National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in London which was opened in 1856. It houses portraits of historically important and famous British people, selected on the basis of the significance of the sitter rather than the fame of the artist or the artistic merits of the work. The collection includes photographs and caricatures as well as paintings, drawings and sculpture. It moved to its present building adjacent to the National Gallery in 1896, since when it has been expanded twice, most recently with the opening of the Ondaatje Wing in 2000.

Official web site: http://www.npg.org.uk/

National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC

The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in Washington, DC which is part of the Smithsonian Institution since 1968. It resides in the Old Patent Office Building[?] and has been closed for a 5 year renovation since January 2000. While the gallery is closed, many of the works in its collection are travelling to affiliate museums around the world. The collections of the National Portrait Gallery focus on images of famous Americans, such as George Washington.

Official web site: http://www.npg.si.edu/