Work Week Kolm

Some of the things I did this week include: 

Visiting the National Museum of African-American History & Culture

The exterior of the building is actually glass with a filigree on the outside, so you can see through the building once you're inside. The inspiration for the architecture comes from an African queen's crown. The museum covers six floors, six packed floors. There is so much to see and read. We were only given two-ish hours to explore, and there was no way we could do the entirety in that time. 

This exhibit on sit-ins was designed to make you part of the movement. Bar stools up against a counter-top and backdrop of screens illustrate the struggle of students and others to gain equal rights.

This statue represents the Olympic win in Mexico City in 1968. Tommie Smith & John Carlos of the U.S.A. won the Gold and Bronze medals in the 200 metre running event. They stood shoeless in black socks to represent poverty in the African-American community. More about the history and symbolism of the event here.

This display was the largest on the topic of African-American participation in social organizations, specifically membership in the Masonic Family. It included a bit on the founding of the Prince Hall Masons as well as the African-American chapters of the Order of Eastern Star. 

There is really no adequate way to discuss all that this museum covered. Hundreds of years of history, exhibits on art, music, cinema, sports, movements for suffrage, citizenship, rights, and recognition. There is just so much. 

George Washington's Mount Vernon

Grand Lodge of Texas, fixin' up Mt. Vernon's entranceway.

Look out at what would have been the slave village on the Mt. Vernon property. At the left corner near the "beach" was a couple of people who spend their day cooking period foods in a period-appropriate fashion. And then they eat it. Kinda jealous.
This section of Mt. Vernon also held an interesting example of the various forms of fencing used. While it makes sense when I see it, I wouldn't have thought there were different ways to lace wood and twigs together for a number of purposes.

And here are Washington's teeth, made of several things, none of them wood.  Everything I thought I knew about the world is wrong.

Turns out, Washington started loosing his teeth in his teens, thought he had some of the best dental hygiene. It was one of the reasons he smiled so rarely, because his teeth caused him so much pain it was just easier.

When did we decide this was not the most awesome way to travel? This was one of the displays that made me think about historical locations like this. George Washington died, but his farm went on. Martha Washington died, and the farm goes on. But one day, the carriage is pulled into the carriage house, saddles are hung on the wall, and there they stay to this day, gathering dust. How does a working farm go from productive and money-making, to a display through which tourists wander?

Keeping up with the Bronze Washingtons

Other thoughts from Mt. Vernon:

1) The museum exhibit starts with pre-military Washington, and then moves into Washington as a young British officer. I think this is an interesting point to make. He was good as an American general because he knew how the British think, after being a loyal British colonel. 

2) There's a super cheesy video about the romance between Mr. & Mrs. Washington. There's a lot of cheese in the videos at Mt. Vernon, but there was a 4D theatre with some period drawn maps rendered in "3D" to illustrate troop, artillery, and naval maneuvers. I thought that was a cool feature. 

3) There was a display, the specifics of which are beyond my recollection at the moment, which discussed G.W.'s humble nature, quiet demeanor, and other quietness of character. While I'm not saying all these characteristics are mutual exclusive, it caused me to wonder if all of the pomp & circumstance, all of the drive/ambition/goals for the future, all of the things we historically admire in Washington: were all these things the real Washington, or over the course of time have we attributed more to him because, as our first president, we needed him to be a hero? Because if he was all we say he is, he would dislike so much about what Mt. Vernon has become.

HQs of the NWP

As possibly illustrated in my post about the Sewall-Belmont House, I'm interested in suffrage movements. I had afternoon plans, but was looking for something to do with my morning. I found a note in a museum about the previous headquarters of the National Women's Party, so I looked it up to try to find the old address. And instead I found the list and location of the five headquarters of the NWP in D.C. from 1913 to 1929. So I went on a hunt. I've found four of the five, so stay tuned to see the final one. 

The first HQ was in a basement office at 1420 F Street NW.
Today, there's this giant hotel at the address.

In 1916, the NWP moved to Cameron House, 21 Madison Place NW.
Everything on this street today has historic significance, though
the HQ of the NWP isn't marked on any of them. One of these buildings
is on the spot (or the same building) the NWP used, though the back building is
most famous has being the home of the Madisons. 

From 1917 to 1922, HQ was at 14 Jackson Place, in a building on the location
of one of these. Like many streets, Jackson Place has been renumbered...

The location of #4 is still being sought; research still to be done.

And #5, the HQ of the NWP from 1929 on, they resided at the Sewall-Belmont House.