FFQF: The Humor of George Washington
Now I know what you’re thinking. George Washington could not have really been that funny. True, he was not disposed to laughter and joking, particularly after his grueling experiences in the War for Independence, which concluded, sadly, with the death of his adopted son, John Parke Custis. He did, however, possess the ability to be warm and generous, and was quite capable of finding amusement.
Today’s story comes from Henry Howe, writing in 1861, recalls a story which, he claims, was told to him by Washington himself, concerning a somewhat amusing incident which occurred while Joseph Wright was crafting a plaster life mask of Washington:
Wright came to Mt. Vernon, with the singular request, that I should permit him to take a model of my face in plaster of Paris, to which I consented with some reluctance. He oiled my features over, and placing me flat on my back, upon a cot, proceeded to daub my face with the plaster.
While in this ridiculous attitude, Mrs. Washington entered the room, and seeing my face thus overspread with the plaster, involuntarily exclaimed. Her cry excited in me a disposition to smile, which gave my mouth a twist, or compression of the lips, that is now observable in the busts Wright afterward made.
Adventures and Achievments of Americans, by Henry Howe, pg. 626
Poor guy. He was trying so hard:
5 Responses to “FFQF: The Humor of George Washington”
January 30th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Is that portrait a result from that plaster mask?! Unbelievable that THAT is Washington cracking a smile, LOL!
Good post– interesting little story. Thanks for visiting my FFQF.
January 31st, 2009 at 12:24 am
That is too funny, Herky! Thanks for this one.
Mrs. M. – Perhaps that’s what your smile would look like if you had plaster all over your face.
January 31st, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Thanks for your comments everyone.
Mrs. M — I don’t know if that portrait resulted from the mask itself, but after searching (unsuccessfully) for the mask which Wright made, I found that portrait, next to a photo of a life mask that another man — Hutton — who did another life mask of Washington sometime thereafter.
Here it Hutton’s image. I suppose a slight creeping smile on Washington’s face is discernible.
Jean — glad you could come by! And that is a funny reply to Mrs. M! LOL!
February 1st, 2009 at 1:35 am
I would have died to have heard what Mrs. Washington exclaimed! Such wording as ‘exclaimed’ and ‘cry’ could never do as a ‘bleep’ we have today.
I can only surmise that she really let one fly…a good ol’ juicy bit of words that filled the room with laughter.
I do see the General has having a sense of humor; albeit, I think it would involve men, booze, and a campfire. I’ll bet he had quite a few stories that would bust-up a full regiment of men.
I’ll write more perhaps in an email or maybe even a post, but I think our USD currency pays a severe injustice to those who appear on the notes.
Great post Herky!!
jps
February 1st, 2009 at 2:06 am
Hello Jon Paul. Thanks for reading my post, and leaving your comment.
I think I would have given much to hear Mrs. Washington exclaim myself!
Remember that Washington was not the jocular type. If I may be frank, I don’t quite understand your meaning about “men, booze, and campfires,” but if it means what I think it does, honestly, I think you’ve misjudged Mr. Washington.
He was temperate and disciplined in all of his habits and manners. He was not fond of riotous gatherings, which is usually what you get after rowdies in the woods have consumed much alcohol. So against it was he, that he issued a general order during the Revolutionary War that forbade the Continentals from drinking alcohol. The punishment for breaking that order was a flogging.
I think his sense of humor was rather different than the private “humor” we see in the lives of our recent Presidents. Washington’s humor was rather droll, granted, but I think that it was much more amusing than a frivolous discussion over liquor.
Thanks for your kind words on my post.
Happy FFQF!
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