At first I didn't think I had any vintage ads with George Washington like I did for
President Lincoln. And then I remembered that I have a July/August 1976 Bicentennial edition of the
Saturday Evening Post and found several where he's featured
The introduction to this edition of the magazine features a painting by
Norman Rockwell captioned
"Norman Rockwell painted a sign painter replacing George III with America's own George, Washington, a symbolic changing of the guard which would alter man's thinking both in the palace and in the street. This appeared in the February 22, 1936 Post."
President George isn't usually used in many ads but of course he was featured in several during the Bicentennial.
And then ads with cherries remind me of GW. I know the story is considered lore but it is a worthy one speaking the virtues of telling the truth (Excerpt taken from
here )
"When George," said she, "was about six years old, he was made the wealthy master of a hatchet! of which, like most little boys, he was immoderately fond, and was constantly going about chopping every thing that came in his way. One day, in the garden, where he often amused himself hacking his mother's pea-sticks, he unluckily tried the edge of his hatchet on the body of a beautiful young English cherry-tree, which he barked so terribly, that I don't believe the tree ever got the better of it. The next morning the old gentleman finding out what had befallen his tree, which, by the by, was a great favourite, came into the house, and with much warmth asked for the mischievous author, declaring at the same time, that he would not have taken five guineas for his tree. Nobody could tell him any thing about it. Presently George and his hatchet made their appearance. George, said his father, do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry-tree yonder in the garden? This was a tough question; and George staggered under it for a moment; but quickly recovered himself: and looking at his father, with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all-conquering truth, he bravely cried out, "I can't tell a lie, Pa; you know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet."--Run to my arms, you dearest boy, cried his father in transports, run to my arms; glad am I, George, that you killed my tree; for you have paid me for it a thousand fold. Such an act of heroism in my son, is more worth than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold.
Cherry Cherie Foremost Ice Cream
February 15, 1960 Life Magazine
Carnation Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream
February 1, 1963 Life Magazine
Swanson Frozen Fruit Pies
March 18, 1957 Life Magazine
My post was to wish George Washington a "Happy Birthday" on his birthday February 22 but I just learned he was actually born February 11th according to
this website!
Q: Why is Washington's birthday celebrated on February 22 when he was born on February 11th?
A: February 11th was GW's birthday according to the Julian (Old Style) calendar, but in 1752, the corrections of the Gregorian (New Style) Calendar were adopted by England, Ireland, and the colonies, and GW's birthday became 22 February [Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds., The Diaries of George Washington, vol. VI, January 1790–December 1799 (Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, 1979) 282.]
Under England's interpretation of the Julian Calendar the new year began on 25 March. Because the year under the Julian Calendar was 365 days 6 hours, by the sixteenth century a considerable surplus had accumulated, moving the vernal equinox from 21 to 11 March. The error was corrected in 1582 by the Gregorian Calendar (New Style), adopted by most European countries. By 1752, when Great Britain adopted the Gregorian Calendar, the displacement was 11 days.[Donald Jackson, ed., The Diaries of George Washington, vol. I, 1748-65 (Charlottesville, VA: University Press of Virginia, 1976), 6.]
So happy belated 280th birthday George!
