Sigal Museum in Easton offers rare glance at George Washington's early life through documents

The Sigal Museum?s new exhibit in honor of Presidents Day offers a unique insight into the mind of the first president, George Washington, through signed historical documents and select artwork.

The Easton museum has 18 historical documents from a private collection and numerous pieces of artwork related to Washington on display until the end of the month. The museum is open 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. General admission is $7.

Nine of the documents have Washington's signature. The others are select pieces of correspondence to or about Washington. The letters span nearly 50 years, including Washington's hand-drawn survey of a portion of Culpeper County, Va., made when he was 18.

Other documents include lottery tickets, discharge papers, invitations and receipt books, all with Washington's signature.

Perhaps one of the most interesting pieces is a letter by Tobias Lear written Dec. 15, 1799 ? the day after Washington died. Lear wrote about 12 letters to Washington's family and closest friends, including President John Adams. To those people, the letter served as the first word of the man's death. The letter on display was sent to William Washington, a nephew and executor of George Washington's estate.

Also on display are a number of paintings and prints, including many of the original illustrations used in ?Colonel Washington and Me,? a book that, while aimed at younger audiences, describes in detail the life of one of the men Washington owned, William Lee, and the complex relationship Washington and his slave shared. Lee was freed upon Washington?s death.

?Colonel Washington and Me? is one of the few published accounts of Lee?s life. The artist, Preston Hindmarch, is an Easton resident, and the author, Jeffrey E. Finegan, Sr., hails from Pohatcong Township.

Finegan will be at the Sigal Museum at 1 p.m. Saturday to discuss the manuscripts. The event itself is free, but regular museum admission is required to see it.

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The Sigal Museum?s top five most interesting Presidents Day pieces

5. His surveyor?s report. It?s a chance to see the level of detail and workmanship he already was capable of at the age of 18.

4. The multiple lotto tickets. It was a common way to raise cash quickly for the financially desperate young government. But it didn?t always work. For example, one lotto ticket signed by Washington in 1768 was for the construction of westbound roads, but in this case the lotto didn?t raise the money it needed and he had to return it to patrons.

3. 1860 portrait. It?s weird that a simple portrait of Washington from decades after his death stands out so much, but it?s the story behind this one that makes it worthwhile. It apparently was found on the banks of the Delaware River after the explosion of the Alfred Thomas steamboat in Easton in 1860. The painting is in near-perfect shape, with no smoke or fire damage and little water damage.

2. The death letter. It?s hard to imagine the news of the death of a president spreading slowly, but in an age when there were physical limitations on the speed of information, this letter was the first word on the matter.

1. ?George Washington and His Family? print. It?s an engraving of Washington, his wife, Martha, and her two granddaughters from a previous marriage. Off to the side, displaced and partly in shadows, is William Lee, a slave owned by Washington. His name is featured in a caption, as though acknowledging his importance in Washington?s life, but only a little. The piece is particularly relevant because one of the few books written about Lee, ?Colonel Washington and Me,? was illustrated by Easton artist Preston Hindmarch and written by Pohatcong Township author Jeffrey E. Finegan Sr.

Source: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/index.ssf/2013/02/sigal_museum_easton_george_was.html

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