Rusty Patch

Review of Smithsonian National Portrait ...

Favorite of all of the D.C. museums. Best kept sec...

Favorite of all of the D.C. museums. Best kept secret of the bunch. Not just a gallery of stuffy old politician portraits. This is actually two museums in one place. National Portrait Gallery AND The American Museum. Great approachable art from a variety of American Artist and a huge variety of types of art from artist of all races. A nice change from the Euro centric art of the other National Galleries. Lots of women artist, African American, Asian artist represented here too. Photo portraits of civil war generals. Especially like the on of Gen. Ambrose who led or misled the disastrous Battle of the Crater in Petersberg, Va. (Read about this it is fascinating) The building was a patent office, I think, then a civil war hospital and now a museum. You can see graffiti left from the civil war soldiers if you know where to look. Also modern art and labs for conservation of art where you can see artwork repaired. And right at the Gallery Place Metro stop. Come and discover a new favorite artist.