The traveling panel exhibition The Many Faces of George Washington from George Washington’s Mount Vernon will be coming to the Newport Colony House this July 2011.
Through color graphics of paintings, photographs and iconic objects from the Mount Vernon collections, the exhibition presents the many different faces of George Washington’s leadership as a general, statesman, farmer and visionary entrepreneur. The exhibit will be placed into the 1739 Colony House, which hosted George Washington during several visits to Newport during and after the Revolutionary War.
Produced by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, in conjunction with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, The Many Faces of George Washington explores the breadth of Washington’s leadership abilities. Not only does the exhibit touch upon his well-known achievements, but it also highlights many of his accomplishments that prove to be surprising and fascinating. The content is organized into seven sections, with each section consisting of four double-sided seven-foot tall panels, approximately 24 inches wide.
The seven sections of the exhibition are: Against All Odds in Two Wars, Realistic Visionary, Wise Decision-Maker, Impassioned Learner, Practical Scholar, Visionary Entrepreneur, and At Home at Mount Vernon. Each panel will feature quality reproduction images of items such as portraits, land surveys, maps, clothing and letters.
The Many Face of George Washington will be a centerpiece of the Newport community’s Fourth of July celebration, which will also feature the reading of the Declaration of Independence from the steps of the Colony House—the same place where it was originally read in July 1776.
The exhibit’s stay in Newport is sponsored by Washington Trust; the traveling exhibition was by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association in conjunction with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and generously supported by the F. M. Kirby Foundation.
The Washington Trust Company is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., a $2.9 billion corporation headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island. Founded in 1800, Washington Trust is the oldest community bank in the nation and is the largest independent bank headquartered in Rhode Island. A state-chartered bank, Washington Trust offers a full range of financial services, including business banking, personal banking, and wealth management and trust services through its offices located in Rhode Island, Southeastern Connecticut and Massachusetts.