s e v e n i s a j o u r n e y

Sometimes chance takes you to a place you would have never gone yourself, and fun is had.

Tuesday I took the train down to DC to visit my friend Maura. We headed over to the Spy Museum, but could not get tickets for a few hours (they let in only so many people per hour). Directly across the street was the Smithsonian Portrait Museum, so we decided to kill a few hours in there.

It was surprisingly fun. Anyone who has read or watched American history knows the classic photos and paintings that are used (presidents, generals, abolitionists), here they all were, on display. Some were great works of art, while other were fascinating for how they captured (or distorted) the personality of the subject.

The gallery also had a few visiting exhibitions. One was by some famous photographer (Besson?) who has been at most of the big events of the last 50 years. He had, by far, the most frightening photograph of Michael Jackson I have ever seen. Apparently the photographer has a great talent for “innocently suggesting” his subjects stand in places that give great photos- even if they are not what the subject would necessarily like. The photo of the “king of pop” was at the doorway to his bedroom in Neverland. In front of the door was a archway formed of two child manequins, one in a boy scount uniform, the other in a dress. Icky. Very, very icky. Now I fully understand why the police, after being in there, were so keen to investigate and seek prosecution!

Another traveling exhibit was of famous British works, inclduing lots of royal portraits- including Richard III and a really big and famous one of Elizabeth. We were both surprised that they would loan it all out.

The presidential portraits were also revealing. I could tell that Clinton was going for “cool and hip”, but what came across was Smarmy. For better or worse the portraits of the last 4 presidents (Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton) all perfectly captured both the Zeitgeist, and the character of the man.

We also discovered, comparing portrait and picture, that Donald Trump and Joseph Smith (founder of the Mormon church) hold their lips and jaw in exactly the same way. At least Trump doesn’t have the mesianic gleam in his eyes.

The Spy Museum was cute, and much more touristy. I liked the big photos were you had to pick out 4 surveilance operations, or spot 4 dead-drops. Cute. You also have to memorize a persona when you enter, and you are quizzed one the way out. We apparently missed clues hidden in the exhibit, and thus could not answer all the questions of the virtual customs agent on the way out (and thus were taken away for questioning). The fact that we got turned around and went through half the museum backwards may have helped us miss those clues!

All in all, some very fun and non-traditional museum visits.