Past Exhibitions | Smithsonian Institution

The Old Farmer's Almanacs

See 18 almanacs of Robert B. Thomas's The Old Farmer's Almanac, dating from 1793, recently donated.

November 11, 1985 – January 31, 1986

Contemporary Crafts from the Empire State

Admire and purchase desks and serving accessories, perfume bottles, jewelry, and textiles created by 24 members of the Empire State Crafts Alliance, New York.

October 24, 1985 – January 31, 1986

Renwick Gallery

All Sorts of Painted Stuffs: Indian Chintz & Its Western Counterparts

Featured are Indian painted and dyed textiles along with British and French printed cottons, illustrating the use of Indian fabrics in the West and the impact of their colors and exotic patterns in Europe and America.

October 31, 1985 – January 30, 1986

American History Museum

Art, Design and the Modern Corporation: The Collection of Container Corporation of America, A Gift

Survey 150 works selected from the 311 paintings, sculptures, drawings, and collages donated by the Corporation. The works were commissioned for advertising campaigns, which focused on concepts and ideas rather than on specific products.

October 24, 1985 – January 19, 1986

American Art Museum

The Glazed Ceramic Tradition of Seto and Mino Wares

Follow the evolution of glazed wares in neighboring pottery districts during Japan's medieval period through a number of rare early pieces, as well as by representative Momoyama period (1568-1615) wares.

April 26, 1985 – January 12, 1986

Asian Art Museum Freer Gallery

The Guardianship of Memory: Additions to the Permanent Collection

Visit more than 10 portraits, including images of artist Thomas Hart Benton, musician Duke Ellington, poet Ezra Pound, dancer Ted Shawn, and author Thornton Wilder.

September 14, 1985 – January 12, 1986

Portrait Gallery

Selections from the Collections of Marion and Gustave Ring

View 50 works -- 26 paintings, 12 sculptures, 11 works on paper, and one mixed-media work -- by 38 artists from this private collection.

October 17, 1985 – January 12, 1986

Hirshhorn Museum

American Rectangular Land Survey System

Mark the bicentennial of the 1785 Land Ordinance enacted by the Continental Congress to ensure a fair and rapid settlement of the American wilderness through the 11 artifacts in this exhibition.

December 6, 1985 – January 8, 1986

American History Museum

1985 Trees of Christmas

Enjoy 13 decorated trees with various themes.

December 20, 1985 – January 6, 1986

American History Museum

The Modern Spirit: Glass from Finland

See hundreds of examples in the first U.S. retrospective of 20th-century Finnish glass from 27 designers.

October 1, 1985 – January 5, 1986

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

The Woven and Graphic Art of Anni Albers

Celebrate the creativity of this German-born emigre with 106 works divided almost equally between her textiles and works on paper.

June 12, 1985 – January 5, 1986

Renwick Gallery

A New Romanticism: Sixteen Artists from Italy

On loan are approximately 46 works, primarily paintings, by 16 artists, that focus on an influential direction in Italian art today -- the new mystical or metaphysical painting.

October 3, 1985 – January 5, 1986

Hirshhorn Museum

History, Context and Materials: Objects from the Permanent Collection

See 40 objects that demonstrate three areas of study in the field of African art: some objects were selected because they can be attributed; some objects were chosen for their content and are displayed with field photographs to show them in context; the third group illustrates the various materials and processes used to create traditional African art.

November 12, 1985 – January 5, 1986

African Art Museum

Go Well, My Child: Photographs by Constance Stuart Larrabee in Collaboration with Alan Paton

View 80 black-and-white prints by Constance Stuart Larrabee, an American photographer born in South Africa, with captions from the classic novel Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton.

November 26, 1985 – January 5, 1986

African Art Museum

Drawn from the Sea: Art in the Service of Ichthyology

See some 200 illustrations of fish dating from 1838 to 1980.

September 13, 1985 – January 5, 1986

Natural History Museum

Christmas Tree Decorated by Associates in 1985

See holiday decorations in the Great Hall including the Christmas tree decorated with handcrafted ornaments made locally, and collected from the U.S. and abroad.

December 7, 1985 – January 2, 1986

Smithsonian Castle

Bird Carvings by Ma Hai Feng

See nearly 20 beautifully painted woodcarvings of birds by Ma Hai Feng, an artist born in China.

November 1, 1985 – December 30, 1985

Natural History Museum

John Safer: Sculptor

See 13 sleek, contemporary, minimalist sculptures by Washington, D.C., artist John Safer, known for his non- representational works in Lucite, brass, bronze, and granite.

September 12, 1985 – December 11, 1985

Air and Space Museum

Paris Recorded: The Therese Bonney Collection

View 141 photographs by an innovative American photo-journalist who worked in Paris in the 1920s.

September 17, 1985 – December 8, 1985

Cooper Hewitt Design Museum

Recent Acquisitions: Prints, Drawings and Watercolors

Discover 49 works on paper that illustrate the range and depth of recent additions to the NMAA collection.

May 17, 1985 – December 8, 1985

American Art Museum

Benjamin Franklin and the Colonial Posts

See 13 examples documenting Benjamin Franklin's career as Postmaster General of Philadelphia, and later as Deputy Postmaster of North America, and his influences in improving mail schedules and mail service.

July 1, 1985 – December 3, 1985

American History Museum

History as Seen from the National Museum of American History

View some 55 photographs that capture current events near the Museum in 1984 and early 1985.

August 9, 1985 – December 1, 1985

American History Museum

The Arts of South Asia

See some 70 objects, ranging in date from the 2nd century B.C. through the 18th century, that offer a complete survey of the Freer's painting, sculpture, and decorative art from the Indian subcontinent.

May 15, 1985 – December 1, 1985

Asian Art Museum Freer Gallery

Prints and Drawings of the Sixties

See some 35 works, many of them reflecting movements of the 60s, including Pop Art.

July 24, 1985 – November 30, 1985

Hirshhorn Museum

Space Tools

Visit a small exhibition featuring tools used in space missions.

June 21, 1985 – November 30, 1985

Air and Space Museum