Description: Although planning began in 1919, the National Portrait Gallery was not created until 1962, and it opened to the public in the historic Patent Office Building in 1968. Known for its iconic collections of portraits of a broad spectrum of Americans, the gallery is also noted for its Hall of Presidents. History of the National Portrait GalleryAdditional Historic Images of the
Description: A look at the Quadrangle complex of the Smithsonian that encompasses the Enid Haupt Garden, the National Museum of African Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
Description: [edan-image:id=siris_sic_10193,size=175,left]Fifty years ago the Smithsonian embarked on a new venture to bring the culture on display in the museum to life with the first Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Then called the Festival of American Folklife, it set out to show that the crafts shown inside museums are also still alive and well across the country.