Freer and Sackler Galleries
The Freer Gallery of Art’s collections were donated to the Smithsonian in 1906 and its building opened in 1923. It was the first Smithsonian museum specializing in fine arts. The building was designed by Charles A. Platt in the Italian Renaissance style. The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery was established in 1982 to complement the Freer, and it opened in 1987. Together, the Freer and Sackler Galleries comprise the Smithsonian’s Museum of Asian Art. The postcards in this gallery show the Freer building, as well as an object that was on display at the Sackler Gallery in 1997.
Color postcard of the Freer Gallery of Art. An American flag is flying from the top of the building. A few black cars are in front of the left side of the building. A tree overhangs the top of the postcard image. The front of the postcard has a white border. c. 1923-1930, B.S. Reynolds Co., Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Grayscale postcard of the Freer Gallery of Art. The grounds surrounding the building are empty. A tree overhangs the top of the image. The front of the postcard has a white border. c. 1928, Unknown creator, Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Grayscale postcard of the fountain in the courtyard of the Freer Gallery of Art. Flowers surround the fountain, and three arches are behind it. The courtyard is empty. The front of the postcard has a thick white border. Grass, as seen in this postcard, replaced the brick paving of the museum's courtyard in 1928, in an effort to cool the galleries in the days before air conditioning. c. 1928, Unknown creator, Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Color postcard with a view of the courtyard of the Freer Gallery of Art. The view is looking out from one of the colonnades surrounding the courtyard. The fountain in the center of the courtyard is surrounded by red flowers. c. 1990s, Unknown creator, Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Color postcard advertising the King of the World Exhibit at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The image is of a detail from The Wedding Procession of Prince Dara-Shikoh (c. 1640) by an unknown artist. The postcard is unused, but the message side has printed information about the exhibit and the artwork. 1997, Unknown, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Collection 09-050, Box 1, Folder: King of the World Sackler Postcard, Negative Numbers SIA2013-07761 (front) and SIA2013-07762 (back).