While the memorials for Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln contain lifelike statues of the great presidents, George Washington is memorialized with a monumental obelisk in the capital city bearing his name.
John Greenberg, president of the Chicago Historical Society and a historian who has studied Washington, says this is representative of the first president’s image.
“There’s something about Washington that is so distant. It is very difficult for us to wrap our arms around Washington the person,” Greenberg said.
Beginning Saturday, the historical society will open a new exhibit, “Treasures from Mount Vernon, Washington Revealed,” that attempts to bring the man more sharply into focus. The exhibit includes artifacts grand and intimate from Washington’s life.
They include a bloodstained battle sash that Washington’s commander, (British) General Edward Braddock, gave the young officer as Braddock lay dying at the battle of Monongahela (1755). And of course, a definitive exhibit of Washington’s life could not be complete without the only known complete set of his false teeth. The set is made out of cow’s teeth, ivory and human teeth, attached to a lead base by tiny wooden dowels.
———-
The Historical Society is located at North and Clark Avenue. There is no additional admission for the special exhibit. Call 312-642-4600.
