The Kolog

For Those Who Wander, Good Luck

I have always had trouble following directions, so I wasn’t surprised when, in search of the latest Norman Rockwell exhibit at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery on 7th & F Street, I mistakenly arrived at the Smithsonian American Art Museum on Constitution Ave.  Fortunately, my lapse in attention to detail led me to an exhibit of photographs by Allen Ginsberg, one of my favorite poets and fellow American.

The photograph of Bob Dylan in Washington Square Park (below) is inscribed with a caption from Ginsberg who relates a story of a homeless man who ran him and Dylan out of the park shortly after the shot was taken because the bum thought Ginsberg was snapping a photo of him instead of Dylan.  It’s rather ironic, as I was soon ran off by a Smithsonian security guard for taking photographs with my cell phone, which I learned were prohibited.  So, I apologized to the kind guard as I would apologize to anyone wronged by my photograph of photographs.  Somehow I imagine Ginsberg would understand, especially as I plan to profit none from my misdemeanor.

On the run from the American Art Museum, I headed north up 7th Street to find the sought-after Rockwell exhibit.  On my way, I crossed famed Pennsylvania Avenue where I shot the following photo:

Further up the street, I stumbled across a modest monument that caught my attention:

Finally, I arrived at my intended destination, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery:

Once inside, I discovered a gloriuos courtyard.  The architects decided to connect what seemed to be four adjacent buildings with an enourmous glass structure.  The design not only allows for an air-conditioned respite from the D.C. summer heat and humidity but also provides a glimpse of heaven through paned-glass:

At last, I found the Rockwell exhibit:

But I dared not push my luck with another security guard, so I followed directions and put my cell phone camera away.

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