George Washington exhibit reveals little-known facts

A lifelike figure of George Washington as a handsome 19-year-old greets visitors near the front of a new exhibit that opens today at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley.

It is a surprising contrast to the image of Washington that most people know — an older man on the front of the $1 bill.

Many of the 100 original objects in the Washington exhibit also depict facts few people knew.

The compass he used as a young surveyor is on display, as are several of his books about husbandry, botanicals and milling, indicating he was an experimental farmer and entrepreneur.

Washington's views on religion and slavery, his role as general in the Revolutionary War and the influence of his wife, Martha, also are explored in "Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon," which runs through May 8.

"What we're trying to do was to tell the whole story about Washington," said Elizabeth Chambers, collections manager of George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens.

Chambers was at the library Tuesday for the final installation of artifacts and graphics for the exhibit.

The Reagan Library needed six semi trucks to bring the entire collection in from Fort Worth, Texas, where the items were last exhibited. Most are from Mount Vernon, but others are on loan from other sources.

A special truck carried some of the exhibit's most valuable and popular items, including Washington's last remaining full set of dentures. Two other sets exist, but they are only partial sets.

"The most sought-after item in this exhibit is the dentures, for sure. Everyone wants to see the dentures," Chambers said. "I think most people are just fascinated by them. I think most people thought they were wood, for one thing. Obviously, they're not. And that's what this exhibit is also mainly about: dispelling myths about Washington."

Three life-size models of Washington were assembled from a two-year forensic study. Computer scientists, art historians, 18th-century garment experts and a forensic scientist used technology and research from primary sources to analyze portraits, sculptures, Washington's dentures and clothing.

They used age-progression and regression techniques to create three depictions of Washington: one as a teenage surveyor, one as commander-in-chief atop a white horse and one of him taking the oath of office.

The exhibit also features the famous Washington portrait painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1798 and a miniature architectural model of Mount Vernon.

Martha Washington's jewelry, pieces of her china, silver and glassware, and reproductions of her gold wedding dress and purple satin slippers also are on display.

Rob Zucca, exhibit specialist for the Reagan Library, helped put the finishing touches on the exhibit Tuesday.

"It's pretty darn cool," Zucca said. "This is the real stuff. How often do you get to be next to George Washington's personal objects?"

The exhibit was organized by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.

After showing at the Reagan Library, it will travel to Tulsa, Okla., as well as St. Louis and Las Vegas.

The Washington exhibit is included in the price of admission to the Reagan Library. General admission is $15, or $12 for seniors, $9 for children, and free for children younger than 10. The Reagan Library, 40 Presidential Drive, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

On the Net: http://www.reaganfoundation.org