GEORGE WASHINGTON RETURNS TO PHILADELPHIA THIS SUMMER AT THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER
July 1, 2011 - September 5, 2011
The "Father of Our Country" led us to victory in the American Revolution, chaired the Constitutional Convention, and served as our first president – all in the Philadelphia region. This summer, George Washington will return to Philadelphia in the new feature exhibition, Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon at the National Constitution Center.
Mount Vernon's world-class collection provides a new and refreshing perspective on Washington, his achievements, legacies, family, intellectual pursuits, and entrepreneurial ventures. Full-scale figures of Washington, architectural models, decorative and fine art items, maps, manuscripts, and paintings reveal his personal side and uncover his roles as an entrepreneur, farmer, and businessman.
Beyond the Center's exhibition, organizations across the Philadelphia region are coming together to make the "Summer of Washington" a can't-miss experience. A special "Summer of Washington" map and a dynamic mobile application will lead visitors to sites offering a myriad of options for Washington fans of all ages.
Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon was organized by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. Visit http://www.discovergeorgewashington.org/ for more.
Kids Free Summer!
The Center is pairing the exhibition, which runs from July 1 through September 5, 2011, with its first-ever Kids Free Summer promotion! Families can save a pocketful of “Washingtons” with this special deal: free admission to the Center for up to four children (ages 12 and under) with one paying adult. The promotion applies to both general admission and group reservations.
The President's House: Their Untold Stories in Quilts
To coincide with Discover the Real George Washington and the President’s House at Independence National Historical Park, the Center also will host The President’s House: Their Untold Stories in Quilts in Posterity Hall. This collection of art quilts celebrates the humanity, dignity, and courage of the nine enslaved persons owned by George and Martha Washington at the President’s House. Created by a multiracial and multicultural group of both internationally acclaimed and novice quilt artists, the quilts are intended to stimulate dialogue about slavery and freedom in the paradigm of democracy. Additional quilts will be on display at the Independence Visitor Center and the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Admission to The President’s House: Their Untold Stories in Quilts is FREE with regular museum admission.
Admission Prices
Adults.............................................................$15
Seniors (65+) and Students with ID.........$14
Children (12 and under).............................FREE
Press Kit
Educator Resources
Press Images for Download
George Washington
Gilbert Stuart (1755 - 1828), American
Oil on canvas, ca. 1798
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, Gift of Caroline H. Richardson, 1904
Photo credit - Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
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George Washington, age 19
Over 6 feet 2 inches tall, he would have weighed about 175 pounds. To see him as a young man of action, a team of experts worked backwards from exact laser measurements of a plaster mask of Washington's face, which was cast much later in his life, when he was 53 years old.
Photo credit - Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
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George Washington, age 45
Experts studied the waistcoat and breeches of the general's uniform (now in the Smithsonian Institution) to determine the exact proportions of his torso and limbs. They based his hair color on dated samples of Washington's own hair (now in Mount Vernon's collection).
Photo credit - Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
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George Washington, age 57
To capture Washington as president, a team of experts paid close attention to how tooth loss had affected his face. A lifetime of tooth decay led to bone loss around the jaw, causing hollow cheeks. At the time of this swearing-in ceremony, he had just one tooth left and wore false teeth.
Photo credit - Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
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Dentures owned and worn by George Washington
Lead base fitted with human and cow teeth, and teeth made from elephant ivory; brass wires, steel springs
Unknown maker, American, 1790 - 1799
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, Purchase, 1949
Photo credit - Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
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Washington family Bible
ca. 1725 - 1775
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, Purchase, 1908
Photo credit - Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
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George Washington at Princeton
Rembrandt Peale
Oil on canvas, ca. 1793
Mount Vernon Ladies' Association, Purchased with funds donated by Donald and Nancy DeLaski, Adrienne Mars, A. Alfred Taubman, and the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, 2009
Photo credit - Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
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George Washington arrives by horseback at the National Constitution Center for the opening of Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon.
Photo credit - Jeff Fusco
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Images from The President's House: Their Untold Stories in Quilts
Let Freedom Ring
Carolyn Crump, Houston, TX
36" x 39"Click hereto download a hi-res jpg
Memory with No History/Un recuerdo sin historia
Karen S. Musgrave, Naperville, IL
23" x 30.5"
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