"A portrait is a picture in which there is just a tiny little something not quite right about the mouth." -- John Singer Sargent

Wednesday, April 10, 2019

George Washington



This enormous bust of George Washington by Avard Fairbanks (©1975) stands in the parking lot of the Washington County Museum of the arts in Hagerstown, Maryland. Washington County was named  for George Washington when the county was split from Frederick County in 1776, making it the first county in the US named for the, then future, first president.

Avard Fairbanks
©1975

 Avard T. Fairbanks. Ph.D. (1897-1987)
George Washington
“First in War, First in Peace,
First in the Hearts of His Countrymen”
Gift of David N. F. and Sylvia West Fairbanks
Bethesda, Maryland

Fairbanks is known, inter alia,  for designing radiator cap ornaments for Chrysler cars. His son David N. F. Fairbanks is an Ear Nose and Throat Surgeon and Sylvia Fairbanks is a teacher.

The Flag of Washington County also features George Washington. This one is hanging half staff at the 9-11 memorial on the grounds of the Washington County Art Museum.


Instances of Avard Fairbanks' bust of Washington seem to be ubiquitous. The one below is at George Washington University in Washington DC.

The George Washington University
Founded 
1821

The University seems to own at least 4 of these and gave one to Mount Vernon in 2003.
Fairbanks began modeling his bust of George Washington in clay in 1975 in preparation for nation’s bicentennial. While the bust is an original composition, Fairbanks created it based on his knowledge of many historic portraits of Washington. The bronze sculpture was first located at the Salt Lake City International Airport, but was later moved to GW’s campus. Since then, three additional busts have been added to the campus. The four busts of George Washington were donated to the University by Fairbanks’ son and daughter-in-law, David N.F. Fairbanks and Sylvia West Fairbanks. -- GWU
 Another one can be seen at the Masonic Temple on 16th Street in Washington.

George Washington
Freemason


 There is of course one of these statues in Washington State, with its nose rubbed smooth, and one at Sulgrave Manor in England. Atlas Obscura notes that there is one in the town of George  in Washington State, making it a statue of George Washington in the town of George Washington.

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