Exhibitions: Washington and Revolutionary Bicentennial

February 20, 1932: A number of interesting mementos of George Washington and his time are to be displayed at the Brooklyn Museum for the week end and to continue for the rest of the month.

The outstanding exhibit will of course be the large canvass entitled "Lady Washington's Reception”, loaned for the occasion by the Hamilton-Crescent Athletic Club of Brooklyn. The picture in reproduction in familiar to many and represents a formal affair at Mount Vernon attended by a number of the prominent people of the day who are depicted in the canvas where nearly seventy-five personages are recognized. The printer, Daniel Huntington, it is recorded in a pamphlet telling the history of the picture, had a more modest idea then the subject was conceived, but became so interested that the present large composition resulted. The portrait notes for the likenesses of the Revolutionary Society were obtained from miniatures, family portraits and in some cases direct descendents of the individuals posed to supply a touch of life to the composite likeness.

Also shown is the first medal authorised by the Continental Congress of the United States. The medal was ordered March 25th, 1776 even before the Declaration of Independence, and was planned as a recognition of the brilliant recapture of Boston under Washington as Chief of the Army. The obverse bears spirited likeness of the General and future president and on the reverse is shown the Evacuation of Boston by the British. It was proposed to send a copy of this medal to each of the crowned heads of Eu¬rope but pointed out in an amusing contemporary letter signed by the Secretary of Congress, it was considered “hardly delicate to send one to his British Majesty".

Also shown is large collection of replicas of the flags used by the provinces and colonies in the turbulent early period of the Revolution and preceding the adoption of the red, white and blue of Old Glory.

Among the miscellaneous objects are costumes of the period, photographs of prominent lenders in the affairs of the young nation including documents and letters signed by such men as Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris and Gen. Muhlenberg, the soldier-preacher of the Revolution. There is the pay of a soldier mustered out of the army of Yorktown in 1783. Among the documents is included an oath of allegiance issued by the assembly of Pennsylvania in attempt to distinguish the Whigs from the Tories. There is also some china and other objects associated with Washington.

An especially interesting section of the special display of Washington and Revolutionary material at the Brooklyn Museum will be the valuable group of autographs from the Museum collections. The majority of these are from John M. Burt collection in the possession of the Museum since 1910.

In the case where these autographs are displayed, an outstanding item is the holograph letter from George Washington to General Forman. The letter itself is signed with a handsome signature and as displayed the letter is signed to its fullest extent in order to show the quaint address and still another signature of Washington, as well as the seal that the letter bore. The date of this letter is 1789. Two other holograph letters of great value and interest are the elegantly written and signed one from General Lafayette, and a flowingly written one from the firebrand of patriotic oratory, Patrick Henry.

In the same case are also shown 13 rare signatures of signers if the Declaration of Independence, including the names of such leaders as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Samuel Chase, John Hancock, John Adams, Oliver Wolcot and Benjamin Rush.

In the neighboring small gallery is an educational display of the prints chronologically arranges, showing high lights in Washington’s busy life. There are also shown engraved portraits of the Signers and old prints of battle scenes and a particularly interesting map of the Battle of Long Island, showing the progress of the battle and the positions of the opposing forces. Many of the names of locations on the map are familiar to the present day. The battle, it will be remembered, occurred on August 27, 1778, and Gens. Sullivan and Putnam were in command of the 5000 patriots who met the 20,000 trained British forces. A marker commemorating the battle is placed in Prospect Park not far from the Museum.

NOTE
If possible please include this with February 20th release otherwise publish as convenient.

Brooklyn Museum Archives. Records of the Department of Public Information. Press releases, 1931 - 1936. 01-06_1932, 016-7. View Original 1 . View Original 2