The Preamble in License Plates – Washington, D.C. - Atlas Obscura
Places near me Random place

AO Edited

The Preamble in License Plates

Washington, D.C.

The preamble to the U.S. Constitution written entirely from vanity license plates hangs in the Smithsonian museum. 

View all photos
667
541
Top Places in Washington, D.C.
Washington's Titanic Memorial
Titanic Memorial
Washington, D.C.
Starship Enterprise NCC-1701
Washington, D.C.
The Old Patent Model Museum
Washington, D.C.
 See All

Mike Wilkins, an artist born in North Carolina in 1959, is best known for his unique and truly American piece of artwork created in 1987 for the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution.

The artist requested a vanity license plate from each of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia to piece together the first lines of the famous document. These license plates mean very little on their own, but when they are organized alphabetically by state name and read phonetically with a little creativity, they form the preamble to the Constitution.

It begins with six plates across the top row, from Alabama to Colorado: “WE TH  P PUL  OF TH  U NI  DIDD  ST8S,” and so on from there.

This wonderfully colorful and creative piece of art can be now found in none other than the Smithsonian American Art Museum, hanging in an out-of-the-way hallway by the gift shops.

Update as of October 2022: This piece is now located on the third floor at the far end of the Luce Foundation Center, at the entrance to the Automobile in American Art exhibit.

Know Before You Go

Admission to the Smithsonian American Art Museum is free. The preamble piece is located near the gift shops on the first floor in the North Wing.


 

government outsider art art history
Nearby
The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly
0.01 miles
The Old Patent Model Museum
0.03 miles
Daguerre Monument
0.06 miles
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
Near This Place
The Throne
Washington, D.C.

The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly

Light bulbs, scrap wood, and tinfoil comprise this homemade throne of the gods.
Inside the old model museum
Washington, D.C.

The Old Patent Model Museum

During the Industrial Revolution this “Temple of Invention” was full of intricate miniature machines and gadgets.
Washington, D.C.

Daguerre Monument

Go take a picture with the inventor of the daguerreotype photographic process.
More recent picture with the restaurant "The Smith" located on the lower level.
Washington, D.C.

Grand Lodge Of Masons

This Masonic lodge was the first major private building to be constructed in Washington, D.C. after the Civil War.
Related Places
Smokey's Fan Mail, 1979.
Beltsville, Maryland

Smokey Bear Archive

The Forest Service's surprisingly sophisticated collection of wildfire prevention art features America's most beloved bear.
Washington, D.C.

Senate Corncob Capitals

Corn-inthian columns with a uniquely American take on neoclassical architecture.
The Toppenish Murals.
Toppenish, Washington

Toppenish Murals

Over 75 historically themed murals grace the walls of a small Washington city.
Orangery.
Washington, D.C.

Dumbarton Oaks

The Byzantine, pre-Columbian, and medieval art at this stately mansion are some of the most under-appreciated collections in D.C.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web