Courtesy of GWU Museum website
Last Saturday, we went to the brand new Georgetown Washington University Museum which is located in the heart of Foggy Bottom at 701 21st Street N.W. The museum combines the University’s own art collections, the (relocated) Textile Museum and the Albert H. Hall Washingtoniana Collection. It comprises a new building which is connected to an old neighboring house by an elevated walkway.
This weekend was the grand opening and there were three different exhibitions, music and other events taking place. The first exhibit was taken from the Textile Museum’s Collection: “Unraveling Identity: Our Textiles, Our Stories”. The textiles take pride of place in the main galleries and are quite spectacular, consisting of rugs, lilim, silks, batik, ceremonial Chinese and Turkish clothing and a beautiful Shakespearean actor’s costume.
Detail of ceremonial Chinese robe
The second was “Seat of Empire: Planning Washington”. There were prints and maps of the planning and later founding of Washington, early drawings and “concepts" by L’Enfant together with a portrait of a haughty-looking Washington.
A third exhibit dealt with different aspects of the Civil War (“The Civil war and the Making of Modern Washington”) which depicted its effect upon Washington which was suddenly swamped by armies, generals, wounded soldiers and numerous hospitals.
Rug from Isfahan
Heavily embroidered Chinese silk robe
Ceremonial Peruvian motifs
Chinese silk and cotton tunics
Print of a Washington “concept"
The enthusiastic founder of Washington
Have a look at: http://gwtoday.gwu.edu/museum-countdown-opening-kicks-saturday
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