Were going to have a nice time talking about George Washingtons 10 tonight. We have an engineer, a Structural Engineer here and a textile conservator who are part of a larger team. As a very smart woman once said, it takes a village and was a large village involved in the project you are going to hear about tonight. Freeu have questions, feel to grab any of us. This evening, we are going to divide comments into three sections. Im going to talk about the history of the object itself and when we contemplated beginning putting it on display and alice will talk about the engineering challenges of trying to take what is the most historic and object sinceextile the starspangled banner that has been placed on display in a new museum. So to face the unique challenges of this unique textile object, we will talk about the challenges of conserving that object and preparing it for display and how we knitted together the history of the engineering and conservation science to engineer the preservation of this historical object. Where does the story begin . Place ton incredible talk about this subject and as many great authors will talk about, there is not a beginning or ending. You pick an arbitrary point and you either look forward or look back or pick a few points and have them all mixed together. Outcould start the story the window right behind you on 3rd street. Down 3rd view looking street and on the left, that the open plaza right in front of the museum of the American Revolution is located. Theou can make out neoclassical front of the bank, that is the building right behind us. Wasbuilding right behind it the home of the evening bulletin, which in august of 1906 published an article on a fascinating interview that had taken place with mary custis lee, the general the daughter of general robert e. Lee who announced sacred relics that sold, tenseo be used by general washington to aid the confederate widows home which was operating the enrichment. Were to look directly across the street, you would recognize the corner of fourth and chestnut, a hotel there now, but sitting on the corner, if you were here in 1776, that was this lot right here. On the corner here was probably the best named shop in the world, most appropriately named shop, punk it flee some had the sign of the easy chair at the corner of fourth and chestnut. He produced many of the most ,uxurious upholstered furniture many of the types of objects you the Philadelphia Museum of art and was involved in producing drums and colors and flags at the time when the american war of independence was about to begin. Another point in our story. Building behind you was the location in june of 1775, a young virginian, George Washington, received his commission. His commission from the Continental Congress to be commanderinchief of the forces , the United Provinces of north america, the united states, eventually. Place where we will go back to june of 1775 and George Washington receives that commission here in this neighborhood. He is almost immediately escorted out of philadelphia, rides up the east coast, goes through new york city where the new York Provincial Congress writes him a letter congratulating him on his appointment as general and remind him they expect him to go back to virginia and not do as many generals had done and crown himself at the end of the war and crown himself caesar or king. This is when he writes his famous letter that when we took up the soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen. The idea of creating the citizen soldier right here. British done by a officer by the seas the siege of british washington. You see british occupied boston here and the ring of fortifications all the way from dorchester to cambridge to ringedton here that british occupy boston. Was the destination washington was headed to in the summer of 1776. This was the portion of those lines commanded by general washington himself. It was very uncertain what would happen during the summer of 1775. Is a result of the battles of lexington and concord and mostly new england troops rushed in and around, bottled up the , but everyoneton expected whatever settlement would happen what happened quickly in that season. But this was not the case and by the winter of 1775, the realization dawned that this war is going to continue for at least another season. This is a portrait by Charles Wilson feel. They really made a Family Business of painting George Washington. Washington sat for this painting in the neighborhood here in the spring of 1776. It was commissioned by john hancock and is now in the oakland museum, but it will be here at the museum of the American Revolution for the summer we open. You see this portrait painted here in the neighborhood but if you see the blueribbon over his he actually located the original sash. The only original document hes of washingtons uniform from this part of the war will be displayed with the tortured. Ofonel joseph reed philadelphia, and aid to camp to washington, we have a wonderful letter to read. As fall turns into winter, he comes back to philadelphia to act as a liaison. Also to try to get organized for the next campaign. Theres a wonderful letter in march of 1776 that i think the as the washington citizen soldier and republican general who will remain with his army. A dont know at the time, 48 long years before he will return home. He writes i cannot take the field without equipage, meaning cap equipment and tense. Once i have gotten into a tent, i will not put it. Wasnt inc. He knew what he getting himself into. 3, 1776. Arch that letter sends him on a journey to get a set of camp equipage set up for washington and that brings us across the street. Is theu see on the left receipt for much of that equipment. Reads making a large dining ofquee and making a tent ticking arch. What is a marquee . Oris essentially a large rounded and tent. These are 18thcentury British Military publications. You see one with an end entrance imagine an entrance at either side. We know washingtons first set of marquees. He had the tent with a double front and in and entrance. He would use this as his mobile field headquarters through successful campaigns in the war of independence. This is walter stewart, but theres a wonderful vignette in the background that gives a sense of scale that gives tense used in the front. Tent that would have been occupied by the kernel or commander of the regiment or field officer all the way up to general washington. Washington used that set of tense through the campaign of 1776. Washington crossing the delaware, thats a good reminder whereas the usual practice would orders, theo winter army stayed out in the field in 1776 into january of 1777, so that got a lot of hard use. 1777, we see of many soldiers and officers in the Continental Army and increasingly as the war goes on, foreign officers who comment or record this image of washington among his soldiers in the tent. His act his excellency, or good old general has spread his tent and lives among us. This is a significant gesture because most soldiers, the commanderinchief is a distant presence, a lot of turnover with officers rotating back home in the winter or going back and being relieved in the case of the british army. Washington staying in the field, so this lovely painting painted in late 19th century captures that image that comes through many of these written accounts, washington in his tent, writing his dispatches among his soldiers. That continues through the campaign of 1777 and this famous image, the march to valley forge in the museum will be on display in the museum, it captures the armyign of 1777 where the remains in the field until it marches into valley forge on december 19 of 1777. That washington remained in that marquee until. Is soldiers were undercover he made a somewhat implicit promise here. This is from his general orders issued two days before the margin to valley forge where he issued an order that he would partake in every inconvenience. Of 1778, that original pair of marquees seems to have worn out, particularly campaigning into the cold, wet season. The canvas never dries out and starts to rot and fall apart. Early in 1778, we have a welldocumented process by which a second set of marquees was reduced by the Quartermasters Department and delivered to him just a few days before the army marches out of valley forge, six months after the march in of 1778. Remarking on are truly republican general i want to beat a dead horse and repeat that phrase because by the middle of the war, this is an 1780,produced in paris in that image of washington in the tent, that republican general, he does he he who does not threaten the republic becomes the glue Holding Together that revolutionary movement and it is fascinating to people throughout the world, particularly throughout europe who are interested in this experiment of selfgovernment happening here in the united states. We should remember that washington was not the only occupant of these marquees. This is a painting produced during the war and you can see arhaps a portrait or just symbolic representation of william lee, the enslaved African American valet who accompanied washington throughout the war and was an expert horseman. If there is anyones book we would love to read about the war of independence, it would be william lee. He was so used up by the physical experience he suffered physically from his service. He was the only enslaved person washington freed immediately upon his death and then provided for the emancipation of other africanamericans who belonged to washington after Martha Washingtons death. William read, he freed in his will. He lived under that canvas with washington, so not unlike philadelphias president s house, i want you to think of this tent as a piece of architecture because it has ephemeral,oms, it is being made of canvas, but it is every bit as much a house of washington as mount vernon is. This is washington and notice a trope developing here canvas in the background of general washington. This is commemorating the successful siege of yorktown and showing a surrendering british soldier between a french and american soldier with a canvas showing washington as the republican general in the tented field in one of the first, complex, engraved maps of the siege. You can see a detail representing washingtons headquarters as the marquee tent in the field during that siege in september and october of 1781. Foreign officers increasingly are going these comments about washington and the significance of washington remaining in the field. One of the most explicit examples is from this officer who was part of the forces that march from rhode island right down Chestnut Street and down to virginia in 1781. ,his is the following summer the last significant encampment of the Continental Army. Ithington brings it out and is across from west point on the hudson as troops are marching back to new england. Time the whole kit and caboodle was all together in this officer observed washington was on the verge of taking the house and to use it as his headquarters. Much admired even the foreigners could not resist their admiration. This is an image of washington that he set for at rocky hill in new jersey, the last encampment of november 1783. It is an image washington himself referred to as not very flattering, but much like. Washington said the family considered this to be one of the most accurate depictions of washingtons appearance, so i love this painting because unlike many of the other works, whether it is stewart or trumbull, i do love field. Here, youen see it can cnn go of the impact of staying in that tented field on his face. Ins painting originally hung the powell house, right down 3rd street, for those of you who are locals. And on be on loan the museum and if you come next summer, you can see those two portraits. We call them the alpha and omega of George Washington. We remind people that we are used to looking at what happens to lincoln and now every president , when i see president barack obama and the weight of being commanderinchief is something none of us will ever have any idea about but you can see it in washingtons base there. Washingtons face there. That commission he had received in june of 1775, he returns to congress in annapolis of 1783 home tos quickly annapolis to arrive on christmas eve. Exchanges one house for another. Christmas of 1783. Did you like that transition . Equipment which is old, moldy canvas and mahogany polls and walnut folding stools its soway, but important and is recognized as having great political significance, symbolic significance for washington as a republican general. Its one of the flanking buildings there at mount vernon and we know from a letter washington writes during his presidency, after he writes to a nephew of her seeing operations and asks him to pull his old quitman out and air out the tents and care for this material. I dont inc. It just because he to care forand want everything he owned. I think he thought of it as he thought of his military papers he was careful to make sure they were carefully transcribed and reserved. Significanceon saw to these old tents and items. The story then moves to another generation of the family. You will probably recognize the washington family painted at the that. F this is Martha Washingtons natural grandson, George Washington park custis. By Martha Washingtons first marriage through her son, jackie, who died shortly after yorktown. This is his son who would become the custodian of military equipment items after the death of Martha Washington in 1802. This is him in the early 19th century in an early military uniform and a building that may be familiar to you. I was taken to Arlington National cemetery as a kid and taken to the tomb of the unknown soldier and i thought it was just a muslim, but thats the home built by George Washington parke custis and inherits a great deal of wealth, including over 200 enslaved African Americans. , he Martha Washington dies builds arlington house and brings into that house many of the items that had been at mount washington, and that included those old tent. What you see on the upper right our newspaper articles beginning at about 1805 or 1808. George washington parke custis would have an annual sheep shearing competition. He was trying to improve the american breeds of sheep and domestic manufacturers. This is pretty strong back into this era and he would bring in the sleeping tent and dining tent and decorate them insist in them with flowers, hang a portrait of washington and there would be 100 people seated under that canvas and he would give long oratorical performances. You can follow the evolution of the reporters as they get word from yeartoyear. Initially, they will report the whole speech and after five, 6, 7 years, they would say George Washington parke custis gave a long speech. Andthrough the war of 1812 through the 1830s comedies tents had another life commemorating George Washington. You see a image of them pack the and one of those large duffel bags in the museums collection. Many of the polls survived. This is an image of george ofhington parke custis, one those people who lived long enough to be photographed. Shortly before his death in 1857. A handwritten story about washingtons tents that he wrote. , buts a collector himself interviewing people who were older people who had known his grandfather. We have a wonderful portrait of the way headquarters may have been from a man who had served as an officer in washingtons commanderinchiefs guard. This is a company of about 100 men who provide a security detail and put up tents and took care of all that equipment. Nicholas told custis that even when washington was quartered in a home, headquarters is filled with all sorts of hustle and bustle. You have Alexander Hamilton arguing over something and copying letters if you need a quiet place to go, you need an office to go to. So he would have this tent erected in the yard next to one of these homes and he gave strict orders that he was not to be disturbed when he was under that canvas. No one would approach that canvas unless he came to the door and was ready to be disturbed. That was the first time when i read that and thought about the shape of the tent and we started referring to our tent as the first oval office. No connection to the white house oval office, but i think it works as a metaphor for what the space was for washington. The first real danger to this tent happened in the 1840s when some elements of it started to deteriorate enough that George Washington parke custis started cutting pieces of it up and presenting it to people as souvenirs. In 1844, he gave a large piece ,f the inner sleeping chamber this twill woven fabric, he presented it to the National Museum, now the smithsonian in washington. Is a little garbled with it. It was not presented by the ladies of boston. We think it was sent to a recipient in boston. We have managed to track down a couple of these pieces. This was at the van cortland house, a National Society of colonial dames in new york and they were very skeptical. Relicay weve got this but every Historical Society says they have something that belongs to George Washington and virginia was able to compare a thread town and i think we have actually located on the original object where it was cut off. 1850s, not sure what is going to happen. It might turn into a bunch of little scraps of patchwork quilt. But George Washington parke custis dies in 1857. Marys ther in