Trip to Washington, DC: April 2015

NOTE: Although I've been to Washington, DC, several times, I'd never actually visited any of the Smithsonian Institution museums. Finally, I decided to spend a week doing nothing but. Choosing to travel exclusively via Amtrak, I took the "Southwest Chief" from Flagstaff to Chicago, the "Capitol Limited" from Chicago to Washington, the "Crescent" from Washington to New Orleans, the "City of New Orleans" from New Orleans to Chicago, and finally the "Southwest Chief" from Chicago to Flagstaff. Having taken way over 1000 pictures during the course of the trip, however, I decided to focus exclusively on Smithsonian images for this photo-journal. Many pictures have links to their online catalog entries.

Wednesday, April 22

National Air and Space Museum, Udvar-Hazy Center

Thursday, April 23

Smithsonian Institution Building (The Castle)

Arts and Industries Building [closed for renovation]

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

National Air and Space Museum

Spirit of St. Louis and SpaceShipOne, currently undergoing restoration:

Mary Livingston Ripley Garden

Enid A. Haupt Garden

National Museum of African Art

[No links, but popup caption contains catalog number if found]

Alaga helmet mask, Iyaibeji (Mother of Twins), 2001-20-1

Ukelle helmet mask, 2002-1-1

Edo carved tusk, 96-30-1

Edo plaque, 85-19-18

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

S. Dillon Ripley Center

Friday, April 24

National Museum of Natural History

[No links, but popup caption contains catalog number if found]

Tyrannosaurus rex skull, PAL 481103

Totem poles, E23550-0 and E233399-0

Inner coffin and lid, A154954-0

Glassy basalt medallions, Mt. Vesuvius, 75397 1-3

Massive Quartz crystal panel

Beryl Aquamarine, G 10690 00

Sandstone concretions, 117410 10[?]

Hope Diamond, G 3551 00

Gigantic Native Copper, 87040[?]

Australopithecus afarensis 'Lucy'

Freer Gallery of Art

Gathering of Buddhas, Standing Bodhisattva, and Western Paradise:

Bowl, Vase, and Beaker:

Saturday, April 25

National Museum of American History

George Washington's Camp Chest and Stool:

[Although I couldn't get a legible picture, Ulysses Grant's Camp Chair is notable for its interesting folding design.]

Gene Krupa drum [no catalog item found]

Herbie Hancock keyboard [no catalog item found]

Railroad spike, 1869, commerative of final spike that completed the transcontinental railroad [no catalog item found]

Tinfoil phonograph recording, about 1879 [no catalog item found]

Enid A. Haupt Garden

Hirshhorn Museum

Sunday, April 26

National Museum of the American Indian

Ceramic rattle and drum [no catalog item found]

Mayan calendar [no catalog item found]

Skulls for Day of the Dead celebration top, middle, bottom:

Wampum belts presented to William Penn top, bottom:

Northern Tsitsistas (Cheyenne) painting of the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn, 18/4323 [not in online collection]

Left: Maidu basket jar, ca. 1900. California, 24/2851 [not in online collection]
Right: Kumeyaay (Diegueño) basket tray, ca. 1900. California, 22/2729 [not in online collection]