ABOUT ME

I'm an art historian who believes in the power of objects to influence and even direct our memory. These interests led me to become an expert in World War II memorials.

In my scholarship, I pay attention to visual culture in part because I think that art and materiality help people to remember--and in some cases, these visuals also tell us what to forget.

I am also a historian and curator at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. 

At the Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C., you can learn about American history through biography and portraiture. I have curated exhibitions on Marlene Dietrich, America's Presidents and American women's suffrage. Right now I am muling over American imperialism and the conflicts of the 1890s, the upcoming anniversary of Watergate, and the life of Will Rogers. You can find my Instagram feed here about my life as a curator, or more musings in my blog, HistoryMuse. My Exhibitions page has a more formal accounting, with links to the websites and reviews.

Great Danes and fluffy cats tend to congregate wherever I live. Below is my current canine love, code-name Beastie.

My publications include two books and a third is forthcoming (July 2023, Princeton University Press).
Curious? Check out my books here.