ONE DAY while "antiquing” in West Chester, Pennsylvania, I spotted the old steel engraving of George Washington that is reproduced with this article.
As soon as I saw this picture I noticed that it was very different from any other portrait of our first commander-in-chief that I had ever seen, especially in that the expression is grim and the left corner of the mouth is drawn down, apparently by a scar.
I was struck by the difference between this grim, dour, beady-eyed old man and the usual pictures which show him as a younger man, handsome, dapper, aristocratic, forceful and usually stern but never as this portrait shows him.
On closer examination, I was able to decipher the notes on the engraving, the wording of the certificate under the picture and the significance of the regalia that Washington is wearing.
The engraved legend reads as follows:—
WASHINGTON
Engraved from the Portrait, painted
FROM LIFE BY WILLIAMS,
for Alexandria Washington Lodge No. 22
Virginia, 1794
The written certificate reads as follows:— This engraving is from a photograph of the portrait of General Washington painted from life by Williams for the Alexandria (Va.) Washington Lodge, and now in its possession.
The original was discovered by Sidney Hayden, Esq., in his researches for his work entitled, “Washington and his Masonic compeers.” Mr. Hayden himself vouches for the genuineness of this copy from the original and signs his name here in witness thereof.
Sidney Hayden
Sayre, Pa., March I, 1888.
The regalia is that of a Grand Master of a Masonic grand lodge.
The engraving is old, soiled and discolored, and to the dealer who had it, it was
just that and nothing more. The certificate meant nothing to him but the autograph of one of the great American historians of Free Masonry greatly enhanced the masonic value of the picture and the idea occurred to me to buy it and present it to Samuel D. Sherwood Lodge, Springfield, Massachusetts.
Before sending the engraving away, as I wanted a copy for myself, I took it to Mr. J. W. Replogle, the yard photographer, at the navy yard, Philadelphia, and he made an excellent negative from it, even clearer than the copy I furnished.
Since the portrait came into my possession I have heard a rather interesting bit of gossip about it which I have not been in a position to verify. One man who has visited the Alexandria lodge told me that the engraving has slighted one noticeable feature of the original which shows a long scar running diagonally from the left cheek across the corner of the mouth and toward the chin which draws the mouth badly out of shape on the left side. This is much at variance with any other picture of Washington that I have ever seen nor can I recall any descriptions of the first president in which this is mentioned. However, I believe this scar must have existed or it would not have been delineated. It must not be forgotten that this portrait was painted for his brethren in the lodge and as such might probably have not been expected to reach the general public.
The story of the origin of this portrait gives a rather interesting sidelight on conditions affecting Washington after the Revolution and his reaction to one phase of them. The later history of the portrait is also worth recording.
As the story goes, immediately after the Revolution, Washington was besieged by artists of all kinds with requests that he sit for his portrait, these pictures to adorn private homes, or to be copied for publication and circulation, or to be used by any and all sorts of societies, associations, &c., whether reputable or not. Washington soon got “fed up’’ on these requests and took the stand that he would only sit for artists of great prominence or for artists accredited by well-known, well-established, reputable organizations.
William Williams was rather an obscure artist who had frequently requested sittings and had been refused. But as he was most anxious to paint Washington’s portrait, he decided to make a different approach. Washington’s Masonic activity and zeal were well known and Williams persuaded the officers of Washington’s lodge, Alexandria Lodge No. 22, to ask him to sit for his portrait as a gift to the lodge and only under these conditions would he agree. And Williams saw to it that he was the man to paint this portrait.
The portrait was painted and presented to the lodge. But for some reason not known now, whether because it was a poor likeness or what not, the picture was hung on the wall behind the master’s station up near the ceiling in a dark unlighted corner and was neglected, becoming badly dimmed with age and smoke from the candles, oil lamps, etc., used for illumination.
When Hayden was making his researches, he “discovered” the portrait and it was cleaned and hung in a much better place of honor. Hayden was permitted to photograph the picture in order to make this steel engraving for use as a frontispiece to his book on Washington as a Mason.
Since its “resurrection,” Alexandria lodge has received many requests to allow copies to be made in oils of this portrait, but I believe these generally were refused. The Museum and Library of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania was especially anxious to get a copy of the portrait and after many refusals hit upon the plan of having Miss Fanny M. Burke, a great granddaughter of Thomas Jefferson and a very popular and well-known artist of Washington, ask to make a copy of the portrait. The officers could refuse every one else but not Miss Burke and her copy, made in 1910, now hangs in a place of honor in the Masonic Museum in Philadelphia.
Except for the “Fanny Burke” copy and the “Hayden” copy, so named by me, there have apparently been no other copies of this portrait made as the Philadelphia Museum has only these two on their walls.
Another informant told me that the Alexandria Lodge has been offered a very great price, well above $100,000, for the original but have refused to sell it at any figure.