A recently released book called “Treasure Palaces” asserts in its subtitle that Great Writers Visit Great Museums. In his nonfiction collection “A Moveable Feast”, Hemingway recounts his trips to various Paris galleries and cites the painter Cézanne as not only an inspiration but an instructor to him as a writer.
In the spirit of this celebrated link between exhibition and exposition, here are some of the thought-provoking things I saw at The National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. I haven’t yet learned how to take such provoked thoughts and develop them into a prolific novel, but I might be able to entertain you on your Uber ride or something.
1. Turn of the Century Chinese-American Shop Sign
This beautifully carved and painted wooden slab, which used to hang amidst a great many like it in the streets of San Francisco’s Chinatown, helps to tell the story of immigration in America (“Many Voices, One Nation: How did we become us?” exhibit). What struck me other than the always-aesthetic design of Chinese was that someone had the wherewithal to acquire this piece and put it on display. Reverently lit and accompanied by a plaque it is eye-catching of course; but consider its essence. Between the digital marquees outside of CVS that pixelate the Charmin logo and those cutesy street chalkboards that say things like “Mood = Tacos”, what will someday be considered part of the American fabric; and who is to decide?
2. Border Fence
In the same wing, there is a removed segment of the actual security fence at our Southern border - multiple layering, barbed-wire, and all. It’s an important in-person visual because, as infuriating as President Trump can be with his ludicrous idea of a wall, many don’t seem to realize that it’s already the reality to an extent. There have been barriers down there since as early as 1994. So maybe he is a horrible racist or maybe he is just on the same page our country has been on for years but to a more extreme and financially-infeasible extent.
3. Stacy Peralta Skateboard
Pretty sweet, huh? Skateboarding, surfing, rock & roll, high-fiving. Please leave in the comments any cool things you can think of that didn’t come straight out the U.S.A.
4. “Halt The Hun!” Poster
Unlike today’s clusterfuckery, WWI was a good old-fashioned us on one side and Germany on the other. So, we apparently got our slur on and printed posters that said: “Halt the Hun!” (there were, of course, plenty of German-Americans at the time). In 2018, even if we somehow found ourselves in a perfectly straightforward, totally unifying conflict -- say every citizen in Canada said they wanted to war us, eh -- it’s very difficult to envisage a publicly funded “Merk The Moosefuckers!” campaign or anything of the sort. Because, as an entire society, we’ve gotten more educated and labeled that type of generalizing sentiment as unacceptable. That’s progress, and it's pretty cool.
5. National Museum of African American History and Culture
I did not get to check out the relatively new D.C. attraction, as tickets are Hamiltonly scarce, but its creative and deliberate outer architecture is unmissable through one large window of this article’s museum. And though the NMAH (if you will) has entire sections dedicated to African American history/art/culture, as well as significant service given to the role of diversity in our nation; it was striking to see that building sitting quietly on the outside -- close, but separated -- as little children played around the McDonald’s Elvis Funland or whatever. It made me wonder if the location was as meaningful as the design.
6. Greenough’s Washington
A over 11 feet, our first president sits on a throne shirtless, ripped, holding a sword, and pointing skyward with an air of general badassery. Wouldn’t it be pretty nuts if we remembered our forefathers how the Romans or Greeks would have done it and made them out to be like Gods-kings instead of stern old guys in paintings heralded for their writing skills and innovative ideas about government? It’s probably better that we don’t do that, but damn...this Washington makes that one at Disney World look soft as fuck.
1. Abraham Lincoln’s Hat
Lincoln’s hat was in this museum -- very clear on the map -- and I didn’t even bother to go see it. I guess I felt like I had the gist of what it would be.
2. The Newseum
Though cleverly-named, it’s apparently struggling financially and in danger of closure. Pretty uncannily frightening timing isn’t it? I didn’t go so whatever happens to our democracy is fractionally my B.
