Object Spotlight
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Re-Creating George Washington's Harpsichord
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February 20, 2018
Recently, John R. Watson reconstructed George Washington's original harpsichord. The original harpsichord was on display at Mount Vernon but was transferred to Colonial Williamsburg and put on display in the museum. The finished re-construction will be a fully functioning harpsichord and will be on display in George Washington's mansion.
There were 2 objectives for this re-construction: To make a thorough examination of the 1793 original harpsichord producing comprehensive drawings and notes about its design and evidence of construction methods. And the second objective being to make a working replica of the instrument.
Enjoy this behind the scenes video of a rare and beautiful instrument being re-created!
Learn more about Washington's harpsichord: http://www.mountvernon.org/preservation/collections/harpsichord/