Saturday, July 24, 2010 at 10:45 AM Discover the Dumbarton Oaks Museum collection featuring extraordinary examples of Byzantine, Pre-Columbian Art, and European Masterpieces Explore the ideal country house and Garden within Washington, DC having a guided tour Event Details Join us to celebrate spring in DC with a guided tour of Dumbarton Oaks Museum, where you will explore the Byzantine Collection, which ranks among the most significant collections of the World. The collection also includes important works from Western Europe. Afterwards, join us for a guided tour at Dumbarton Oaks Garden (weather permitting), which is magnificent during this time of the year. Within the garden rooms, trees become the centerpieces, frame a view, or enclose a space. Benches are nestled into corners or under arbors, and were designed for their beauty and utility. This is a great opportunity to meet other ICDC members who appreciate art and culture. Our art gallery and museum tours are the most popular events in Washington, DC. Please reserve your tickets in advance, as capacity is limited. About Dumbarton Oaks Museum Dumbarton Oaks is located in residential Georgetown. The original Federal-style house was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss in 1920. They added the Music Room in 1929 and the wing to house their Byzantine art collection in 1940. The same year they built this wing, they gave the house, gardens, and collections to Harvard University. In 1963, the Pre-Columbian wing, designed by Philip Johnson, and the Garden Library were added to display Mr. Bliss's collection of Pre-Columbian art, which had been on long-term loan to the National Gallery of Art. Located there as well is Mrs. Bliss's collection of rare and modern books related to all aspects of the history of gardens. About Dumbarton Oaks Gardens In the tradition of European garden design, Mildred Bliss and Beatrix Farrand incorporated a rich mixture of garden ornaments, some purchased and some designed. Many of the pieces designed by Farrand were inspired by other sources, including an ornament she had seen in her travels, objects within the Blisses' house collection, and drawings sent to her by Parisian designer Armand Albert Rateau. As the Blisses were often away in the early design years, Farrand developed a number of mock-ups or dummies for their approval. Within the Dumbarton Oaks archives, a multitude of drawings and photographs show design ideas that were altered or rejected. In later years, Ruth Havey added many of the ornaments that enrich the garden's design today. In 1940, Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss gave the upper sixteen acres to Harvard University to establish a research institute for Byzantine studies, Pre-Columbian studies, and studies in the history of gardens and landscape architecture. They gave the lower, more naturalistic twenty-seven acres to the United States government to be made into a public park. An additional ten acres was sold to build the Danish Embassy. Tentative Agenda (Agenda is subject to change) Please arrive promptly at 10:45 AM at the entrance to Dumbarton Oaks. Tickets and Registration Tickets are $19 for a limited time. Please reserve your tickets soon, as space is limited. Cancellation Policy Please note that all online ticket sales are final. We are unable to offer cancelations or refunds on line ticket purchases. Address Dumbarton Oaks Museum and Gardens 1703 32nd Street NW Washington DC, 20007 Please enter through the main entrance (please see address above). We will meet you at the entrance to the museum.