathew Brady photograph that was taken just before

Lincoln‘s groundbreaking 1860 speech at the Cooper Union. The latter image is known as, the “photograph that made

Lincoln president.” The same photograph appears in a handsomely mounted gold campaign pin. Also in the exhibition are the “cracked-plate” photograph of Lincoln by Alexander Gardner, one of the last formal portraits taken of him; a drawing by Lambert Hollis, which is an eye-witness account of Lincoln’s arrival in Richmond only two days after the Confederate government evacuated the capital city in April of 1865; and an engraving of the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Americans in the 19th century identified themselves nearly equally by their religion and political party. This exhibition demonstrates that

Lincoln was attuned to these cultural customs and used the emerging technology of photography to craft his image and keep himself in the mind’s eye of his fellow citizens. He sought out opportunities to be photographed and produced a continuous portrait record of his time in office.
The “One Life” series is one-room exhibition that features the life of one person chosen by a curator or historian. “The Mask of Lincoln” is the fourth installment in the series and follows “Kate: A Centennial Celebration,” “Portraits of Sandra Day O’Connor” and “Walt Whitman, a kosmos.”

“One Life: The Mask of Lincoln,” is one of many exhibitions and programs planned at the Smithsonian that celebrate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln. The complete list will be posted on gosmithsonian.com.

The National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery tells the stories of

America through the individuals who have shaped its culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists who speak American history.
The National Portrait Gallery opened to the public in 1968. The museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works includes paintings, sculpture, photographs, drawings and new media. Located at Eighth and F streets N.W., in

Washington, D.C., it is open every day, except Dec. 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Smithsonian information: (202) 633-1000; (202) 633-5285 (TTY). Web site: npg.si.edu.

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