< Back    Next >

The ideal of George Washington's life as a paragon of virtue and dedicated service was already forming even during Washington's lifetime.  Immediately following his death, a book titled "The Life of Washington", published in 1800 by Mason Locke Weems, known as Parson Weems, became a best seller both in the United States and abroad.  The book made famous many now familiar stories about Washington's life, such as Washington as a young boy cutting down his father's cherry tree.  Weems' stories were morally instructive, entertaining, and enduring contributions to Washington's legacy.

This textile, printed in 1806 by the Germantown Printworks in Germantown, Pennsylvania shortly after the publication of Weems' book, was made for both decorative and instructional purposes.  Separate examples are rare, and uncut panels extremely so.  The first panel tells the story of Washington cutting down the cherry tree. The second shows a rendition of the famous Lansdowne portrait of Washington as President painted by Gilbert Stewart in 1796.  Until this example, I had always seen the panels separately.  Finding them together, and side by side as they were printed and rolled into bolts, is fascinating because, even though each panel tells a story in and of themselves, together they also tell an even bigger story.  Together, we see the story of Washington where his virtuous childhood leads to his success as a man.  Taken together, a young boy of the early 19th century could imagine how qualities such as honesty and integrity would lead to a principled life and opportunities as great as founding and leading a nation.