Jul
11

July 11, 1906

The National Art Gallery, now the National Museum of American Art, achieves official status as part of the Smithsonian Institution. This occurs when the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia decrees that the pictures, miniatures and other articles bequeathed by Harriet Lane Johnston should become the property of the National Art Gallery. Johnston’s will left the collection to the Corcoran Gallery of Art, unless the United States government established a National Gallery of Art. The Smithsonian, therefore, formally establishes the National Gallery of Art to receive the collection. As a result of this decree, the collection, consisting of 31 pieces, is delivered to the Smithsonian Institution on August 3, 1906.

Related posts:

Mark Wallace headshotOffice of Protection Services has a new director cropped photo of teens and interactive mapA few of my favorite things: Josie Fan Blue and gold suffrage bannerThe right to vote is guaranteed only by our resolve to fight for it Resized photo of Reynolds Center“Forward Into Light” Photo Gallery

Posted: 11 July 2010
About the Author:

Alex di Giovanni is primarily responsible for "other duties as assigned" in the Office of Communications and External Affairs. She has been with the Smithsonian since 2006 and plans to be interred in the Smithson crypt.