Thistlethwaite Americana | Celebration of Lafayette’s Return To Alexandria, VA

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19171

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Celebration of Lafayette’s Return To Alexandria, VA

American, possibly New York

Watercolor on Paper

Circa 1920

When the Marquis de Lafayette returned to America in 1824, he was celebrated as a national hero and went on tour all over the United States. While in Alexandria, Virginia, he stayed in a house on the corner of Duke and St. Asaph St. This watercolor depicts Lafayette arriving at the home. The crowd and the background are slightly fictitious as buck skins would not have been appropriate attire in Alexandria during this period. The home where Lafayette stayed still stands today and is easily identifiable by its front facade as shown in the watercolor. Lafayette was supposed to address the citizen on the steps of the house, however, due to his height, he was too short to be seen; so he crossed the street and addressed the city on the steps of the Delaney House.