Exhibition Spotlight: Block by Block

I *loved* with this tiny exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery on the origin of DC street names. The material only touches on a few streets, but I appreciated the bits of history covered.

At just about 1,000 square feet, it won't take long to see the entirety of the exhibition, but for DC area residents, it is pretty neat learning about the people behind the names of streets we live, work, and play on. For example, the exhibition includes Gales Street NE, a narrow, ginkgo tree lined side street not far from my home neighborhood of Carver Langston. For the first time I learned about its namesake, Joseph Gales, Jr. Gales was a journalist & one time mayor of DC in mid 1800s.

Other historical figures featured are Benjamin Banneker (Banneker Circle SW), Otis Howard (Howard Pl NW), and Clara Barton (Clara Barton Parkway). Block by Block: Naming Washington is located on the second floor on the F Street side of the building. Open though January 2023.

OutaTime: Cars on the Mall

1980s movies fans have a reason to head to the National Mall in the next few days. A company that specializes in insuring collectible cars is showcasing four cars from the National Historic Vehicle Register. 

The first car to be displayed is the 1981 De Lorean DC-12, more popularly known as just Delorean. The car was a commercial and economic failure, but lives on in popular culture due to its starring role in 1985's Back to the Future and its two sequel films. 

If you'd like to see the Delorean specifically, you have until September 9 (Thursday). The display will move on to three other cars in the coming weeks: the 1970 Dodge "Qualls" Challenger, a 1921 Straight Eight "Castle Duesenberg," and the 1979 Lamborghini Countach from Cannonball Run.

I'm not a huge car person, but I am a huge 80s person, so seeing this weird and unexpected display on the Mall was a fun surprise. The display is located on the National Mall between 4th and 7th Streets NW (and b/t the National Gallery of Art and National Air and Space Museum. 

More photos on Patreon.