On Tuesday, May 15, 2018, Meghan Budinger, Aldrich Director of Curatorial Operations for The George Wsahington Foundation presented a lecture titled “Cabinets of Curiosities: Kenmore and the Evolution of Museum Collections.” Using Kenmore's collection as a case study, Meghan reviewed 100-years worth of museum curation and talked about some of the most exciting and unusual … Continue reading Lecture – Cabinet of Curiosities: Kenmore and the Evolution of Museum Collections [Video]
Collections Management
Photos: “Antiques” Hunt!
Several weeks ago, staff from George Washington's Ferry Farm went hunting for objects to go into the reconstructed Washington house, which will be fully furnished with reproduction pieces to allow our visitors to sit on the chairs, open drawers, and pick up the plates on the table. Finding accurate, well-made reproductions of pieces from the … Continue reading Photos: “Antiques” Hunt!
Video – Lecture: “The Rooms at Ferry Farm”
On Tuesday, September 19, 2017, Meghan Budinger, Aldrich Director of Curatorial Operations at The George Washington Foundation, presented a lecture titled “The Rooms at Ferry Farm.” Meghan surveyed how we plan to furnish the reconstructed Washington house using traditional decorative arts scholarship but also adopted skills from genealogists, architectural historians, material cultural experts, scientists, and … Continue reading Video – Lecture: “The Rooms at Ferry Farm”
Video – Lecture: “Building George’s House, Introducing the New Ferry Farm”
On Tuesday, September 5, 2017, Dave Muraca, director of archaeology and vice president of museum content at The George Washington Foundation, presented “Building George’s House: Introducing the New Ferry Farm,” his account of the last eighteen months as George Washington's Ferry Farm witnessed the careful reconstruction of the Washington house using many traditional techniques. Dave … Continue reading Video – Lecture: “Building George’s House, Introducing the New Ferry Farm”
Search for Washington House Furnishings Takes Exciting Turn!
As Meghan talked about in her latest blog post, we are currently taking on the immense task of finding accurate and well-made reproduction furnishings and household items for the reconstructed Washington house at George Washington’s Ferry Farm. We recently completed two successful shopping expeditions and acquired an array of items for the home from earthenware … Continue reading Search for Washington House Furnishings Takes Exciting Turn!
Lecture Series will Introduce the New Ferry Farm
As construction of the Washington house at George Washington’s Ferry Farm nears completion, we want to share the many years of archaeology, historical research, scientific investigation, skilled craftsmanship, and hard work that made building this reconstruction possible. Next month, The George Washington Foundation will present a lecture series titled George Washington: Boy Before Legend – … Continue reading Lecture Series will Introduce the New Ferry Farm
Kenmore’s Holy Grail
“The drawing-room walls are covered with pictures, some very fine, from the ancient masters, but most of them portraits of our most distinguished men, six or eight by Stewart. The mantelpiece, tables in each corner and in fact wherever one could be fixed, were filled with busts, and groups of figures in plaster, so that … Continue reading Kenmore’s Holy Grail
Inside the Archaeology Lab: Putting Artifacts on Exhibit
Here on Lives & Legacies we’ve shown you a variety of important tasks that take place inside the Archaeology Lab at George Washington’s Ferry Farm. You’ve seen how we wash, catalog, label, and then mend vessels with archival glue. One goal of all this work is to piece together whole artifacts from the many broken … Continue reading Inside the Archaeology Lab: Putting Artifacts on Exhibit
Photos: Historic Kenmore Behind-the-Scenes Tours
On rare occasions, Historic Kenmore offers special behind-the-scenes tours that take visitors into portions of the home not usually open to the public during regular tours. Additionally, Meghan Budinger, Aldrich Director of Curatorial Operations, leads the tour and shares her expert insights and knowledge into the mansion's history, furnishing, and ongoing preservation. This past weekend, visitors once … Continue reading Photos: Historic Kenmore Behind-the-Scenes Tours
Ten Rarely-Displayed Objects from Kenmore’s Collection
It is impossible for museums to exhibit the thousands of objects in their collections. Historic Kenmore is no exception. While each of our objects is certainly unique and interesting, not every piece fits within our current interpretation of the life and times of the Lewis family. One reason museums might not display items is they … Continue reading Ten Rarely-Displayed Objects from Kenmore’s Collection
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