Washington and His Staff at Valley Forge by Veron Fletcher and Edward Moran
date: label: date made
content: 1855
name: label: depicted
content: Washington, George
label: depicted
content: Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert Du Motier Marquis de Lafayette
label: depicted
content: Greene, Nathanael
label: depicted
content: Wayne, Anthony
label: original artist
content: Fletcher, Veron
label: lithographer; graphic artist
content: Moran, Edward
label: publisher
content: Herline and Company
notes: label: Description
content: This print was created in Philadelphia in the tumultuous years leading up to the Civil War. Revolutionary War scenes are often used to convey patriotism. George Washington and five of his officers are featured in a scenic, snowy landscape. Valley Forge was headquarters for the Continental Army in 1777 and 1778 during the Revolutionary War and is infamous as the place where 2,500 American soldiers died during the winter from exposure and starvation. Based on the artist L. Veron Fletcher’s painting, which was exhibited at the Smithsonian in February 1855, the print was drawn on stone by Edward Moran, brother of noted artist Thomas Moran. The print came with a two-page key that included a biography on each of the soldiers and was meant to be educational. This scene highlights the heroic officers rather than depicting the gruesome hardships of war. The officers on horseback are the Marquis de Lafayette, Nathaniel Greene, Anthony Wayne, and Henry Knox. Standing in the background on the right is Col. John Brooks. It should be noted that Alexander Hamilton is not depicted though he was present at Valley Forge during the period. The building on the viewer's left was the headquarters, which was still standing at the time the print was drawn according to the key on the original sketch. Thousands of Americans had prints of Washington in their homes prior to the Civil War. But given the size and $15.00 cost- based on the advertisement by Hensel & Urwiler of Philadelphia- this chromolithograph was marketed for use in public buildings, well off schools, colleges, libraries, businesses such as an eating establishments, or by a wealthy individuals.
label: Description
content: The original artist for this image was Veron Fletcher, a portrait painter, active in Philadelphia between 1848 and 1870, who was most probably Lewis Veron Fletcher (1820-1871), son of silversmith and merchant Thomas Charles Fletcher (1787-1866) and his wife Melinda Degrasse Veron (1798-1874) of Philadelphia.
label: Description
content: The lithographer, Edward Moran, (1829-1901) was an English immigrant who came to the United States with his family in 1844. Edward was the elder brother to artists Thomas Moran and Peter Moran as well as a father, uncle, and mentor to an artistic dynasty. Trained by John Hamilton, Edward is most recognized for a set of 13 paintings which represented the history of marine life in the United States, however he also was a printmaker/lithographic artist like his brother, painted landscapes and historical portrait paintings that were exhibited at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
label: Description
content: The publisher was Herline, a company base out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lithographer/engraver, Edward Herline, was born in 1825 in what is now in Bavaria, and immigrated to the United States with his brother Gustav in the 1840s. They settled in Philadelphia, and founded Herline & Company, a lithography firm. In 1857, lithographer Daniel Hensel joined the company and the name of the company changed to Herline & Hensel until 1964 when the company obtained another partner and became known as Thurston, Herline & Company.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
label: depicted
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Valley Forge
topic: label: depicted
content: Horses
label: depicted
content: Revolutionary War
label: depicted
content: Horseback Riding
label: depicted
content: Architecture, Domestic Buildings
label: depicted
content: Uniforms, Military
label: Subject
content: Chronology: before 1820
label: related event
content: Valley Forge
label: related event
content: American Revolution
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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content: NMAH Reception Suite
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content: Military
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content: Art
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content: Peters Prints
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content: Domestic Furnishings
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Peters, Harry T.. America on Stone
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Harry T. Peters "America on Stone" Lithography Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.60.2582
label: catalog number
content: 60.2582
label: accession number
content: 228146
objectType: label: Object Name
content: lithograph
label: Object Name
content: chromolithograph
label: Object Type
content: Chromolithograph
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: ink (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: image: 23 5/8 in x 35 11/16 in; 60.0075 cm x 90.64625 cm