contemporaries. instead of focusing on portraits -- portrait strong from life i wish explores the less accurate images of washington that circulated around the country in the late 18th entry. george washington's mount vernon hosted this 50 minute event. >> good afternoon. my name is elizabeth stock known to many people here as betty. together with my husband stanley scott, i am in enthusiast for george washington of many varieties, including portraiture. we have collected all of our adult lives as were several members of our families, before us, and they acquired a number of survey drawings, medallions coins, rare books, and metals, as well as documents on the subject of george washington and his time. we have the active supporters of

mount vernon for several decades and members of connoisseurs society. this lively group is dedicated to supporting the acquisition, preservation, and conservation of mount vernon's remarkable collections. it is very encouraging for us to see you all here at this crowded seminar because it indicates an interest in coming closer to the iconic presence of our first american president and his character charisma and abilities. we met wendy wick reaves, our speaker, in the early 1970's and we were impressed then. with her comfort and obvious affection for her specialty, american graphic arts. it is a pleasure to tell you a little bit about her. she is a leading authority in

her field and the senior curator of prints and drawings at the smithsonian institution national portrait gallery. she earned her master's degree from the program in early american culture at the university of delaware. she is a member of the print council of america. in 1974, she started the graphic arts department at the national gallery and the collection she developed included fine print, rear books, drawings, cartoons caricatures, and postage. wendy has curated many

exhibitions, lectured widely and served as the interim director of the national portrait gallery from june 2012 through march of 2013. her long-standing interest in george washington started with a traveling expedition of 18th-century printed portraits accompanied by her own book "george washington: american icon." she has authored books and published articles on the 19th century portrait drawings, celebrity caricatures, and the editorial cartoons about home she will tell you a little bit more in a moment. "eye contact" has been nominated for awards for distinguished scholarship in the field of art history. wendy's present excavation and accompanying book are titled "face value: portraiture in the

age of abstraction." she will speak to us now and how george washington's contemporaries saw him. please join me in celebrating this opportunity to learn more about a somewhat -- subject from an expert, wendy wick reaves. [applause] >> good afternoon, everyone and thank you betty for that lovely introduction. such a pleasure to be with all of you at mount vernon. i am honored to be here with so many washington enthusiasts as so many very knowledgeable speakers on the subject.

could we have the lights down a little bit? is that possible? oh, we hope that will happen and you can see a lot better. [laughter] britain exalted the lyrics of a favorite new song entitled "washington." no long proud with dignity and land in your conquering the legion. since we, your braver sons and fenced our sword has guarded on. for war and washington. the rebels, the next verse, -- so does washington. these cheeky lyrics are printed on a side, with a pair of

portraits, assumedly washington on the left and on the right major general under artemis ward one described as heavyset and highest looking. [laughter] george washington, patient wellness, to pose for artists produce for future generations multiple portraits made from life to help us understand that minimal anchors so much of the nation's history and will examine many of the porches and sculptures over this symposium. my goal today is to take you beyond those artists, discerning eyes to suggest another view of washington that circulated through all levels of society during his own day. what these images lack in refinery, they make up for in patriotic fervor.

what has interesting implications to the nature of washington's leadership and the dissemination of his fame way before the posthumous mythmaking began. after the beginning of the revolutionary war, pictures of emerging heroes were eagerly sought, even for inexpensive publications. but like these were dubious or very roughly insinuated, indeed this broadside was probably preceded by the appearance of the two profiles of the almanac force of defending where the capture led us to believe they depicted the glories washington gate. the right profile could have been made to represent not artemis ward but major general horatio gates who was also round faced and double chin and. the paramedic caught for some earlier now large piece when

washington and gates first arrived in boston to take command of the continental army. despite the variability of identities, the struggling colonists desperately needed heroes. and more than anything, they needed to believe in the commander in chief. let's look at this german almanac in 1778 for the following year. in the middle, a very discouraging war where news from the battlefield was rarely good. so what can we discover about george washington and the iconic graphic pictorial cover? some of the imagery pertains to almanac making, sun, moon, zodiac and an astronomer upfront and a ride around horseback

carrying a calendar, another word for almanac. a ship of commerce metaphorically connects the old world, conveyed by a medieval town in ruins with no new world represented in the background by able and arrowed toting brave. in the right foreground, a very rested native princess. hovering prominently, holding in over friend portrait titled "washington." from her mouth, the words -- "the father of his country." washington is quite tiny here but he wears a laurel wreath and

bears of that title. with founder, progenitor commander, and substitute. so, and the pictorial imagery, fame has a good grip on washington, both literally and figuratively from an early point in war even before he has fully proved himself as a commander. curiosity about the emerging american heroes existed in england and of the continent as well where wildly fictitious licenses were easy to portray on an ongoing public. one egregious example was a set of english of washington and general, published in the 1770's by shepherd and thomas heart of

london. general charles lee served as an example here. with some very actions in code the americas all resemble each other with their hats, wide lapels, and pledging faces. they spun off copies and variations such as this illustration depicting washington from an impartial history of the war in america published in london in 1780. printmakers in america also struggled to supply the demand but they also come up painted a proud of gloss. and frequently looked for an authentic likeness. charles wilson peel -- peale was a crucial purveyor of washington's face and his reach was extended through print. peale new washington and had painted him in 1772 in the uniform of his virginia militia.

in 1776, he painted him again in a three-quarter length portrait and a manager. peale also thought he would try a print. he had learned great single in london from 1767-1779. his maiden efforts were guided by expert london printmakers and supported by a thriving industry, which included technicians to prepare the skilled printers and a consumer market. i am taking you back to the print of charles lee as an example, a technically demanding process. the metal plate was roughened all over by a rock and sharp tool and the engravers works in reverse from black to white, furnishing down the sharp point of metal to create lighter tones and highlights. everyone admired the english prize and is range of tones from

dark velvety black to soft grays. it was especially suitable for portraiture and considerable money could be made. so, peale thought he would give it a try back in america, noted in his diary and 1778 and began a drawing to make a mezzotint tell of washington. many generations of mezzotint and they were thrilled to finally identity one in the early 1990's for he is modest sized and lack of pretension disguised is important. of course, making a mezzotint in america was especially challenging. peale complained about obtaining

copperplate and wrote to friends of broad seeking to help secure supplies. there were no technicians to do the tedious rocking of the plate or skilled printers to produce engraving. peale's prints reveal a coarser grained than you would find in an english mezzotint. he didn't quite achieve that velveteen smoothness, he used his personal knowledge of washington. retaining all of the animation of a life portrait. we have a sense of a direct and personal experience here between the artist and the sitter. so lifelike expressions feel authentic. i like to think this modest image reveal something about washington's character as peale had assessed him in 1776. most washington portraiture was

after the war. this is a rare insight into the prewar washington. to me, that i was youthful continents as well as, mature demeanor that helps us understand the man stepping forward to assume the heavy burden of the commander in chief. peale's papers reveal he struck over 100 impressions presenting them to friends and statesmen and advertising in newspapers. but at the charming little print it competition and didn't sell well. a pair of engravings contributing to joseph heller senior depicted of martha washington in an image in full uniform with the smoke of battle over charlestown, massachusetts behind. peale was going to have to up

his game and he did. by 1780, he had produced his own three-quarter length military portrait of washington. based on a new painting from life produced for the supreme executive council of pennsylvania. with a flag, canon, and a view of princeton and the background in reference, the painting was a popular and inspiring image of the leader. and a good candidate for peale's second attempt at a mezzotint. depend this subject with grace dignity and confidence. as a print and portrait, it is unexcelled among the early graphic entrance -- of george

was. peale would produce his third mezzotint, to mark a series of engravings at his own portrait including prince of lafayette, franklin, and reverend joseph gilmore, he finished 4 mezzotints and sent a set to washington. he still had to prepare his own plate and do some printing and the sales were disappointing . he ultimately abandoned his plan after much work for too little return. we haven't quite finished the story of that small mezzotint of 1778. one of peale's admirers was norman who would arrive in philadelphia from london around 1774. the enterprising mr. norman with various portraits advertise frequently in newspapers billing himself as an engraver of watch cases.

he also taught engraving and sold almanacs, children's books, furniture. in august 1779, he advertised an elegant head of general washington. he was not a particularly skilled artist but an ardent copyist and became an enthusiastic purveyor of peale's washington likeness. he advertised one of his first attempts in 1779. adorned with a beautiful head of washington. the ubiquitous, often the only book available for colonial children have traditionally been illustrated with a portrait of the english king.

norman was probably the first to substitute the new american hero. within the limits of his abilities, his engraving was a close copy of the peale's mezzotint with the long, oval face and almond shaped eyes looking forward, curly hair and the oval frame and even the highlight on the longer knows. -- on the long nose. just a few months later, norman repeated this time using as an ornamental heading for a single sheet almanac. advertise and "the pennsylvania packet" the philadelphia almanac featured the face of washington. norman embedded the simple portrait in an elaborate pictorial surround of his own invention. complete with banners and cannons, garlands, two trumpeting bare breasted figures

and a shield with a rattle snack -- snake, a symbol of the rebellious colony. another snake slithers across the bottom. write about this time, peale moved to boston. he may have been encouraged by a public spat with a former partner. norman appears frugally in the philadelphia newspapers and the dispute plays out in the public press. he was a sort of fellow who nowadays would get into a lot of trouble on twitter. [laughter] at any rate, his cell of the almanac encourages a profusion of copies. the first printer maker so inspired appears to be no other than paul revere, who probably

produced this release cut finish for the town & country almanac of 1781. the pamphlet almanac was frugally illustrated with crude images, cut into the salsa metal imprinted along with the type. revere's portrait is more elaborate than most and well it doesn't have the detail of norman's engraving with allegorical setting, it does incorporate two fluffs of hair. it has for one publisher to another it used repeatedly or various additions. last time i researched it, i located this very same little cut in 17 different imprint but there were undoubtedly more. furthermore, the release cuts if on imitation and least 4

different copies. the illustrated other almanac's. here we have the federal almanac for 1792. this maker seems to have less of an understanding of the principles of light and shadow. [laughter] but the hair, the banner, they can remains. in the next version, here are. and the citizens and farmers almanac, still less artistry. it is better than the cone head version. [laughter] and the colombian almanac of 1788. the flat has turned to metal and it looks like jellybeans. but the canon and banners convey a touch of military swagger.

for all of his failings, it could be called -- compared to this last example. a pitifully crude recondition in the 1790's. but you will note that even here, there are some remains of uniform, cartoon, slacks, and banners. no doubt it'll saw hard to get the identity of this unrecognizable portrait. those embellishments must have been deeply ingrained in the public consciousness. meanwhile, our friend john norman continued to reduce his engravings, spreading his enthusiasm for washington. this print of the commander in chief paired with an accompanying image of martha washington was published in 1782. the engraving underneath, citing the source, --

that would've been the portrait painted by charles was in peale. norman is sticking with his peale inspired face. unfortunately perhaps for his reputation, norman didn't stop there. in 1783, the continental congress had voted unanimously that "an equestrian statue of general washington be erected at the place where there residents should be established." he was to be dependent not only on horseback but in roman dress wearing and laurel wreath. norman, who struggled to depict cannons and banners, must've considered horses and roman

costumes beyond his skill set. he was an enthusiastic copyist so to approximate ancient dress, he dug up and engraving from john gillam first printed in 1611 and came up with this. [laughter] but you can't win every time. but, let's give norman credit for being one of the young republic's most enthusiastic purveyors of the commander in chief and you will note he has used long, oval peale inspired face of his hero. the visual culture of wartime america was limited which is how a energetic engraver with only modest skills found opportunities.

he was one of the publishers of the new boston magazine for which engraved the plates and produced for the april 1784 issue, this image of washington. once again, norman's ambitions exceeded his talent perhaps. here he chose to copies magazine illustration from anne engraving published in a french volume of 1772. on the inside cover of the magazine, he explained to the allegorical conception and i quote. "nature stands ready to strike the wire while the genius of a prisons and the metal of the illustrious man who has defended her standard in the new world." we can recognize fine in the corner -- fame in the quarter and the blinded justice in the far right for you those familiar

allegorical details and the multi-breasted nude female called the nature is less so. and yes, if you look closely there several bare breasts awkwardly behind that. -- behind that lyre. they symbolize nature -- and by extension, the prosperity of the new nation that washington had made possible. this particular allegorical figure, it is fair to say was ill considered. [laughter] maybe it worked better in france. besides, by the mid-1780's, competition was growing. some large, handsome french and english prince of washington were appearing -- prints of washington were. and engraving by -- accompanied by lafayette depended him in a

camp setting littered with treaties, dispatches, bills, and the declaration of independence. also based on a peale painting is one of my valentine green. here, the rich, black mezzotint show off to great advantage. while to my icon it doesn't show the animation and depth -- to my eye, it doesn't show the animation and depth. its military presence would've been impressive to an american audience. in contrast, john norman's enthusiastic attempts seem crude is not preposterous.

norman and his partners saw that interest in the boston magazine. unfortunately, the new publishers or not at all impressed with norman's ingenuity. in "the boston gazette," they announced they were discontinued the place noting there customers have found great fault. it is hard to know the accuracy of either claim but the freezer had a complete -- and readers have complained, you go hardly blame them. i have to admit, a salt part in my heart for john norman, trying to squeeze one more bare breast in their before the springs of a lyre.

norman spread peale's image of the commander in chief and created images that can be copied by at least cut artist. the constant appearance of the general's face throughout the war and afterwards is really nothing short of amazing. we can't know but we can to discount the notion that in those cannons and banners encouraged the ragtag revolution army or that the occasional cartoon swag or figure fame heightened washington in some small measure. and the dissemination alone may have had an impact. it wasn't just those who had seen peale's paintings like members of the continental congress or the urban core able

to purchase. washington's portrait was available to children, farmers women readers of the magazine, soldiers and treated by a new federal song at anyone who found it useful to buy a home and at. -- an almanac. if we concede the face of washington had much greater and deeper penetration of the wartime society that we might have guessed, let us take a look at the somewhat faster pace of some the images the dominated after the war. a small extra profile by joseph wright made around the 1790 has always fascinated me because it was printed on hard stock. this made it ideal for sending through the mail. thomas jefferson purchased one which he mailed to his daughter. perhaps because of the small size and easy transportability

the right profile, a strong, determined to looking face became an instantly popular presidential image and was widely copied in print medallions, here and abroad. one use of the profile was in the central state of amos doolittle's display of united states of america. developers of the constitution and new federal government enclosing the portrait in a ring of interlocking seals representing the united states from the 13 original colonies. washington described, protector of the country and is elevated here to a major role as the central figure of a new government. the shift from a loosely connected federation states to a nation unified under a strong,

central government was a crucial change in our history. doolittle celebrated the constitution and is imported by presenting that strengthen executive power dramatically and symbolically within the visually indissoluble unity of interlocking circles. edward savage's portraits were prominent during the presidency bring savage's mezzotint depicts a washington seated at a table contemplating the new federal city where it had all the refinement of the british technique, softness of texture and richness that made it the english mezzotint so popular. it had the image of shawn watched the outside of it

-- of showing washington dressed in a presidential black suit. guests describing "the tall manly figure of washington in black velvet" were very impressed by his magnificent presence. this was an important symbolic edition, he is no longer just a soldier but a statesman. the peaceful succession of one elected president to another had yet to be proven and to some, a very military president may have had the dictatorial presses. washington understood his dress and so did many printmakers. the mezzotint spun numerous copies. after this point and the 1790's, the book arts were developing fast particularly in philadelphia. english engravers arriving in america found steady work

illustrating bibles, books, and magazines. bookstores would have on display and for cell, the lens framing print -- for sale, the latest framing print. stipple engraving was a new faster technique that combined engraving that could survive many printings with lack of detail. porches of washington, copies from peale, trouble, wright in gilbert stuart proliferated. here's one example of tobias mullet's history of english friend it is modest but exudes gravitas through the embellishment. a simple of military strength.

as well as all as and oak branches which symbolize peace and strength. together, these emblems supplied washington leadership enabled to come through military strength. the description on this piece indicates the designer of the print was john james, and eccentric irishman who arrived in america and took up the embellishment of washington portraiture where john norman had left off. he had designed a handsome framing print of washington based in a miniature. the oval frame porcher from the back of the "hampton eagle" which would bear the scales of justice and a ribbon.

he didn't stop there. military banners, upon libertas all aim upwards. we might keep 2 points in mind and considering the seemingly heavy-handed engraving. norman's use of allegory was a universal language. you didn't have to be an upper-class man with a proper education to understand the figure of fame, the liberty cap, the rattlesnake or the implication of a laurel wreath military paraphernalia or eagle. secondly, this print was advertised and describes were in 1795, door washington's conflicted second term in office. internal struggles such as the

whiskey rebellion, along with controversial foreign entanglements resulting in jay's treaty. the president was officially as the assaulted in the practice was viciously assaulted in the press by enemies. in the middle of this difficult moment, he has introduced the radiating light and cloud of imagery, presenting washington as nearly godlike. within this context, the profusion of accessible patriotic symbolism doesn't seem arbitrary or overdone but a serious counterweight to negative publicity. washington designed several other engravings, and great portraits on washington repeating similar embellishments. general washington' is

recognition published as an illustration in the philadelphia magazine and january 1799, it is one of my favorites. the pairs off symbolic symbol of fame with very real mount vernon mansion. in an explanation, the print is called an emblem of the american retiring from public office. it is thereby relates washington's 1783 resignation to his 1797 retirement. in this same adorned with the eagles, along with the signature helmet baton, washington surrendered his symbols of power to the figure of america, who holds -- he points with his other hand, mount vernon. a reference to the legendary roman leaders. what makes it does little print even more fascinating is that is connection to another element of the visual culture of the day

completely lost to future generations. public spectacles often include, a transparency, which is a large painting on oiled paper and that is what made it transparent and very flammable. lit from behind by candles. needless to say, these images made for parades, ceremonies and other public gatherings didn't have much life expectancy. those who survived in the evening without bursting into flames were doomed by the oil and fragile paper. they don't exist today. they have an important public presence. the explanation of the piece here actually describes the event that preceded it which started with a splendid public dinner at the hotel held in march 1797 to on a washington on

the occasion of his retirement. after dinner, the gas marched to and alfred better -- amphitheater where there was a special entertainment featuring a transparent female figure as large as life representing america. the explanation goes on to probably itemize of the symbolic bonus that you see here. clearly, the designer of the transparency as well as the print. we're lucky to have a lasting version of his affection of the grand celebratory spectacle. don't miss the cornucopia after the bottom with the eagle. a much more common and more successful implication of the prosperity of the new nation than the multi-breasted figure of "nature." i want to linger

long. a visual ode to washington's virtue. later the commemoration of washington was designed shortly after washington's death and for his advertised in 1800. in addition to father time, you will recognize the familiar helmet sort of the time as well to eagle shield, the morning figure. in addition to the classical christian of references covered short of the side of the two are the medals of the order of freemasons. this was reissued of the years and copied for liverpool pictures and chinese reverse painting glass. really, the story belongs to the 19th century. it's conception at the time does help to reinforce the idea that visual enhancement to washington's face a reputation

like norman were widely disseminated and understood by the president's own contemporaries. you would have noticed in the face is recognizably the water by gilbert stuart and best-known and the partial of the national portrait gallery which would come into the 19th century to dominate all over washington. i am looking forward to mile's talk about stuart. showing the portrait obtained currency before washington's death. an engraver engraved the head at least three times in 1798. here are some examples. it became quite popular that year and appeared in multiple framing prints and illustrations. a new york physician named

charles buxton, for example, designed a fully -- full length image of washington in 1798. boston design was patriotic symbols referring to washington's achievements and his role in forging a new nation. the figure stand on a pedestal between slave olympic. masonic imagery and includes representing pure heart. the other elements of the scheme was familiar to his audience. the background scene introducing the new note of bowling green, new york. washington's stance on its pedestal at the symbolic replacement of the king. he's improved copies washington

including this one which made its way back to mt. vernon. the print was printed and presented to congress. as we have seen, there was a range of washington prints from the sophisticated. to the modest efforts available to every man, woman, and child. i will like to return to patriotic music. a very tiny version of the gilbert stuart face and this print seems to have been made specifically to assert and the title of a music sheet. in april of 1798, joseph hopkins compose a piece called "the favorite new song."

at that moment, war with revolutionary france seemed almost inevitable intentions were mounted in philadelphia between the federalists and anti-federalist. indeed his performance was triumphant. abigail adams attended the theater that evening and reported her head still eight run the thunderous across applause. it became a favorite new song. is small engraving of president adams pasted in the middle. in july as of the quasi-war against french privateers

directed to explode, george question briefly returned to public serve. the sheet music saw an opportunity of new sales. apparently encouraged by the sales, he repeated his formula by mounting and engraving on another patriotic song entitled "brother soldiers all hail." the glue pot must've been especially busy in 1799 just after the announcement of washington's death. carr compose "the dead of march" and played for washington's funeral in 1799. he published the sheet music.

it was advertised as having an elegant likeness of the late general. what can we conclude from these remains of the visual culture was still understand incompletely? we know the written record from his contemporaries and the details of washington's physical and moral courage. but to my mind, the depictions of washington during his own life also help to see the development of his reputation of public imagination. the effect of a single crude almanac cut is impossible to gauge. when you consider the materials together, there's a curative effect for which we can legitimately extrapolate meaning. consider the penetration into all levels of society other authentic like this and consider the enhancement was widely understood symbolic embellishments. let us not to discount the context of a washington portrait

hovering over patriotic words that were stirring. is it too much to suggest that edwin's little graving had greater impact as of the great nation considered the lyrics? with honor crowned, mature in hp -- in age he fell, the wonder of mankind, later and with laurel and left the stage -- laden with a laurel and left theed age. thank you very much. [applause] >> stephen tells me we have time for about two questions. yes, in the front. i think it's a microphone coming. >> [indiscernible] >> i'm not good at translating

such currency fluctuations. i think the almanacs were very cheap. broad sides were very cheap. i think a nice framing print would be in little bit more expensive. there are some indications that savage's prints sold for a few dollars, which would cost more if they were framed. i think there was a range, that's the answer. a real range of cost. one more question? [indiscernible] >> could you comment on negative images of washington during this period and what we might call couple -- political cartoons? >> very good questions. there was very little. there was enormous him as i

mentioned, enormous attacks on washington's character in the press, in the pamphlet wars but not in the visual imagery. there's really little. we really don't know of a lot of them. very good question. thank you also much. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2015] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] gregg you can learn from leading historians about presidents and first ladies, their policies and legacies, here on "the presidency." check our tv schedule, visit www.c-span.org/history. >> each week, american history american artifacts visits museums and historic places.

established by congress in 1820 the u.s. botanic garden is the oldest botanic garden in north america and next, we'll take a tour at the foot of capitol hill and learn about the collections of this plan museum originally proposed by president washington in 1796. >> welcome to the botanic garden. my name is ari novy. i am the executive director of the united states botanic garden. our official mission is to demonstrate to the public the importance of plants and their value to humankind. today were going to take some time and i'm going to show you a little bit about the botanic garden and introduce you to the stars, those are the wonderful plants that we have here today. right now were standing in a room called the garden court. always like to orient people to