One of my favorite historical objects in the collection are photographs. Not particularly for artistic reasons, but as a documentation of a moment, a time, a person, a world that no longer exists. During the Victorian era (1837-1901), there were extraordinary developments in the field of photography. In a span of forty years, photographs went … Continue reading An Image Captured: The Development of Photography through Lewis Family Descendants
Fielding and Betty Lewis
More Than Meets the Eye: What Their Portraits Say About the Lewis Family
On walls of the Historic Kenmore’s drawing room hang two large portraits of a man and a woman. The man is an older gentleman in a serene outdoor setting, looking quite dignified and sober in a brownish knee-length jacket, knee breeches and long waistcoat. His eyes rest on the portrait viewer, one hand on moss-covered … Continue reading More Than Meets the Eye: What Their Portraits Say About the Lewis Family
Where Are the Human Remains?: Fielding and Betty Lewis
You might remember the discovery of Richard III’s grave under a Leicester parking lot back in 2012 and how shocking it was that a former King of England’s gravesite had been lost. For archaeologists, missing gravesites aren’t that uncommon. When put into perspective, it’s not surprising that we can’t locate the graves of many famous … Continue reading Where Are the Human Remains?: Fielding and Betty Lewis
Fielding and Betty Lewis Married 270 Years Ago Today
Fielding and Betty Washington Lewis were married on this date in 1750 and would have celebrated their 270th wedding anniversary this year. In honor of their anniversary, we've taken some creative liberty and have created a fictional newspaper announcement of their nuptials. At the time of their wedding, Betty Washington was sixteen years old, almost … Continue reading Fielding and Betty Lewis Married 270 Years Ago Today
George’s Hometown: Kenmore
As George Washington’s Ferry Farm prepares to celebrate the reconstruction of the Washington house, we traveled around George’s hometown – Fredericksburg, Virginia – to visit a few places important in the transformation of George from boy to man. Fredericksburg remained important to George Washington throughout his life. It was the home of Mary Ball Washington, … Continue reading George’s Hometown: Kenmore
The Man on the Ceiling: Neoclassical Decorating at Kenmore
As with many things at Historic Kenmore, the reasoning behind the choices Fielding and Betty Lewis made for their masterpiece of a house remain a mystery to us. Why are Aesop’s Fables the subject of the decorative plaster overmantel in the Dining Room? Why is there an old-fashioned paneled wall in the Chamber? Why did … Continue reading The Man on the Ceiling: Neoclassical Decorating at Kenmore
Hanging Portraits in Kenmore’s Drawing Room
The George Washington Foundation's curators recently oversaw the hanging of portraits in Historic Kenmore's Drawing Room. Portraits of Fielding and Betty Lewis painted by John Wollaston as well as of John Lewis and Fielding Lewis, Jr. painted by Charles Willson Peale were returned to the room where they hung originally. In this video showing the … Continue reading Hanging Portraits in Kenmore’s Drawing Room
Lives & Legacies 