history behind STEALING WASHINGTON
Gilbert Stuart's Lansdowne Portrait of George Washington
Artist: Gilbert Stuart, 3 Dec 1755 - 9 Jul 1828
Sitter: George Washington, 22 Feb 1732 - 14 Dec 1799
American artist Gilbert Stuart, who had previously worked in England and Ireland, drew from European traditions of state portraiture to evoke Washington’s leadership. The artist made several direct references to the newly formed United States, and the pose he chose for the president is believed to allude to Washington’s annual address in front of Congress in December 1795.
Commissioned by Senator William Bingham and his wife Anne Willing Bingham as a gift for William Petty, Lord Shelburne, the first Marquess of Lansdowne.
Current location: National Portrait Gallery
David E. Finley, Jr.
As the first director of the National Gallery of Art, Finley was responsible for protecting the museum's collection. During World War II, David E. Finley played a pivotal role in preserving American and European art through his leadership of the Roberts Commission.
Finley served as the Vice-Chairman and de facto head of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas, more commonly known as the Roberts Commission. Operating out of the National Gallery of Art, he was instrumental in establishing the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA) program.
Biltmore Estate during WWII
During World War II, the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, played a vital, top-secret role by providing a secure location for the National Gallery of Art to store invaluable artworks, including masterpieces by Rembrandt, Raphael, and Stuart to protect them from potential enemy attacks on Washington, D.C. The art was hidden from January 1942 until October 1944, kept under armed guard and secured with steel doors and shelves in an unfinished room, a mission similar to the efforts of the Monuments Men in Europe.
Hillwood Museum
The Hillwood Museum in Washington, DC, is Marjorie Merriweather Post's former estate and houses her collections of Russian imperial art and 18th-century French decorative arts, including two Fabergé eggs. The estate also features extensive gardens, such as a Japanese garden and a French parterre, and a preserved mansion that showcases Post's life and passion for collecting and beauty.
12 Monograms Fabergé Egg
Workmaster: Mikhail Perkhin, Miniatures probably by Johannes Zehngraf (1857-1908), Fabergé
Marks: M. P. in Cyrillic, 56, crossed anchors and scepter
Materials: Red gold, rose-cut diamonds, portrait diamonds, translucent blue enamel, velvet lining, sapphires, water-colors probably on ivory
Dimensions: Height of egg – 79 mm. (3 1/8 in.) | Diameter of egg – 56 mm. (2 3/16 in.)
Description: The gold egg is covered with six blue champlevé enameled panels, each panel being divided by bands set with rose-cut diamonds, gilt with scrolls, and decorated with the Imperial crown and the Imperial monograms ‘MF’ and ‘AIII’, which are set in rose-cut diamonds, each monogram appearing six times; a portrait diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds surmounts the egg and another is set under the egg. Marie Feodorovna’s monogram appears on the top half of the egg, Alexander III’s, on the bottom half.
Daughters of the American Revolution Headquarters
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) National Headquarters is in Washington, D.C., and serves as the center for the DAR's mission to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism.
The complex includes Memorial Continental Hall, Constitution Hall, and the DAR Administration Building. In 1950, the DAR completed a major expansion of their Administration Building. It was dedicated on April 18, 1950, and served to completely unite the three buildings of the DAR headquarters complex for the first time.
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
During World War II, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art served as a crucial safe haven for art works evacuated from other institutions and collections, acting as a secure repository for art deemed too valuable to remain at risk. Its central location in Kansas City made it an ideal, safe distance from both American coasts, and its position as a major railroad hub ensured easy transportation of these loaned items. Furthermore, the museum played a vital role in the global effort to protect cultural heritage, with six of its staff members serving as Monuments Men, dedicated to recovering and preserving artworks looted by the Nazis.
What ever happened to Pocahontas?
Pocahontas died and was buried in Gravesend, England, but the exact location of her remains is unknown. The church where she was interred burned down over a century after her burial, and a search for her remains in the 1920s was unsuccessful.
Key details about Pocahontas' burial:
- Death in England: In March 1617, Pocahontas and her husband, John Rolfe, were on a ship sailing for Virginia when she became gravely ill. The ship put ashore at Gravesend on the River Thames, where she was brought to an inn and died around the age of 21.
- Burial in St. George's Church: She was buried on March 21, 1617, in the chancel of the parish church of St. George.
- Church fire: The original medieval church was destroyed by a fire in 1727. While a new Georgian church was built on the same site, the fire and subsequent rebuilding efforts disturbed the ground.
- Search for remains: In the 1920s, a man claiming to be a descendant received permission to dig for her remains, but the search was unsuccessful and disturbed many other graves.
Hobby Lobby Smuggling Scandal
The Hobby Lobby scandal involved the company knowingly acquiring over 5,500 ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian artifacts, including cuneiform tablets and clay seals, starting in 2010, intending them for the Museum of the Bible. However, the artifacts were smuggled into the U.S. with false shipping labels and incomplete documentation, violating U.S., Iraqi, and Egyptian laws. In 2017, Hobby Lobby settled with the U.S. Department of Justice, agreeing to forfeit the artifacts and pay a $3 million fine. Over the years, these artifacts and many others with insufficient provenance were returned to Iraq and Egypt by U.S. authorities. Despite this, Hobby Lobby continued to purchase and import artifacts illegally.
Captain William Kidd on Block Island
- A Stop on the Way to Boston: In 1699, after the events that marked his turn from privateer to pirate, Kidd visited Block Island.
- Securing his Family: He arranged for his wife, Sarah, and their two daughters to stay with a family on the island for several days while he met with the governor, Lord Bellomont, to secure a pardon.
- A Sought-After Location: The island became associated with his treasure because Kidd was known to have buried booty at various locations, including Gardiner's Island in New York and possibly Block Island.
- Centuries of Speculation: This legend of buried treasure has fascinated residents and visitors for centuries, inspiring treasure hunters and continuing to be a significant part of Block Island's folklore.
RISD Museum
The RISD Museum is known for its extensive and diverse collection of over 100,000 works of art and design, including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, costumes, and furniture from various cultures and eras, such as ancient Chinese art and French Impressionism. As the museum of the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design, it is distinguished by its focus on both fine art and design, featuring a strong collection of drawings and prints, and is a key center for teaching, learning, and scholarship.
Lyman's Tavern
Lyman's Tavern, located on the corner of 14th and Quincy NW DC, is known and beloved for its vintage pinball machines, classic arcade games, top-quality drinks, an amazing patio, and mouth-watering bar fare for all diners. Their open-space punk rock vibe makes them the go-to spot for DC's counter-culture community. Known for it’s working class beers, they are the people's choice for the people’s drinks. Lyman's is a friendly place that offers a welcoming atmosphere and they even host pinball league nights!
"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree"
Michael Creighton, Timeline