Public History in Philadelphia

This first portrait of Washington, painted before he had to worry about his national reputation or national memory, is an image that promotes indigenous dispos...session and foretells of his later actions against the indigenous nations who prevented expansion by white settlers. -Janine Yorimoto Boldt, PhD In her October 22 Trust Talk with Daniel Ackermann, Janine Boldt used colonial portraits as material evidence to investigate cross-culture encounters and the development of social and racial relations. In the first portrait of George Washington painted at Mt. Vernon by Charles Wilson Peale (1772), she uses a close reading of the landscape background as a gateway to interpret the painting as a depiction of Washington as ‘Caunotaucarius’ or the town taker, a name that was given to Washington by a Seneca leader after his brutal campaign against them during the Seven Years War. Instead of interpreting colonial portraits as family documents or commodities, inclusivity is central to Janine’s research as she builds scholarship that considers how diverse peoples have influenced these works and American art. Watch the Trust Talk recording on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/00XIcDj-oz0 Learn more in this blog post: https://decorativeartstrust.org/colonial-portraits-boldt-a/ #TrustVirtual

The rememberthewomen website is up. Now stay tuned for our next marker fundraiser!The rememberthewomen website is up. Now stay tuned for our next marker fundraiser!

Here is the cover of our recently-completed book, *Prophet Against Slavery: Benjamin Lay, a Graphic Novel*, which will be published in September 2021 by Beacon ...Press. It was a joy to work with David Lester and Paul Buhle on the project. With warm thanks to our editor extraordinaire, Gayatri Patnaik, and designer Louis Roe. The book will be available for pre-order in a couple of months. See more

The new site is launched! www.rememberthewomen.org

Tomorrow on #SundayMorning Since protests erupted over the death of George Floyd, the range of public monuments removed or vandalized has expanded well beyond those honoring the Confederacy. https://cbsn.ws/34HWSA5

We recently collaborated with the Colonial Williamsburg archaeology team to create a new storymap for the Custis Square Project. After John Custis IV died in 1749, his son, Daniel Parke Custis inherited Custis Square. However, Daniel had his own home at White House plantation on the Pamunkey River, about 40 miles from Williamsburg, where he and his wife, Martha Dandridge Custis, lived until Daniel’s death in 1757. While Daniel may have stayed at Custis Square while in Will...iamsburg on business, he seems to have mostly left the house abandoned, still furnished with all of his father’s old furniture and art. A few months after Daniel’s death, three residents of Williamsburg were charged with producing a probate inventory of the Custis Square property which listed the value of each object in the estate. Although this document was made almost a decade after John Custis IV’s death, it is the most informative surviving account of the layout and furnishings of John Custis IV’s house and property in Williamsburg.

Very disturbing.

We are saddened to learn that Ed Bearss, legendary interpreter, World War II veteran, and NPS Historian, has passed away. Ed was an honorary Licensed Battlefiel...d Guide at Gettysburg, and a fixture out on the Battlefield. To hear him share his knowledge of Gettysburg was an experience not to be forgotten. He will be sorely missed.

Who’s joining me for the international discussion of Franklin’s Autobiography on Wednesday?Who’s joining me for the international discussion of Franklin’s Autobiography on Wednesday?

https://benjaminfranklinhouse.org//bens-book-club-dr-geor/

My dad was almost 21 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. He spent the next day driving from town to town in rural Indiana, trying to enlist. As a navigator, he dropped paratroopers over Europe to stop fascism. Lee Boudreau was never a loser or a sucker. He lived to be 92.

In late January 1961, journalist Hugh Sidey was enjoying a weekend nap when his phone rang. The new President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, was callin...g from the White House to tell him about First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s new ideato turn the White House into a living museum. Mrs. Kennedy then came on the phone, telling Sidey how she wanted to acquire original furniture and artwork to restore the White House’s history, and that she wished to do an article for Life magazine in order to raise awareness and funds for her project. During the summer of 1961, Mrs. Kennedy worked with Sidey on the piece for Life. He accompanied her around the White House, and they spoke by phone. On September 1, 1961, Mrs. Kennedy graced the cover of the magazine with the subtitle, The First Lady: She Tells Her Plans for the White House. In the article, Mrs. Kennedy articulated her vision for the People’s House: Everything in the White House must have a reason for being there. It would be sacrilege merely to ‘redecorate’ ita word I hate. It must be restoredand that has nothing to do with decoration. That is a question of scholarship. When Mrs. Kennedy asked for estimates to conserve and repair a number of presidential portraits and their frames, she was given estimates that were tens of thousands of dollars. Knowing that Congress would never appropriate funds for that purpose, she set off to create a cooperating association with the National Park Service. This private, non-profit organization would assist by funding acquisitions, conservation projects, and preservation initiatives, as well as provide educational resources for the general public. As a result, the White House Historical Association was founded on November 3, 1961. In the article Mrs. Kennedy stated, The White House belongs to the American people. This quote is featured on this year’s annual White House Christmas ornament, which commemorates the presidency of John F. Kennedy and acknowledges Mrs. Kennedy’s vision to transform the White House into a living museum. Image Credit: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum / NARA