Last week I returned from a week-long trip to Washington, D.C., where I took some time to explore several of the museums in the Smithsonian Institute, as well as some other local highlights. Over the coming days, I'm going to bore you all with pictures that I found inspirational, intriguing, or just plain fascinating. Indulge me here a bit, will you? This first post includes images from the National Museum of American History, where they currently have an exhibit on the power and importance of illustration in the book arts. Below are some of my favorite images from the collection, but you can see more and learn more about the exhibit by visiting the online version. Click on each of the images to explore them in more detail.