Symbol and City @ National Building Museum
Written by DCist contributor Morgan Hargrave
It is entirely possible that the only people who visit the National Building Museum are intrepid tourists who have strayed from the Mall, or perhaps those only there to count the ridiculous number of columns in the Great Hall. It would be a shame if this were actually true, since the NBM has plenty to offer. Of particular note for tourists and locals alike is an exhibit, Washington: Symbol and City, on how this fair city actually came to be. And, forgetting the overtones of finality associated with the word, "retrospective" is a fairly apt description.
Retrospectives are normally reserved for accomplished artists who are recognized as having achieved sustained greatness. They allow us to step back and examine a career in its entirety, and we are given a chance to appreciate the full catalog of work as it has evolved and been shaped by its historical and social context. Yet it is about time we apply this model to something outside of the realm of art, to a creation that is, in fact, still living and evolving.
Seemingly hidden away in two small rooms on the museum's first floor, Symbol and City traces the city's evolution from the days of the Continental Congress right through to the present. The main attractions lie in the first room, which holds models, historical anecdotes, and quotes from major players in the birth and infancy of the Federal City. Early drawings show that the vision of Pierre L'Enfant has held up remarkably, from the National Mall to the radiating avenues that dot the landscape.
Aerial image of D.C. by photographer David Myers, U.S. Farm Security Administration, Courtesy Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
A painter by training and an engineer by profession, L'Enfant was given a rare opportunity: to design a nation's capital city from scratch. Almost overnight, an area of little more than plantation land became the center of government for the nascent United States of America. L'Enfant's plans were bolstered not only by the starchitects of the day, but also by giants of the political scene -- Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were among the men who tried their hand at designing early D.C. -- and their stubborn, collaborative spirit is what allowed the city to maintain its stature.
From these ambitious beginnings the exhibit surges toward today. The second room, which picks up after the McMillan Plan, links the changing shape of the city since WWII with social upheaval and swells in population. In-depth analysis of most of these changes is beyond the aspirations of the exhibit, however, and essential topics like the construction of the Metro are given only a cursory mention. Special focus is given to the role Pennsylvania Avenue has played throughout the history of D.C., declaring the thoroughfare a "microcosm of the evolving city." Whether this is because of its sluggish advancement (it was paved with wood until the late 1870's, for example) or its role as a center of commerce, culture, and politics is up in the air, though the exhibit clearly advocates for the latter.
One gets the impression that the narrative of D.C. contains enough characters and tales to fill ten rooms, but the two of this exhibit will have to suffice for now. Admittedly, most of the appeal is held in the first room, where we are given a glimpse into the first light of a city that was held under the scrutiny of the world, but the exhibit flows well as a whole. A look back at the development of L'Enfant's creation is certainly a worthwhile experience, and the NBM has capably handled the daunting proposition of compiling a retrospective from over 200 years of history.
Washington: Symbol and City is scheduled for an open-ended run at the National Building Museum, located steps away from the Judiciary Square Metro station at 401 F Street NW, and is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, with a five dollar suggested donation.