The F.M. Kirby Foundation Gallery in the Donald W. Reynolds Museum

  

     The major commemoration in the United States of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the Marquis de Lafayette will inaugurate Mount Vernon’s new F. M. Kirby Foundation Gallery for changing exhibitions. A Son and his Adoptive Father: The Marquis de Lafayette and George Washington, organized in partnership with Lafayette College, is comprised of more than 125 artifacts drawn from some twenty museums and private collections. Portraits of Washington and Lafayette, ceramics, silver, glass, weapons, jewelry, textiles, memorabilia, letters and other documents have been organized into three chronological sections that trace Lafayette’s impact on America and his relationship with the Washington family.

This exhibition is made possible by:

The F. M. Kirby Foundation

The Florence Gould Foundation

The Founders, Washington Committee for Historic Mount Vernon

The Embassy of France

and other generous benefactors.

A Missionary of Liberty 1777-1799

     So passionate was Lafayette to join the fight for independence that – at his own expense, against the wishes of family and king, and without the knowledge of his wife – he sailed to America in 1777. Lafayette soon met Washington, and the two men formed a life-long friendship. They were united by a common belief in individual liberty and a democratic society that has set them apart as two of the greatest leaders in modern history. From Lafayette’s initiation on the battlefield at Brandywine to his critical role in bringing France into the war as an ally and the decisive victory at Yorktown, the two men’s mutual respect and admiration grew. After the Revolutionary War, the families exchanged gifts and corresponded frequently. Lafayette returned to America in 1784 to visit his American family, and his wife entrusted the safety of their son, George Washington Lafayette, to the Washingtons during the French Revolution in which Lafayette fought for the same freedom and equality he had seen in America. Through bankruptcy, prison, and exile, Lafayette clung to Washington’s example of character and leadership.

The Nation’s Guest 1824-1825

     At the invitation of President James Monroe on behalf of the American people. Lafayette returned to the United States as “the Nation’s Guest” on August 15, 1824. His landing at Castle Garden in New York was the first of many exuberant celebrations. During a thirteen-month period, Lafayette – accompanied by his son George Washington Lafayette – visited major cities and small towns in all 24 states. Local governments, civic organizations, groups affiliated with those who fought in the American Revolution (such as the Society of the Cincinnati), and Masonic lodges fêted him with parades, public orations, private dinners, and gala balls. Lafayette received numerous honors, and was the first foreign dignitary to address Congress. In Lafayette, Americans saw a living link to George Washington and the glories of the founding era. During the trip, Lafayette reconnected with his American family – the Washingtons. He visited Mount Vernon to mourn at Washington’s tomb and to embrace the descendants of George and Martha Washington. Although Lafayette declined a soldier’s request to remain in the United States to be buried at his death alongside Washington, Lafayette did return to France with a trunk of American soil for his grave.

Their Fame Will Live Forever: The Enduring Legacy of Washington and Lafayette

     Much as France and America had mourned the death of George Washington in 1799, the two countries were brought together again in grief at the loss of Lafayette on May 20, 1834. The chambers of both houses of the United States Congress were draped in black. Americans mourned Lafayette’s death not only because of the love, gratitude, and admiration they felt for him, but also because he was one of the last Revolutionary War heroes. His death marked the end of an era that had defined the United States of America. As the years passed, the milestones of Lafayette’s life – particularly those he shared with Washington – were memorialized in solemn celebrations.

     The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated publication with a foreword by the French Ambassador to the United States. As the exhibition travels, a wide variety of educational programs will enable audiences to enjoy and appreciate the exhibition. Teacher training programs and specially-designed curriculum materials will enable Washington and Lafayette to enter classrooms across the country.  Click on the following link to view an article featured in Antiques and Fine Art.

Exhibition Itinerary

October 27, 2006 through August 5, 2007

GEORGE WASHINGTON’S MOUNT VERNON

F. M. Kirby Foundation Gallery in the Donald W. Reynolds Museum

Mount Vernon, Virginia

August 27 through October 28, 2007

LAFAYETTE COLLEGE ART GALLERY

Williams Center for the Arts Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania

Lafayette College Special Collections & College Archives

November 13, 2007 through March 9, 2008

THE NEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY

New York, New York