In a message dated 02-07-25 14:07:42 EDT, you write:

<< > > American History's horrid Material Matters dispay (a great example of
what
 > >  not to do)
 > As I remember hearing once (and I hope someone will correct me or flesh out
 > my memory for local gossip)  that the Materials exhibit was the result of a
 > donation with strings and tight time constraints? Cause it has to be the
 > weridest exhibit with the best location ever.

 What display is that? I don't remember it (but probably have passed by it a
 number of times). >>

First, let me offer a correction (hope I don't get flamed for it), but the
exhibition in question is called "Material World", not "Material Matters."
You can't miss it if you enter American History from Constitution Avenue
because it takes up the entire center area, encircling the former Foucault
pendulum area (the pendulum has gone bye-bye--too scientific, I guess).  If
you want to see a quirky exhibit, be sure to catch it, because it's going
bye-bye soon also--again, probably too scientific.  It has become quite
fashionable among the staff to hate "Material World" as much as the pendulum,
despite its obvious popularity.  I'm in the minority because I like "Material
World."  It's an exhibit about what things are made of and why, and I still
think it's fascinating.  It was an opportunity to show a lot of collection
objects in one place, some of them quite unusual.  I'm not recommending it
because I had a stake in it--I didn't.  In fact, since I was out of the loop
on it, I can't say whether any donor constraints had anything to do with it.
I don't remember any such issue connected with that show: I think this is a
more recent phenomenon.  However, if I'm wrong about that, perhaps one of my
more knowledgeable colleagues can weigh in.

Anyway, a lot of those objects will soon disappear from view and may not be
seen again any time soon.  Other exhibits which are scheduled to be closed
include the halls of (a) ceramics and (b) graphic arts and printing
technology.  So if you have any interest in those subjects, catch them while
you can.  I think the days of the hall of numismatics are also numbered, so
if you're interested in something like the Lilly Gold Coin Collection, see
that also while there's still time.

Speaking from ignorance again, I'm not sure that there would be any big deal
about the Smithsonian Castle tour.  The primary thing to see inside the
Castle is James Smithson's tomb.  The Great Hall of the Castle is devoted
mostly to introductory displays about the rest of the Smithsonian, with
hardly any artifacts on view, and the rest of the building is office space.
Yes, the Castle interior is worth a 5-minute gander as long as you're on that
side of the Mall, but that's about it.  I think the important Smithsonian
museums which haven't been mentioned are the National Museum of African Art
and the Freer and Sackler galleries.  The latter galleries specialize in
"Oriental" art.  The collections of those museums are exotic, often
spectacular.  If you want to contemplate some great art in serene
surroundings, away from noisy crowds, don't miss them.  NMAfA and the Sackler
are both underground, and the architecture is marvelous.

David Haberstich

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