American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery
The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) and the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) are two different museums that had their origins in the Smithsonian’s National Gallery of Art. They have been housed in the old Patent Office Building since 1968. The American Art Museum was established in 1907 under the name “National Gallery of Art.” The National Portrait Gallery was officially established in 1962, although the collections began in 1921. The postcards in this gallery show the Patent Office Building, as well as several items from the museums’ collections.
Grayscale postcard of the U.S. Patent Office Building, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. The view is from a street corner, and several people are crossing the street. The edge of the image is softened, and it is surrounded by a thick white border. “Mrs. Lizzie Farmer” is written in the bottom border on the front.c. 1898-1901, Unknown creator, Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Color postcard of the Patent Office Building, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. The image of the building is in a gray, geometric frame. Pink flowers are on the right side of the frame, and a decorative black and yellow ribbon runs across the frame underneath the image. The postcard is numbered 2017 in the bottom left-hand corner on the front.c. 1898-1901, Unknown creator, Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Grayscale postcard of the Patent Office Building, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. The postcard is much longer than normal postcards. Several people are walking on the streets in front of the building. c. 1905, Unknown creator, Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Color postcard of the Patent Office Building, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. Several people are walking by the left side of the building, and two horse-drawn carriages are in the bottom right-hand corner of the image. The front of the postcard has a white border. Written in the bottom right-hand part of the border are “Enjoying myself” and the sender’s signature. c. 1906, Unknown creator, Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Color postcard of the Patent Office Building, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. The view is from a street corner, and the streets are empty, except for two horse and buggies on the bottom right. An American flag is flying from the building. The postcard is unused, but the message side has a printed note: “The Patent Office, as the building of the Department of the Interior is popularly termed, contains in its archives a record of achievements of the inventive genius of America, and of the industrial and scientific progress of the country.” c. 1907-1915, Unknown, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 84, Folder: 25, Negative Number SIA2011-2283 (front) and SIA2011-2284 (back).
Color postcard of the Patent Office Building, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, with two American flags flying from the top. Several people dressed in black are standing on the sidewalk in the bottom left-hand corner of the image.c. 1907-1915, Unknown creator, Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Sepia postcard of the Patent Office Building, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. The streets in front of the building are empty. The card was postmarked on July 3, 1907. A short message is in the white space at the bottom of the card: How is Colleer’s? Falls Church- Va. C.G.F.July 3, 1907, Unknown creator, Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Color postcard of the Patent Office Building, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, with an American flag flying from the building on the right side of the image. Several people are walking in the street in front of the building. Short black lines from the postal cancellation are above the building in several places. The postcard is numbered 9743 in the top left-hand corner on the front. The postcard is addressed to Mr. George Ellis Couillard, with the following message for him: Its [sic] the Hotest [sic] place I ever was in. Having a fine time C. Louis de VeerJuly 3, 1908, A.C. Bosselman & Co., Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Color postcard of the Patent Office Building, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. People are walking in front of the building and on the street. The postcard is unused, but the message side has a short printed note about the building: “U.S. Patent Office. The Department of the Interior building is popularly called the Patent Office.” The front of the postcard has a white border. c. 1915-1930, B.S. Reynolds Co., Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 84, Folder: 25, Negative Numbers SIA2011-2297 (front) and SIA2011-2298 (back).
Color postcard of the Patent Office Building, now the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. Two American flags are flying from the building, and several people are crossing the street below and walking outside the building. The front of the postcard has a white border. The postcard of the Patent Office Building has a printed note about the building: “U.S. Patent Office. The Department of the Interior Building is adorned with a portico of Doric columns copied from the Parthenon. The building is popularly called the Patent Office.” The postcard is addressed to Mr. Late Abel, with the following message for him: Arrived here O.K. two hours late. Leave tonight 7-35 P.M Bright & Cool today, Overcoat feels good, but I wouldn’t be back in St Pete. Everybody talking war. Hope you have a Safe journey home. You will find Soldiers guarding all bridges Harry D. This postcard was mailed days after the United States entered World War I. Congress declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917.April 1917, The Washington News Company, Courtesy of a private collector, No copy available at the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Grayscale postcard of a medallion of James Smithson. The medallion is against a black background. The front has a thick white border at the bottom. The postcard is unused, but the message side has a printed note about James Smithson: “James Smithson (1765-1829) An Englishman who left his fortune to the United States to found ‘the Smithsonian Institution for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men’.” Plaque attributed to Antonio Canova, 1817 (1757-1822). National Collection of Fine Arts Smithsonian Institution Washington 25, D. C.” The medallion was originally attributed to Italian artist Antonio Canova, but a “T” mark on the medallion (not visible on the postcard) identifies the creator as Frenchman Pierre Joseph Tiolier. The National Collection of Fine Arts was renamed the Smithsonian American Art Museum. For another view of the medallion check out this image. c. 1937-1940s, The Meriden Gravure Company, Smithsonian Institution Archives, Collection T90126, Box 1, Folder 3, Negative Numbers SIA2013-07713 (front) and SIA2013-07714 (back).
Color postcard of Childe Hassam’s Sunny Blue Sea (1913), also known as The South Ledges, Appledore, from the National Collection of Fine Arts, now known as the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The front of the postcard has a white border. The postcard is unused. c. 1967-1970, Clarke & Way Inc., Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 313, Box 32, Folder: NCFA-Postcards for Prints & Postcards, 1967-1970, Negative Numbers SIA2013-07842 (front) and SIA2013-07843 (back).
Color postcard of a self-portrait done by Benjamin West in 1819 from the National Collection of Fine Arts, now known as the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The front of the postcard has a white border. The postcard is unused. c. 1967-1970, Clarke & Way Inc., Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 313, Box 32, Folder: NCFA-Postcards for Prints & Postcards, 1967-1970, Negative Numbers SIA2013-07844 (front) and SIA2013-07845 (back).