American Idols

The much-heralded National Constitution Center opens its doors July 4, conciding with several other historical exhibits in Philadelphia.

By: Amy Brummer
   Americans love their icons — symbols that represent what is perhaps too expansive to explain at length. In a country based on the idea of freedom and independence, a flash of stars and stripes or the likeness of Uncle Sam gives substance to the abstract notions that bind us together.
   But this fast-food approach to our national history can be a detriment to understanding its complexities when it is boiled down to a singular, digestible image or phrase. Delving beneath the icons, three Philadelphia institutions will celebrate our nation’s holiday with a look at the rich details behind the giants of our cultural landscape.
   On July 4, The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia will open its doors to visitors and immerse them in the articles and amendments that govern our lives. The state-of-the-art building, designed by the architecture firm of Pei, Cobb, Freed and Partners, houses a star-shaped theater and multimedia exhibition space, as well as a replica of the Signers’ Hall, complete with 42 life-size bronze sculptures of the 39 signers and three dissenters. Additionally, there is more than 90,000 square feet of public space, providing sweeping views of Independence Mall, anchored by Independence Hall at its far end.
   "We wanted a modern building to reflect the moderness of the Constitution," says Elizabeth Warren, a representative for the Center, which is a non-governmental, nonprofit institution. "Our primary mission is to show its relevance in people’s lives and to remind them of their civic duty in 2003."
   The tour of the Center begins in DeVos Hall, where a permanent exhibit, The Story of We the People, gives visitors a taste of late-18th-century life in Philadelphia, with artifacts unearthed from the excavation of the site and audio re-creations of conversations and street sounds. It progresses to the Kimmel Theater, where a 17-minute play, Freedom Rising, is combined with a multimedia presentation that includes a film projected on a 360-degree screen.
   Visitors exit the theater into the American Experience, an exhibit incorporating, audio, storyboards and environments. It tells the story of the Constitution that wraps around the hall in a series of etched-glass panels. It includes the Family Tree, 100 images of Americans both familiar and obscure, whose contributions to the document can be perused on touch-sensitive screens.
   Signers’ Hall is the last stop on the tour. Visitors will have the opportunity to sign a copy of the Constitution that will be archived and displayed on the premises. There is even a dissenters table for people who chose to voice their opposition to the document.
   The dissention of the original signers, which ultimately lead to the creation of the Bill of Rights, is just one chapter in the long history of Independence Hall, where the document was signed Sept. 17, 1787. The role of this building is explored in the exhibit The Living Landmark: Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, at the Atwater Kent Museum. Curated by Charlene Mires, a professor of History at Villanova University and author of Independence Hall in American Memory, the exhibit looks at the building as it pertains to Philadelphia’s history over the centuries.
   "It’s not that anyone is trying to say that 1776 and 1787 were not important," Ms. Mires says, "because they are. Because of those very famous events, Philadelphia has had this landmark, and the way Philadelphians have interacted with it over time is also a really powerful and interesting story, so I am glad to pull out those threads and put them into the exhibition."
   Currently, Independence Hall serves as a vehicle for preserving and conveying its 18th-century history. Ms. Mires wanted to move beyond that experience. She has included visual references to that historical period such as the original sketch plans of the building and a painting of the Assembly Room at the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The exhibit also goes on to address its role as a recruiting station during the Civil War, as a potential target during the two World Wars and after 9/11, as well as a rallying point in protests against the war in Vietnam.
   Ms. Mires includes notable figures who have spoken there, such as Susan B. Anthony and Fredrick Douglass, as well as contemporary figures such as Philadelphia Mayor John Street. She also gives a voice to the people who were overlooked, though they lived right within its midst.
   "The neighborhood, especially to the south of Independence Hall, was the free black community of Philadelphia," Ms. Mires says. "To think about this place of the Declaration of Independence from the perspective of people who were struggling both to protect their own freedom in America and were very actively engaged in the continuing struggle against slavery, they are right in the shadow of this building."
   She cites the fugitive slave hearings that were held in the 1850s, when the second floor served as a federal court in a particularly chilling intersection between the history of Independence Hall and the liberation of African Americans. Included in the exhibit is an outline of names of the accused and the outcomes of those trials, something Ms. Mires says may never have been exhibited before in Philadelphia.
   This issue also is explored in George Washington: Picturing a Legend, at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. The exhibit, curated by Kim Sajet, deputy director at the Academy, was mounted in response to the opening of the Constitution Center.
   Ms. Sajat’s intention was to give a brief overview of George Washington as he has been symbolized over the centuries, examining his image as a military officer, a statesman, and as a deity after his death. Capitalizing on the traveling exhibit showcasing the National Portrait Galleries recent acquisition, "The Lansdowne Portrait" by Gilbert Stuart, Ms. Sajat wanted to make Philadelphians aware that they too had a version of this notable work.
   An elegant portrait and perhaps the most famous image of President Washington, the painting is steeped in symbolic elements that reflect America. Additionally, Charles Wilson Peale’s portrait, "Washington at Princeton," shows the young general in his uniform with the battleground behind him. Rembrant Peale’s "Patrie Pater," painted after Washington’s death, is an idealized rendering of the man set into a porthole flanked with oak leaves, a symbol of faith, virtue and endurance.
   But there was also another side to the story. In a painting of Washington with his family at Mount Vernon that is based on the original work by Edward Savage, the president and his wife relax with two of her grandchildren. Standing patiently off to the side is Washington’s slave, William Lee, ready to serve their needs. A contemporary work by James Gadson, "Harriet Tubman and George Washington," superimposes the images of Harriet Tubman’s family on top of the image of Washington on the dollar bill. While they were both freedom fighters in their own right, it is a reminder that the slave trade was a part of the economy on which that freedom was built.
   "There has been a huge discussion of the building they have been doing down at Independence Mall," Ms. Sajet explains. "They discovered George Washington’s house, and there were slave quarters. Washington was the founding father but the man kept slaves. He was a Virginian and he didn’t have the courage to do anything about the slave issue until his death, when he requested his slaves be freed.
   "There are certain members of our community who see Washington in a very different light, and I did want to signal that in the exhibition without it being a denigration to Washington. He is an important figure and is much to be admired. On the other hand, there are certain things of the time that should make us question that."
   Other historical depictions take the form of a political cartoon, a board game, a Civil Rights-era lithograph by Currier and Ives, as well as contemporary rendition of Emannuel Leutze’s "Washington Crossing the Delaware." The exhibit also includes a selection of English creamware made for the American market between 1790 to 1810.
   But even among his critics, his image manages to transcend the trappings of human fallibility. As the father of our country, he is a symbol of the great potential that America has to offer, a representation of the effort it takes to overcome obstacles in pursuit of a dream that continues to thrive.
   "There is this wonderful quote from (the late 18th century) by an Englishman," Ms Sajat says. "He said, ‘Even though we’ve lost the Americas and even though they are our enemy, you have to admire Washington for what he did.’"
The National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St., Philadelphia, opens July 4, noon-8:30 p.m., July 5-6, 9:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Regular hours begin July 7: Daily 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission costs $6, $5 for seniors, students and children; free under age 4. Advance purchase is strongly recommended. For information, call (866) 917-1787. On the Web: www.constitutioncenter.org
The Living Landmark: Philadelphia’s Independence Hall is on view at the Atwater Kent Museum, 15 S. 7th St., Philadelphia, through December. Hours: Mon., Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission costs $5, $3 seniors and ages 13-17; free under age 13. For information, call (215) 685-4830. On the Web: www.philadelphiahistory.org
George Washington: Picturing a Legend is on view at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 118 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, through Sept. 7. Hours: Tues.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission costs $5, $4 seniors and students, $3 children age 5-18; free under age 5. For information, call (215) 972-7600. On the Web: www.pafa.org