Please Note: The tour departs by motorcoach from downtown Washington, DC with a designated secondary pick-up outside the city. Content delivered by the study leader on the way to the destination, after the secondary pick-up, is an integral part of the study tour experience. Meeting the group once the tour is en route is discouraged.
Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for participation on all tours; additionally, current CDC and Smithsonian COVID-19 guidelines (at the time of the tour) will be followed, including but not limited to masks on the bus and indoors.
Join decorative arts specialist Elizabeth Lay for a tour of historic Annapolis, Maryland, to discover the life and works of John Shaw, the foremost cabinetmaker in the city during the 18th century. Through visits to historic Georgian-style homes and an examination of the period’s decorative arts, Lay offers a portrait of a vibrant capital city in which building, politics, art, and international commerce thrived.
Begin the day with a visit to the home of William Paca, signer of the Declaration of Independence and former governor of Maryland. The home’s collection includes various pieces of Shaw’s works, including the remarkable Faris-Shaw-Chisholm tall-case clock. Afterward, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.
From there, head to the Hammond-Harwood House for a private tour with a special focus on Shaw’s works of fine craftsmanship. A short walk down Maryland Avenue leads to the Maryland State House, where Shaw served as the building superintendent and notably crafted most of the earliest furniture for the Senate and House of Delegates’ Chambers.
Before heading back to Washington, relax over tea at the historic Reynolds Tavern, the oldest in Annapolis.
Lay is a faculty member of the GW Corcoran-Smithsonian Master’s Program in Decorative Arts and Design History, curator of Montgomery History’s Beall Dawson House and Stonestreet Museum in Rockville, Maryland, and a regular lecturer on American furniture, fashion, and textiles.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*
General Information
- Registration for this tour will end by 2 p.m. ET on Friday, April 22, 2022.
- The tour meets at and leaves by bus from the Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C St SW (corner of 6th & C Sts) with a pick-up stop at New Carrollton Metro Route 50/south-side Kiss and Ride kiosk at about 9:25 a.m..
- This tour involves significant walking and standing in an historic district with potentially uneven streets and sidewalks. One of the houses visited is not fully accessible to visitors with disabilities due to its historic nature.
- For additional tour information:
*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.
