The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum is pleased to welcome Jessie MacLeod, an associate curator at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. MacLeod will present “The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association: 162 Years of Collecting George Washington” at 7 p.m. Sept. 15. The lecture will be held at Whitlock Hall in St. John’s Episcopal Church, 212 S. Green St.
When the women of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association took ownership of George Washington’s estate in 1860, they faced a daunting task: the rooms of the Mount Vernon mansion were nearly empty and the house was in ruins. In the six decades since Washington’s death, his family’s possessions had been dispersed widely through gifts, bequests, and sales. But over the last 162 years, this private non-profit operating Washington’s Virginia estate has tracked down thousands of original artifacts, from furniture to silver, clothing to locks of hair.
Today, the organization boasts a rich collection that tells the story of George Washington as general, president, and private citizen. This lecture will explore the MVLA’s collecting practices and priorities, highlighting significant acquisitions from the 19th century to today.
This installment of the Dr. Howard Miller Lecture Series is presented to complement the General Lew Wallace Study & Museums current annual exhibit, “This Just In: Recent Acquisitions at the Museum.” The exhibit, which is open in the Carriage House Interpretive Center Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. free of charge, focuses recent additions to the Museum’s collection.
Museum staff encourages visitors and lecture attendees to wear masks and maintain six feet social distancing. For more information, contact Larry Paarlberg at 765-362-5769 or lpaarlberg@ben-hur.com.
