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Post by htmb on Mar 3, 2013 5:34:21 GMT
The last time I visited Mount Vernon, the home of George and Martha Washington, it was a stiflingly hot June day. The air was steamy and it was very unpleasant just to walk around the grounds, much less enter the airless house. This visit was quite the opposite. The sky was cloudy, without a sign of the sun. The temperature was just above freezing with snow flurries, and a brisk breeze blew at my jacket and chilled my face. But what a beautiful place, even in late winter! The entrance looks fairly ordinary, with places to park, and larger areas for tour buses. The area before the entrance is nothing special; some small to medium size houses. At $17 per adult, the entry fee is fairly pricey, so I try to spend several hours to get Murphy money's worth. As I go to enter the lobby area, the sheep are out to greet visitors.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2013 11:35:00 GMT
$17? Ouch. My interest in American history is cheaper than that.
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Post by htmb on Mar 3, 2013 13:16:41 GMT
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Post by htmb on Mar 3, 2013 13:26:32 GMT
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Post by lagatta on Mar 3, 2013 15:10:11 GMT
Where are the slave quarters?
Kerouac, museums in Amsterdam cost about that much... Look at the Van Gogh (temporarily in the Hermitage), just for example:
Admission
Vincent. The Van Gogh Museum in the Hermitage Amsterdam Adults: € 15 Children up to 17: free ICOM members: free I amsterdam City card: free Holland Pass: free
And there are no free or half-price days... A Museum Pass soon pays off.
htmb, have you also visited Monticello?
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Post by fumobici on Mar 3, 2013 16:08:37 GMT
Looks like a lot of money and effort has been spent there since the last time I visited in the '60s.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2013 16:31:24 GMT
Maybe I'll just go and see the replica in Vaucresson.
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Post by htmb on Mar 3, 2013 22:44:41 GMT
Lagatta, I didn't see slave quarters, though I did see a memorial and burial ground. I have pictures I will post. There is also a walking tour that covers the quarters, but it was one of several tours that are suspended during the wintertime. Yes, I've been to Monticello twice, though it was very long ago when they were in the early period of beginning to excavate some of the slave living quarters.
Fumobici, great changes have been made at Mount Vernon. The new Visitor's Center was opened in 2006, I think. When I last visited, about twelve years ago, I remember a lot of commercialized mess outside the entrance. That's all gone now. The Visitor's Center is very large, with two or three large theaters and a very nice museum. My memory isn't very good, but I believe the place is in much better shape. It is a working farm with animals, fruit trees, and various vegetable crops. Though it was the middle of winter, the place was beautiful and well-tended. They also seemed very prepared to handle large groups of people, especially those going inside Washington's home. More on that later.
Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association accepts no governments funding, but rather relies on private donations and revenues from admission, retail, and food services to carry out its important mission.
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Post by htmb on Mar 4, 2013 2:35:34 GMT
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Post by htmb on Mar 4, 2013 2:56:23 GMT
Groups of twenty each are allowed into the house at staggered times. Each group moves from room to room where they are met by a docent who explains the use of their particular area. The furnishings are accurate for the day of Washington's death, and approximately 45% of the items are original to the house. The rooms were fairly small, so twenty people crowding in felt pretty tight. I was disappointed that photographs were not allowed. I assume the rule serves the purpose of keeping groups moving through at a steady pace, while also encouraging interested visitors to purchase books of photographs.
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Post by htmb on Mar 4, 2013 3:18:07 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Mar 4, 2013 6:37:54 GMT
Oh, most interesting, Htmb!
I was very surprised to see how much land there is around the house, giving more of an effect of how it must have been in Washington's time.
Doesn't the house incorporate some things that were quite innovative at the time it was built -- not as much as Monticello, but still impressively "futuristic"?
I want the dollhouse model!
Your last sheep portrait is simply wonderful.
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Post by htmb on Mar 5, 2013 4:37:52 GMT
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Post by htmb on Mar 5, 2013 4:43:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2013 6:48:40 GMT
Although I know that it is now the standard term to use, I wonder how those African slaves would have thought about being called "African-American." Nevertheless, it is good that there is at least a place to remember them.
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Post by htmb on Mar 5, 2013 23:40:03 GMT
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