January 9-July 4, 2009, New Exhibition: Preparing for the Ball: Costume of the Early Nation, 1775-1825.  A museum-wide exhibition of clothing, accessories and period manuscripts organized to coincide with the 2008 U.S. Presidential Inaugural festivities.  The exhibition is shown in the various rooms and chambers of Dumbarton House as if its historic residents and domestics are preparing for an evening out.  Included are clothing worn by men, women and children from 1775 to 1825.  Among the highlights are a waistcoat owned by Joseph Nourse, the first Register of the U.S. Treasury and first resident of Dumbarton House (1804-1813), and a dress purportedly owned by Nellie Custis.  Also reunited after 200 years is a child’s dress and necklace worn by Phoebe Pemberton Morris shown along side her 1796 portrait by Charles Willson Peale.  The exhibition features objects from the collections of Dumbarton House, Wyck, A National Historic Landmark House & Garden in Philadelphia, and the private collection of exhibition co-curator, Mary D. Doering.  

Exhibition Tours are Tues-Sat, hourly, 10am-1pm (Federal Holidays schedule varies). Adults/Seniors $5; children, youth, & students-with-ID, free.

Historic Dumbarton House, c. 1800, is located at 2715 Q Street, NW DC, in Georgetown, between 27th & 28th Streets. Limited parking, and ADA-access is available behind the Museum via 27th Street at Q.  Metrorail:  Red Line, DuPont Circle’s Q Street exit.  Metrobus: D-1, D-2, D-3, D-6 to 27th Street stop.  DC Circulator’s Georgetown connection, 28th Street, NW stop.  www.DumbartonHouse.org