apparently encouraged by the sales, benjamin carr repeated his formula of ornamenting sheet music by mounting the engraving of washington on another patriotic song. but benjamin carr and his fellows must have been especially busy in december, 1799, just after the announcement of washington's death. benjamin carr himself composed the death march played for washington's funeral in six,delphia on december 20 1799. and he published the sheet music on december 31. it was advertised in the philadelphia gazette. so, what can we conclude from these remains of a visual culture we still understand incompletely? we know the record from his contemporaries, the details of his impressive physical presence. his heroism, his steadiness and moral strength. but to my mind, the visual depictions of washington during his own life also help us see the development of his reputation in the public imagination. the effect of a single crude almanac cut isn't impossible to gauge. when you assemble the materials together, there is a cumulative effect from which i think we can legitimately extrapolate meaning. c

the enterprising publisher of the sheet music benjamin carr saw an opportunity for new sale. he didn't even have to reprint the music itself since the engraving was mounted onto the sheet, glued at the top in the middle of the title. at least three different small washington engravings were used for the purpose, including this image by edwin and another cruder copy of it. apparently encouraged by the sales, benjamin carr repeated his formula of ornamenting sheet music by mounting edwin's engraving of washington on another patriotic song entitled "brother soldiers, all hail." shopand the fellow in his with the glue pot must have been especially busy in december of 1799 just after the announcement of washington's death. carr himself composed the dead march, played for washington's and 17 and told all feel -- in the philadelphia in 1799. it was advertised in the philadelphia gazette as having an elegant likeness of the late general. what can we conclude from these remains of a visual culture we still understand incompletely? we know the written record from his contemporaries tha