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Posted on 02/17/2006 2:31:10 AM PST by Majie Purple
News 02/17/2006 00:13:06 EST Wax Figures Show 'Real' George Washington By RICHARD PYLE Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK - In a former box factory on an old Brooklyn street named for him, half a mile from where his defeated army escaped by night to fight another day, George Washington has all but come back to life. Not just one George Washington, but three - the 19-year-old wilderness surveyor, the 45-year-old Revolutionary War general and the 57-year-old president on his inauguration day in 1789.
The trio of life-size wax figures, created by British-born artists Stuart Williamson and Sue Day, is destined for a new $95 million permanent exhibit at Washington's estate in Mount Vernon, Va. "The Real George Washington" will open to the public next October.
While a 1785 terra-cotta bust and plaster life mask by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon and several portraits by American painter Charles Wilson Peale are considered the most accurate likenesses, StudioEIS director Ivan Schwartz says his team of sculptors also meets Washington's own definition of artists as "doorkeepers of the temple of fame."
"People will look at these figures and be sort of awe-struck, but they will make people think in a different way," Schwartz says. "This is wonderful speculation about what he looked like."
The idea of depicting the "real" Washington at three important moments in his life originated with James Rees, executive director at Mount Vernon, who says he realized Americans knew the mythological Washington who could not tell a lie and threw a dollar across the Rappahannock, but not the Washington chosen by his fellow founders to lead both the revolution and the new nation.
"A lot of it goes back to the classroom," Rees says. "My school history textbook in 1966 had 10 times as many lines about Washington as books used today. And visitors to Mount Vernon kept telling us in exit surveys that 'you haven't taught me anything about him.'
"The only Washington they know is the one on the dollar bill. They use words like stiff, old, grumpy, and, worst of all, boring."
Rees notes that even the Washington Monument on the National Mall has no statue or inscribed quotations from the man it honors.
Thus the decision to present the "real" George Washington - not the benign squire of Mount Vernon tending his gardens and livestock, but the man of action, charting the forests, on horseback in war and in the political arena. "We figured the place to start was to show young people what he really looked like," Rees says.
None of the wax versions resemble the tightlipped face on the dollar bill, but they do reflect the changes caused by progressive tooth loss that began at age 22 and in later life distorted the shape of his jaw and required him to wear dentures made of human and animal teeth. Washington was born Feb. 22, 1732, and died at the age of 67.
Because no portrait exists of him before age 38, the face of the young surveyor was based on age-regression technology used by Jeffrey Schwartz, a University of Pittsburgh anthropology professor (no relation to Ivan) to determine how he probably looked at age 19.
The wax models will incorporate copies of real artifacts - a Continental Army uniform owned by the Smithsonian Institution, snippets of his reddish hair and the suit in which he may have taken the oath of office, both from Mount Vernon's collection.
By measuring five pieces of clothing he is known to have worn, it was determined that Washington stood 6 feet 2 inches "plus seven-eighths in his shoes," Ivan Schwartz says.
During a recent visit to StudioEIS on historic Washington Street, the nearly completed President-elect Washington, in brown suit and buckled shoes, stood a few feet from Gen. Washington in uniform astride a wooden mock-up that looked less like a horse than a mechanical bull in a Texas saloon. Both figures were painted in lifelike flesh tones, and a hint of dark stubble suggested the general hadn't shaved before reviewing his troops at Valley Forge that morning.
Nearby, Day was touching up the strong-chinned face of the teenage Washington. A deft brush stroke of clear acrylic brought sudden life to the blue eyes. When completed, that figure would be suitably dressed for mapping the Shenandoah wilderness in 1750.
Schwartz says it didn't initially occur to him how close his studio was to real history - the East River boat landing where, in 1776, Washington's army fled to Manhattan after its defeat by the redcoats in the Battle of Brooklyn.
Williamson, a former chief sculptor at Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London who also works in stone and wood, found it ironic that two Brits were being asked to re-create their country's chief nemesis. But both he and Day, a former Tussaud's makeup expert, were impressed by the subject.
"I've worked on many figures that were the flavor of the moment, but none with the staying power of George Washington," Day says. "I've learned more about him than I ever knew."
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On the Net:
http://www.studioEIS.com
http://www.mountvernon.org
Wow! What a nauseating thread!
It may not have occurred to you, silent jonny, but there is nothing in the title to indicate this is a private thread of saccharine sentimentality and a total waste of bandwidth! I don’t donate to FreeRepublic to support your email exchanges of bunny pictures and hugs and kisses...
I need to go take a bath before the sugar kills me.
If you cannot say anything nice do not bother to say anything there are hundreds of threads you can visit and comment on why polute this one which if you bothered to read it properly you would see that it used for a freeper who has limited access to the internet to keep in touch with her group of friends.
It occurs to me that someone is having an irrational response to a comment that was made over three months ago--on a thread that was posted over two years ago.
Must be a slow day in Mr Rogers' neighborhood.
This Thread is Special to us because our Dear FRiend Posts on it. There are Many Other Threads for you to Visit.
FReepmail works every bit as well as a thread for communicating with other FReepers.
Your “Dear FRiend Posts on it”?
Have you heard of email? Or perhaps you could ask a moderator to retitle it “Dear FRiend Posts Here - Do NOT Read if You are Not a Dear FRiend”.
Then innocent bystanders won’t interrupt your fortune cookie dialog.
Thank You all for understanding from the begining of my pings and explainations months ago why it is that posting via this old thread is the easiest way to update since I have only library internet access right now.
I’m glad to have kept You all posted as to the why’s and becauses.
Helps me say pppffft! (with a smile) to the few negitive commenters/lookyloo’s.
Cont...in my tagline...& not just to the kind ones via this ping...They all know & they all know who they are
:)
I love FR & Thank J R for having it here for us and allowing for contribution ops (fun ones;informative news ones & finacial ones!!!
Thank You for knowing the reasons via the pings w/ info I’ve given before.
& I don’t expect Jim R. to reply just knowing I have let You know via collective pings long ago helps me brush of the negative comment lookyloos!
HUGS & TY to You 4!!!! You all know what for & thanks for giving the what for on my behalf!!!!
While I have a bit more time let me chime in with the ones praying for You Jim R.
In JESUS’care.
I ran out of type time via the computer library last time. So I made back to back trips to make sure I thanked you for the kind word you typed and the wonderful pics of G W you posted/contributed/shared.
Luv ya Xena......MR, don’t know you, but.......
I’d merely like to say......relax. Interesting initial thread, and if some folks care to use this long-running thread to keep in touch and explain sweet pleasantries....what the hell. Let ‘em. I’ve seen “Hobbit” crap run FAR longer; nice to see people being sweet and nice to each other when our world is so buried in negativity.
Not saying your points weren’t valid......merely suggesting a little sunshine amongst friends (I’ve never been on nor seen this thread til now) never hurt anyone.
God bless you both, and have a great weekend.
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Thanks ever so much for your cheerful words @ # 329.
They didn’t go un-noticed nor unapprieciated...
Not by GOD,nor by me!
:)
Oh my!
Lovely & loving as always, Caring Kitty!
T Y & HUGS!!
Thanks One & All via this ping for the pings since the most recent collective T Y! Happy Saturday to Ya!
Dear Jonny, I know your Birthday is tomorrow..6.5. but I won't get to the library early enough to post You something early on. The library doesn't open till 11am & for Your T Z that would be 2pm already.So, I opted for late night,where You are,the night before & to be cont... I hope to make it back to post another one tomorrow. You know my time factors & other stuff that limits my posting time right now...Otherwise I'd do more for Ya,You know I would and I want to.Jonny did a surprise ping for me on my Birthday in April so I want to volley some Birthday pings blessings back to Him!
:)
His Birhday isn’t till tomorrow(6.5) but His time zone is Eastern...Tis close enough to His Birthday,right?
:)
By the time I could post this to Y’All then,via the library it would already be 2pm in His lil pocket- o -geography...Thus I’m asking a wee bit early.
I did not include Him(Jonny) in this special ping so as to add to the surprises some,if not all, of my personal collective ping list of folks may want to post to Him via this Thread.
Of course You don’t have to.But I hope You really want to. If so,BRING IT ON! In Honor of JON...NY!
:)
& I know He has more Friends than are also on my PPL & Other People that will do Birthday gif gift finds and or makes ie the Dose/ Finest/ A I etc...But while I’m posting from the library and not hooked up to the inrenet at home...This old Thread of mine is the easiest & fastest place to ask this, & the usual updates,etc...
I know You know, as I’ve pinged to let You know the reasons long ago,I’m just sayin’ again, is all. The more Post to Him Here & Other Threads too!
The more, the greater the blessing,Ya know. no one hasta ping just one FR Thread...Teeheehee! I know that You know that.
& Because I ran out of library time before I could type this request I had to ask the library for another allotment of time...Thankfully they are understanding re:the special reason and because I type sooooo slowly.Oft times one can’t get extra hours due to high trafic/use for just 6 computers,in my local library.
Oh how I love to explain, LOL!
HUGS & no worries if You can’t or don’t ping a B-Day greeting or gif gift find or make any & all that come in will be a bleesing & Thanks for always making it sooooo easy to ask!
Operation:Bless Jonny underway,Dear Peeps!
:)
Thank you, Sister Kitty! :)
You are most welcome,sweet Silent One! & now for the gif gift find for today,from me...on Your actual B-Day! Hope today is jam packed with Birthday joy! :) I tried and tried to get the gif gift find to show up but it won't so I'm leaving in the code line so You can at least see that...Hhmmmn,I wonder if the word spacer in the code has something to do w/the gif no show? Oh well,no worries ,just explaining clock on computer time remaining Here is down to 5 min can't go find another...no time to...glad I got in last night to post something. :) HUGS! I hit preview and that code line I spoke of is gone too...later,time now under 3 mins.
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