Exhibitions

Block by Block: Naming Washington

July 30, 2021 – October 22, 2023

Clara Barton by Mathew B. Brady / c. 1865, Albumen silver print / National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; acquired through the generosity of Elizabeth A. Hylton

National Portrait Gallery
8th and G Streets, NW
Washington, DC

2nd Floor, Riley Gallery

See on Map Floor Plan

Explore the namesakes of Washington, D.C.’s streets, avenues, neighborhoods, and other public spaces. Featuring reproductions of 16 portraits, drawn mostly from the museum’s collection, the exhibition presents the faces and biographies behind some of the city’s most familiar locations, introducing visitors to those whose names are part of the nation’s capital. Block by Block is curated by the National Portrait Gallery’s curator of photographs, Leslie Ureña.