The Hermitage, near Nashville, Tennessee, the residence of Andrew Jackson. He was quite a guy - 6 years of formal education; read law, became a US attorney at age 23, delegate to the Tenn constitutional convention, 1st Tenn Congressman at 29, US Senator at 30, successful cotton planter. He was an army general; fought in four wars, including the Battle of New Orleans, which ultimately propelled him to the presidency (they don't mention that the battle itself was of no consequence, since it was fought two weeks after peace had been signed in Paris). Also military governor of Florida, and judge. [I am underwhelmed by Jackson; in fact the exhibits in the museum are a little lean as to what he actually accomplished. Most famous quote: "To the victor belong the spoils", which ushered in the Spoils System of dispensing federal jobs. He also abolished the National Bank, which of course was re-established later. However, other people do consider him to have been a great president.]
Some of the money contributed
100 million Yugoslav Dinars is about 25 cents.
The Queen; just above her, good ol' Saddam Hussein; looks like his high school graduation picture. Upper right, a New Zealand bill.
Two-apartment slave quarters. They have a good deal about slave life.
Cotton: The Hermitage had about 110 Acres in cotton, and did pretty well with it, although Tennessee is rather far north for cotton.
John Fulton was allowed to travel around by himself, carrying messages; he was apparently literate and was always known by a first and last name - all unusual for slaves.
Ben ran the cootn gin, Squire the cotton-bale press.
Some of the money contributed
100 million Yugoslav Dinars is about 25 cents.
The Queen; just above her, good ol' Saddam Hussein; looks like his high school graduation picture. Upper right, a New Zealand bill.
Two-apartment slave quarters. They have a good deal about slave life.
Cotton: The Hermitage had about 110 Acres in cotton, and did pretty well with it, although Tennessee is rather far north for cotton.
John Fulton was allowed to travel around by himself, carrying messages; he was apparently literate and was always known by a first and last name - all unusual for slaves.
Ben ran the cootn gin, Squire the cotton-bale press.
On to Charlotte, NC: Dave's brother Jim, re-enacting colonial-era shoemaking. He also rre-enacts bookbinding, plays the fife with the Sixth North Carolina Regiment, has compiled a collection of fife tunes - called the Duty of the Sixth North Carolina - makes wine, and serves on the boards of several historical sites and organizations (whew!)
Rosie the Riveter, from WW II, and the Old Unreconstructed Rebel, who will tell you about the War of the northern Aggression and what a rotten fascist Abe Lincoln was
Jim and Ann, with Dave and Barb. Ann does re-enacting and docent, and has written two books about colonial-era settlers.
Rosie the Riveter, from WW II, and the Old Unreconstructed Rebel, who will tell you about the War of the northern Aggression and what a rotten fascist Abe Lincoln was
Jim and Ann, with Dave and Barb. Ann does re-enacting and docent, and has written two books about colonial-era settlers.
Dedicating a Liberty Tree. Liberty trees were a big thing during the Revolution. The last one, in Annapolis, died in the 1990s; they got some shoots from it, enough for each of the original 13 states. North Carolina's was planted here in Charlotte last year; this is the dedication ceremony.
Gotta have a big loud cannon.
Jim with the gut who's actually taking care of the tree.
At the Raleigh Art Museum: The Tuskeegee Airman. The Tuskeegee Airmen were a squadron of black pilots, the first in our history. Despite a lot of discrimination and bad-mouthing, they did well in the war. This guy is apparently intended to be reminiscent of Saint Sebastian, who was shot full of arrows by the Romans. 
Down to Robersonville, NC to visit Dave's cousin Mary Ellen Bender
Who had business in Washington, NC. Various places have different fiberglass aniumals they paint things on. Washington had crabs:
On towards home: Hirschhorn Sculkpture Garden, Washington, DC, where they have yet another Rodin's Burghers of Calais. (The story is that when the English King Edward III besieged Calais and threatened to destroy it, he spared the city on the condition that six leading citizens come to him nearyly naked, and with nooses around their necks, bearing the keys to the city and castle, presumably to be executed. When they did so, Edward spared them at the pleading of his queen. So they are pictured as dejected and despairing - a departure for such statues, which prefer to depict victories and triumphs. There are 15 versions of this in museums around the world. 
The Drummer, also at the Hirschhorn
The capitol police had just gotten these electric go-carts: Look like fun
A demonstration
The National Portrait Gallery and Museum of American Art: It used to be just the National Portrait Gallery, and was fascinating; it's been closed for several years for renovation/expansion.
Nixon and Kissinger
Jimmy Carter in the Lions' Den: Breznev, Ariel Sharon, etc.
June-Barb's sister in law, and her son Harrison
We started out in March at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; we ended there too:
Gotta have a big loud cannon.
Jim with the gut who's actually taking care of the tree.
At the Raleigh Art Museum: The Tuskeegee Airman. The Tuskeegee Airmen were a squadron of black pilots, the first in our history. Despite a lot of discrimination and bad-mouthing, they did well in the war. This guy is apparently intended to be reminiscent of Saint Sebastian, who was shot full of arrows by the Romans. 
Down to Robersonville, NC to visit Dave's cousin Mary Ellen Bender
Who had business in Washington, NC. Various places have different fiberglass aniumals they paint things on. Washington had crabs:
On towards home: Hirschhorn Sculkpture Garden, Washington, DC, where they have yet another Rodin's Burghers of Calais. (The story is that when the English King Edward III besieged Calais and threatened to destroy it, he spared the city on the condition that six leading citizens come to him nearyly naked, and with nooses around their necks, bearing the keys to the city and castle, presumably to be executed. When they did so, Edward spared them at the pleading of his queen. So they are pictured as dejected and despairing - a departure for such statues, which prefer to depict victories and triumphs. There are 15 versions of this in museums around the world. 
The Drummer, also at the HirschhornThe capitol police had just gotten these electric go-carts: Look like fun
A demonstration
The National Portrait Gallery and Museum of American Art: It used to be just the National Portrait Gallery, and was fascinating; it's been closed for several years for renovation/expansion.
Nixon and Kissinger
Jimmy Carter in the Lions' Den: Breznev, Ariel Sharon, etc.
June-Barb's sister in law, and her son Harrison
We started out in March at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; we ended there too:The Thorny Path: Beauty escorted by debauchery, youhg love, scholarship, and military ambition; behind Beauty is what she will become: Old Age.
A mural by Diego Rivera: Liberation of the Peon
Renoir's Large Nude Bathers: this is the only nudes I've ever seen that looks aas if someone might actually be doing this, and enjoying it.
A Last Supper: If you've read The Da Vinci Code, the Disciple on Jesus' right looks as if he might be a her. So, look at the disciple here on Jesus' left...
And then, home, just in time for Thanksgiving.
A mural by Diego Rivera: Liberation of the Peon
Renoir's Large Nude Bathers: this is the only nudes I've ever seen that looks aas if someone might actually be doing this, and enjoying it.
A Last Supper: If you've read The Da Vinci Code, the Disciple on Jesus' right looks as if he might be a her. So, look at the disciple here on Jesus' left...
And then, home, just in time for Thanksgiving.
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