national portrait gallery audio tour

The nation’s only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House, this exhibition lies at the heart of the Portrait Gallery’s mission to tell the American story through the individuals who have shaped it.

“America’s Presidents” is newly refurbished with improved lighting and paint, new labels and wall texts, and the addition of interactive touch screens that allow people to explore the context of each presidency and access other visual material.  The new, entirely bilingual (English and Spanish) and accessible presentation includes extraordinary works of art, notably Gilbert Stuart’s “Lansdowne” portrait of President George Washington, which will be back on view after 18 months of careful conservation and analysis

Having designed a fresh exhibition layout for “America’s Presidents,” the Portrait Gallery has grouped the portraits into six historical chapters. Each of the first five sections is organized around a historical era and leads off with a presidential figure: Washington, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, while a sixth section examines the more recent history of the presidency. Updated content provides visitors with improved ways to understand historical events—both national and international—that coincided with the respective President’s time in office.

This exhibition has been made possible through the support of the Perlin Family Foundation, Philip and Elizabeth Ryan, The William T. Kemper Foundation, Jonathan and Nancy Lee Kemper, Alan and Lois Fern, Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Podell, Mallory Walker and many other supporters. Additional funding was received from the American Portrait Gala Endowment.

If you visit the exhibition, download the free SMARTIFY mobile app for a self-guided audio tour of the America’s Presidents exhibition.

• Go to the Apple or Android app. store to download SMARTIFY.
• Open the app. and hold your phone’s camera up to a portrait to “scan” the work of art.
• Learn about the presidents now or save information and images for later.

Tours are available in English and Spanish.  See more about this application here: https://smartify.org 

The National Portrait Gallery

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery tells the multifaceted story of America through the individuals who have shaped its culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists, whose lives tell the American story.

The National Portrait Gallery is conveniently located at Eighth and F Streets, NW, in Washington D.C., above the Gallery Place–Chinatown Metrorail station (red, yellow, and green lines).

Museum Hours:

11:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m. daily. Closed December 25

Admission: FREE

For more information on visiting the Portrait Gallery, please visit The National Portrait Gallery's website.

From the Exhibition

Virtual Travel

A Smithsonian magazine special report

Explore World-Class Museums From Home With Smartify’s Free Audio Tours

The app features a database of some two million artworks housed at more than 120 venues

Theresa Machemer

Correspondent

Hundreds of cultural institutions around the world—including the Smithsonian Institution ’s 19 museums, galleries, gardens and National Zoo—have closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But thanks to a growing array of digital offerings, museum lovers have plenty of options for experiencing world-class institutions from home. (See Smithsonian magazine’s roundups of museums you can remotely visit , collections available for perusal online and ways to virtually explore the Smithsonian for additional inspiration.)

The Smartify mobile app, popularly dubbed “ Shazam for the art world ,” is the latest luminary to join the growing wave of readily accessible, digital-first museum content.

Now through the end of 2020, reports Mark Brown for the Guardian , the app—home to a database of some two million artworks from more than 120 venues—has made all of its audio tours available free of charge. Selected exhibits that were unable to open due to museum and gallery closures (including the Watts Gallery Artists’ Village’s John Ruskin retrospective ) will launch on the app instead.

Launched in 2017 with a database of 30 museums, according to Smithsonian ’s Ben Panko, Smartify models itself on Shazam, a mobile app that identifies songs based on snippets of audio. To use the art world version of Shazam, users simply scan an artwork, bringing up a blurb detailing the piece’s name, artist and history.

Smartify also hosts visual and audio tours of such institutions as the British Library, the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Hermitage. Previously, some were paid, while others were free; now, all are available at no cost.

“Obviously we have seen a change in the way the app is used,” Anna Lowe, one of the company’s co-founders, tells the Guardian . “We started the app from a love of visiting museums and galleries and seeing and connecting with art.”

Smartify allows museum lovers to browse art from institutions in Europe, the United States, Iran, Egypt and Singapore, among other locales. Users can take hour-long audio tours of such venues as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth and the London National Portrait Gallery, or simply tune in for short snippets on specific works. Tours are led by curators, historians and artists themselves.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Smartify collection features a digital gallery of more than 1,000 artworks, as well as a one-hour “visual description tour” of select presidential portraits. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, meanwhile, boasts an in-app digital collection of more than 650 works.

Other Smartify offerings include a guided tour of the National Gallery of Art; a descriptive walk through the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art’s sculpture park, as narrated by artist Juliana Capes; and an American Sign Language tour of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri.

The app’s new role as a virtual tour guide represents a shift from its original purpose of supplementing in-person museum visits. But the change still adheres to Smartify’s original mission.

“At times like this, really strange times, people look to art and music and culture for inspiration, solace … a sense of normal,” Lowe tells the Guardian , “Anything we can do to help that and help people access art and culture is important at a time like this.”

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Theresa Machemer | READ MORE

Theresa Machemer is a freelance writer based in Washington DC. Her work has also appeared in National Geographic and SciShow. Website: tkmach.com

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Photo by Mary Tait

SAAM teamed up with the digital firm Smartify to create a series of audio guides that deepen the visitor experience, both in our galleries and online. A  tour of the modern and contemporary collections features new and archival audio in which more than a dozen artists talk about what inspired their work as well as commentary by SAAM’s Head Curator Randy Griffey. Insights into the work of Alma Thomas by Melissa Ho, curator of twentieth-century art, is available to complement the exhibition Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas .

Art speaks of who we are at our very best. And you go into a museum and you can see that over and over again, that divine spark, that humanness, that heart.   Kay WalkingStick (Cherokee Nation)

Two additional tours, created in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, provide insights into the remarkable history of the museums’ shared historic Greek Revival building and feature highlights of selected iconic works in our respective collections. A joint tour for families and a tour featuring works by Black artists are in development. 

Visitors also can create a personalized, self-guided tour by answering a few simple questions about particular interests and choosing how much time to allow to explore the collection. The public can access these tours online or in the galleries either through the mobile site or by downloading the Smartify app. Tours are available in English, Spanish, American Sign Language, and Descriptive Audio for visitors with low and impaired vision. 

Recent Posts

The National Portrait Gallery Is Home to the Largest

September - November 2013

About the Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery is home to the largest

collection of portraits in the world and celebrates the

lives and achievements of those who have influenced

British history, culture and identity.

With over 1,000 portraits on display, and over 107,000

available to view online, the Gallery’s Collection spans

over 500 years from the Middle Ages to the present

day. Sitters range from William Shakespeare through

to Amy Winehouse and the Collection includes work

across all media by artists from Holbein to Hockney.

Audio Visual Guide £3

Available from the Information Desk in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. Featuring interactive maps, short films, exclusive interviews and themed tours. Family Audio Visual Guides are also available, charges apply.

Gallery App £1.19

Available from iTunes. A perfect addition to your visit with video introductions, Collection highlights and floorplans.

Portrait Explorer – Digital Space

Explore the Collection using the interactive touchscreens to create your own tours, watch interviews

with artists and sitters, and discover more about your favourite portraits.

Map Suggested donation £1

Pick up a map to help plan your visit, including ideas for 30 min highlights up to an in-depth two hour exploration.

Visitor Guide £5

Available from the Gallery Shop. Highlights key portraits through high-quality colour reproductions and fascinating stories.

Exhibitions

BP Portrait Award 2013

Until 15 September 2013

Wolfson Gallery

Supported by BP

The BP Portrait Award showcases fifty-five of the

most outstanding and innovative new portraits from

around the world. From informal and personal studies

of friends and family to revealing paintings of famous

faces, the exhibition features a variety of styles and

approaches to the contemporary painted portrait. These include the winner of the £30,000 first prize, Pieter by Suzanne du Toit.

Admission Free

www.npg.org.uk/bp

Exhibition catalogue £9.99 paperback, featuring an essay by Joanna Trollope.

See the Calendar for events linked to this exhibition.

Laura Knight Portraits

11 July – 13 October 2013

Porter Gallery

Supported by the Laura Knight Portraits Exhibition Supporters Group with additional contribution from the American Friends of the National Portrait Gallery, London

Dame Laura Knight was one of the most popular and pioneering British artists of the twentieth century. This exhibition of over thirty portraits reveals her highly distinctive work, and also reflect her success in gaining greater professional recognition for women in the arts.

Tickets Including Gift Aid: £7 (seniors £6.50/concessions £6)

Seniors £6 every Wednesday.

Standard prices also available.

Free for Members

Book now www.npg.org.uk/lauraknight, call

020 7766 7343 or visit the Gallery in person.

Exhibition catalogue £25 paperback.

Last admission is 45 mins before the Gallery closes.

Elizabeth I & Her People

10 October 2013 – 5 January 2014

Supported by The Weiss Gallery

Elizabeth I & Her People explores the remarkable reign of Elizabeth I through the lives and portraiture of her subjects. The Elizabethan period spanned over forty years and saw a significant expansion in trade, the creation of new industries, a rise in the middle classes and the development of a remarkable literary culture.

The exhibition includes many outstanding paintings of Elizabeth I and her courtiers including explorers, and soldiers, and enchanting portraits of her female attendants and maids of honour. Visitors will also come face-to-face with lesser-known Elizabethans including butchers, goldsmiths, brewers, merchants and artists. These will be shown alongside artefacts from this period including exquisite jewellery, books and coins, which give a fascinating glimpse into their way of life.

Tickets Including Gift Aid: £13.50

(seniors £12.50/concs £11.50)

Seniors £11.50 every Wednesday.

Families one/two adults or concessions and up to

four children (aged 12–18) £19/£27

Free for Members and under-12s

Book now www.npg.org.uk/elizabeth, call 020 7766 7344 or visit the Gallery in person.

Exhibition catalogue £30 hardback.

Last admission is 1 hour before the Gallery closes.

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2013

14 November 2013 – 9 February 2014

Sponsored by Taylor Wessing

The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2013 is a unique opportunity to see new works by some of the most exciting contemporary portrait photographers from around the world. The selected images, many of which will be on display for the first time, explore a range of themes, styles and approaches, from formal commissioned portraits of public figures to more spontaneous and intimate moments capturing friends and family.

www.npg.org.uk/photoprize

Exhibition catalogue £15 paperback.

From our Collection to yours

Discover the beautiful range of products inspired by the

Elizabeth I & Her People exhibition, available exclusively

from the Gallery Shops.

Every purchase supports the National Portrait Gallery

The changing programme of displays provides fresh opportunities to discover the Gallery’s rich and varied collections. The displays highlight a range of themes, sitters and artists, as well as significant anniversaries and acquisitions.

Queens and Consorts: Likeness in Life and Death

This display explores the interchange that occurs between painted and sculpted portraits by pairing paintings of four sixteenth-century queens and consorts with electrotype copies of their effigies from the royal tombs in Westminster Abbey.

Until 1 March 2014

Ben Okri on Ayuba Suleiman Diallo: A Dialogue Across Time

Ben Okri is one of Britain’s finest writers. Fascinated with

the enigmatic story of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, and his

relevance today, Okri’s new poem is a response to the first portrait of a freed slave in Britain.

From 20 September

Treason, Plots and Murder

Print display on seventeenth-century conspiracies from the accession of King James I to the birth of James Francis Edward Stuart.

Until 16 February 2014

Room 24: case display

Characters and Caricatures: Photographs by Herbert Watkins

Portraits from the 1850s including writers Charles Dickens

and Alexandre Dumas, and celebrated performers Adelaide Ristori and Marie Wilton.

Until 17 November

Facing Blindness: Visual Impairment in the Nineteenth Century

This display explores portraits of celebrated nineteenth-century blind and visually-impaired people, active in the world of art, travel and politics, including James Holman and Henry Fawcett.

From 18 November

Room 28: case display

Alexander Bassano: Victorian Photographer

Celebrating the life and work of this important photographer who founded his studio in London in the 1850s.

Until 10 November

Janey Morris: Pre-Raphaelite Muse

On display for the first time, to mark the centenary of her death, photographs of the legendary Pre-Raphaelite model in old age, with portraits of her family, husband, friends and lovers, including images that Jane herself owned of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Wilfred Scawen Blunt.

From 12 November

Room 31: case display

French Master Chefs in the 1930s

In the late 1930s, artist Florence Enid Stoddard sketched the French master chefs who worked in some of London’s most exclusive kitchens. Recently acquired by the Gallery, a small group of these lively drawings are shown here for the first time.

From 12 August

Francis Goodman: Back in Focus

Marking the centenary of the birth of this photographer whose archive has recently been catalogued.

Until 3 November

Benjamin Britten: A Life in Pictures

Celebrating the life of Britten, born 22 November 1913 and one of the most important English composers of the twentieth century.

From 5 November

Patrick Heron: Studies for a portrait of T.S. Eliot

Heron’s celebrated portrait of T.S. Eliot is shown with rarely seen studies; illuminating the complex process of depicting one of the twentieth century’s greatest poets.

Until 22 September

Derek Boshier: Imaginary Portraits

A selection from 1961 to the present that explores the role of imagination in portraits by Derek Boshier, one of the founders of British Pop Art.

From 28 September

Michael Peto Photographs: Mandela to McCartney

Hungarian-born photojournalist and ballet photographer,

Michael Peto is celebrated in this display organised in collaboration with the University of Dundee. His subjects from the 1950s and 1960s include Elizabeth Taylor and

Richard Burton, Iris Murdoch, Nelson Mandela and Rudolph Nureyev.

From 17 September

Jacob Epstein: Portrait Sculptor

One of the twentieth century’s leading portrait sculptors, Epstein’s achievement and practice are explored through busts of artists, writers and politicians seen alongside photographs of works in progress in his studio.

Until 24 November

Bob Dylan: Face Value

Internationally acclaimed musician and poet, Bob Dylan, introduces us to twelve enigmatic subjects, including Red Flanagan, Skip Sharpe and Ursula Belle. Rendered in pastel these sketches by Dylan offer an intriguing insight into his view of people and characters. Accompanying catalogue with a text by John Elderfield and conversation with Bob Dylan, £25 hardback.

Until 5 January

Room 41 and 41a

Jonathan Yeo Portraits

Jonathan Yeo is perhaps best known for his celebrity subjects and this display will reveal the fascinating range of people who have sat for the artist, all from the life. Sitters have been selected from the world of politics, media and the arts and include Kevin Spacey in role as Richard III, Grayson Perry as Claire and Michael Parkinson.

Families are welcome at the Gallery all year round. With regular free weekend and holiday activities, events and trails there is plenty on offer.

This autumn families can enjoy the Elizabeth I & Her People exhibition with our new money-saving ticket packages. A free exhibition trail is also available from the Information Desk.

Look out for the new Family Art Hub at our regular weekend and holiday activities – a place for visitors to find out more about Family activities at the Gallery and pick-up free resources.

For a full listing of Family activities at the Gallery please see the Calendar or visit www.npg.org.uk/learning

Young People

DROP-IN DRAWING FOR AGES 14–21

Free monthly drawing sessions on the third Saturday of the month, 14.00–16.00

‘Join us – the Gallery’s Youth Forum – in front of the portraits for these monthly drawing sessions. Use a wide variety of materials and be inspired by the Gallery’s Collection. No need to book, just drop in on the day. To get started, all you have to do is pick up a pencil!’

Want to find out more? Visit npg.org.uk/youngpeople or search ‘National Portrait Gallery Youth Forum’ on Facebook

Check out our drawings on Instagram #PickUpAPencil

Enjoy a mix of art, music, drinks, talks, drawing and history

Every Thursday and Friday

18.00 – 21.00

www.npg.org.uk/lateshift

Late Shift in partnership with FTI Consulting

This autumn Late Shift celebrates the magnificence, fascination and contemporary relevance of Elizabethan England. Taking inspiration from Elizabeth I & Her People we explore fashion, beauty, feminism and power. There will be a host of exciting events to take part in including theatre, live music, art workshops, philosophy salons and discussions.

Expect to be wooed, amazed and mesmerised at the next Late Shift Extra: The Elizabethans Undressed which will take place on Friday 25 October.

A special performance of the play I, Elizabeth for two nights in November uses Elizabeth’s own words to explore issues of desire, marriage, religion and war.

Poet Ben Okri discusses his residency with the Gallery and his creative response to the portrait of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo with curator and historian Gus Casely-Hayford. Enjoy an evening of music and words inspired by Diallo presented by contemporary musician Akala and the Hip Hop Shakespeare Company.

Don’t miss artist Jonathan Yeo talking about his portraiture, fashion historian Becky Conekin launching her latest book Lee Miller in Fashion and Queer Perspectives resident Sadie Lee taking a stroll through the Gallery.

Events Calendar

For further information on all events at the Gallery please visit www.npg.org.uk/events

Places on our free events are allocated on a first come, first served basis and are subject to availability.

Ticket booking

Visit the website, call 020 7306 0055 or visit the Gallery in person.

Lower ticket price for concessions and Gallery Supporters.

Young People’s Events

(14 – 21-year-olds)

To book places in advance please email or call 020 7312 2483.

Family Events

Storytelling No ticket required. Sessions last approximately 45 minutes.

For ages 3+ and their carers.

Family Art Workshops

Free ticket required, available one hour before the event starts on a first come, first served basis. Sessions last approximately 90 minutes.

For ages 5+ and their carers.

Portrait of the Day

A talk on a chosen portrait in the Gallery’s Collection, check signage on the day for details.

Workshops and Drop-in Drawing

Suitable for all levels, materials are provided.

Lectures are held in the Ondaatje Wing Theatre.

Programme is subject to change; please check the website before visiting.

Friday 1 March

Sunday 1 September

12.00 Portrait of the Day

13.00 – 16.00 Sunday Session Scandal

Explore the Scandal ’63 display and take

documentary shots in the Gallery and the local

area. Led by photographers Anthony Luvera and

Laura Pannack.

15.00 Gallery Talk Highlights of the Collection

Join historian Lucinda Hawksley for a look at some

of the most loved portraits in the Gallery.

Thursday 5 September

13.15 Lecture Pauline Boty ‘63

Biographer Adam Smith explores Pop Artist Pauline

Boty’s short life and her painting of the Keeler affair,

Scandal ’63.

18.00 Resident DJ Edward Otchere

A vinyl set inspired by the portraits in the Gallery.

19.00 Lecture Lee Miller in Fashion

Becky Conekin discusses surrealist photographer

Lee Miller’sgroundbreaking work in the world

of fashion, to mark the launch of her new book

Lee Miller in Fashion.

19.30 Gallery Talk BP Portrait Award 2013

Join Kevin M.A. Cunningham, former BP Portrait

Award artist, for a tour of this year’s exhibition.

Friday 6 September

18.30 Live Music Flotilla

A thoughtful and evocative programme with

The Smithsonian acquires the earliest known portrait of an American first lady

The National Portrait Gallery has acquired an image of Dolley Madison that's believed to be the first photograph of a first lady.

Copyright 2024 NPR

Smithsonian Website

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Access Programs

The Portrait Gallery is committed to being accessible and inclusive. If you have any further questions about our programs, please contact Visitor Services at  202-633-8300  or email [email protected] .

Portrait Signs

Explore the National Portrait Gallery's collection with a Deaf docent. These  60-minute tours in American Sign Language  are usually offered twice a month, both in person and on Zoom. For more information and upcoming dates, email  [email protected] , or check  Eventbrite .

See Me at the Portrait Gallery:

Experience an interactive virtual tour of the museum that is tailored to  individuals with dementia and their care partners . Registration is required. For more information and to register, contact Ashley Grady at  [email protected]  or 202–633–2921.

Tours by Special Request

Tours can be tailored to meet the needs, interests, and abilities of your group. To make arrangements, contact [email protected]   or 202-633-8506.

Student Programs

Student programs at the National Portrait Gallery can accommodate a variety of learners, including students with low vision or blindness, developmental or cognitive disabilities, and those requiring ASL interpretation.  To schedule a program for your class, go to the  online registration page  and provide as much information as possible in the relevant text boxes.

Audio Descriptions of Presidential Portraits

The Portrait Gallery has developed audio descriptions of select portraits from our signature exhibition, “America’s Presidents.” Designed for people who are blind or have low vision, these descriptions use precise, evocative language to convey the visual appearance of art, and are equally valuable for sighted visitors seeking closer observation.

Visit our Audio Descriptions page

Lincoln Tactile Installation

Enjoy a multi-sensory experience of the museum’s casts of President Lincoln’s face mask and hands.

Online Tours in American Sign Language

Enjoy  ASL tours  of Portrait Gallery exhibitions including  One Life: Marian Anderson ,  Portraits of the World: Switzerland  and  The Outwin 2019: American Portraiture Today on the museum’s YouTube channel.

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