Fred Voss
For more than 50 years, the National Portrait Gallery has told America's story through images of the individuals who have helped to shape it. While its mission has remained constant, its collections have changed dramatically over time.
"I worked at the National Portrait gallery for over 30 years," says Frederick S. Voss, who started as a research historian and went on to become senior historian and curator of the TIME Magazine Collection. "I came three years after it opened its doors, and I watched it grow and become the impressive and distinguished collection it is today."
Over the years, the qualifications for acquisition evolved to tell a more timely, inclusive American story. From initially collecting only painted portraits of historical subjects, the National Portrait Gallery began to acquire photographs and prints of living icons.
"One of the most memorable acquisitions for me was the portrait of John F. Kennedy by Elaine de Kooning," Fred recalls. "I was the first to see the portrait in New York, and the question at the time was, 'How will this contemporary painting, done in the abstract expressionist style, fit in with the other presidential portraits?'" In the end, the staff leaned the portrait against the wall of the America's Presidents gallery and invited the board of commissioners to weigh in. "The decision to acquire the portrait was unanimous," says Fred.
The National Portrait Gallery collections are full of fascinating backstories that offer a glimpse into our shared history.
Another favorite is a likeness of Thomas Jefferson, painted in 1786, which hung for many years in John Adams's Quincy, Massachusetts, house. "I imagine it looking down on the dying Adams on July 4, 1826, as he uttered his last words, 'Jefferson still lives,'" Fred says. It was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and Adams was unaware that Jefferson had died just a few hours earlier.
"I could not have asked for a more satisfying career," says Fred. "The Portrait Gallery is always on the lookout for exemplary likenesses of distinguished Americans, and I hope that my charitable gift annuity will go some way in helping with its growth and expansion."
Across the Smithsonian, constancy and change go hand in hand. "The Smithsonian is a repository for so much of our past and, in a way, our future, too," Fred reflects. "It offers so many windows for people to become aware of the richness of our past—and the potential for our future."
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