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FFQF: The Humor of George Washington
Friday, January 30, 2009
FFQF: The Humor of George Washington
Posted by Hercules Mulligan at 4:35 PM
Labels: Founding Father's Quote Friday, George Washington, humor
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5 Comments:
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. :D
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. :)
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!
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
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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