The historic Belmont entrance gates have received much needed attention this summer and fall. The gates were built by Gari and Corinne Melchers in the early 1920s, and as seen in this picture they were originally painted white. Historic gates circa 192 …

An article that appears in the most recent issue of the White House History Quarterly takes a deep dive into 1909 when Charles Lang Freer commissioned American artist Gari Melchers to paint President Theodore Roosevelt’s portrait.  The author does a ni …

I am happy to report that a long-neglected portrait in the Belmont collection is about to have its day in the sun.  Thanks to conservation funding from the Margaret Walker Purinton Foundation, Portrait of a Lady and Young Boy has just returned from con …

Sometimes just slowing down in our fast-paced world can make a considerable difference.  Taking the time to sit down and focus on a single painting in a gallery full of art can help students make considered, thoughtful, and detailed observations. …

Keeping historic house tours engaging for visitors can be a challenge, especially children’s tours. The traditional “Listen, don’t touch” guided tour is simply not appealing to youth in today’s digital world.  The authors of the ground-breaking manifes …

Belmont lost a piece of history when Bartlett Tree Company took down one of our old cedar trees. The Eastern Redcedar -Juniperus virginiana, was damaged in the high wind event we had earlier in the month. A large section split off from the trunk render …

The Little Green House A painting entirely new to me by Gari Melchers entitled The Little Green House has surfaced, and is to be sold at auction in Sotheby’s American Art sale scheduled for March 28, 2018. The signed oil on canvas measuring 18 ½ x 15 1 …

For the first time in 1000 years it looks like the famed Bayeux Tapestry will be allowed to travel for exhibition to England, the country whose early history it so evocatively recounts. “In a sensational stroke of cultural diplomacy,” writes the Washin …

Months of planning and work have finally paid off! Since the discovery of the prints in 2015 a lot of work had to be done before we could make our new dinosaur-footprint guide available to our guests. Dr. Weems and other paleontologists found time to m …

Recently when my husband and I were visiting our son we spent a pleasurable afternoon in the Seattle Art Museum. They have a wonderful collection.  In anticipation of my upcoming trip to the Hudson River Valley, I paid particular attention to the pione …