Vincent Romano

Review of Freer| Sackler Galleries of Sm...

Actually, this gallery is the Freer / Sackler gall...

Actually, this gallery is the Freer / Sackler gallery. Freer was a Detroit industrialist who left his huge collection to the Smithsonian (the Detroit Institute of Arts wasn't yet in existence). The Freer collection became the Smithsonian's first fine arts gallery. Sackler came along about 60 years later and his gift was added to the Freer. We now have a National Gallery of Art separate from the Freer / Sackler. I'd say see them both - but, at the Freer you'll see the Peacock Room which was created by James Whistler (a good friend of Freer). The Peacock Room was in Freer's Detroit home and it went to the Smithsonian with the rest of Freer's collection. It's spectacular. You'll love it.