Okay everyone, we can breathe again. The Smithsonian, the National Gallery, and the National Zoo are all opening again as of Tuesday January 29th. Still, one never knows what will happen next in D.C. so if you want to go, go now. For those of you who can’t […]
The Siege of Cosel, which was painted around 1808 is like a woman covered in veils. Gossamer layers of gray, recede ever fainter as he paints the foggy battle scene. Textbooks do not show this well. Even though the painting is massive — larger than a wall in most homes — these figures are sometimes as small as the head of a pin, only visible less than a foot away from the canvas. Seeing them makes the average museum guard nervous as you move scant inches from the canvas.
No matter how many images are taken of Washington, D.C., people are always impressed. Being here in person is a hundred times more powerful. I walk past amazing structures nearly every day and yet, they never fail to imbue me with wonder. How lucky am I to live […]
(Thanks to author Stephen Liddell who wrote this wonderful summary of an interview with Dr. William Seale.) by Stephen Liddell In a recent interview Dr William Seale, author and historian, said that Scots in particular were sought out for the project given their expertise in stone masonry […]
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture is slated to open on September 24th, 2016, however that didn’t stop Top Secret Washington from getting a behind-the-scenes tour on June 5th, 2016, almost four months early! Seeing the museum dusty and draped gave me the opportunity […]
On June 23rd, 2014, John Rehm passed away. Though it has been two years, I still think of him often. He was a mentor and friend who died much too young and much too painfully. Please join me in remembering him via this post from back then. Too […]
This woman is so lifelike, so realistic, it can be debated whether this is art or a mannequin display like you’d see in a shop window. I personally think the work of Duane Hanson (1925-1996) are character studies that could drive a novel. This again is the type […]
Okay, time for a bit of fun. Can you identify where these photos were taken? I’ll give you a hint, we’re near George Mason University in Virginia. I’m not looking for a town — Can you tell me what restaurant I’m at? First clue — this architecturally interesting […]
Washington, D.C. is home to some of the most amazing museums in the world. Even better, most of them are free. This is my first feature on specific works of art that I find interesting and want to share. I love art of all kinds, and if this […]
Most people don’t know that Julia Child’s kitchen was painstakingly deconstructed and rebuilt within the sacred halls of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Most people also don’t know that Julia worked for the OSS, the precursor of our present day CIA. Julia is a role model for […]
I admire Martin Luther King tremendously. He was a man who embodied the true American spirit believing that all men should be free. Using civil disobedience — peaceful protest — his words and actions sparked tremendous change and brought the attention of a nation to the needs of […]
