Princeton's Firestone Library Exhibit

 Around midnight on Friday, I watched as MS NOW livestreamed the scaffolding set up in front of The Kennedy Center in anticipation of 45/47's name coming off of it. That was on just one site. There were others set up. I've heard estimates as high as a million people watching the scaffolding into the wee hours of his birthday weekend, even as a screen went up blocking the view of the actual scraping.

We are hungry for some signs of the tide
turning. It reminds me of this picture at the top of my post currently hanging in Princeton University's Firestone Library of people toppling the statue of King George in New York City's Bowling Green. The statue was then melted down and turned into bullets. The exhibit, Nursery of Rebellion: Princeton and the American Revolution, is running through July 12, 2026. I highly recommend local friends visiting. If you don't live locally, or are busy, the entire exhibit has been digitized.

Back to the image. It is called The destruction of the Royal Statue in New York, circa 1776. It depicts ropes attached to the statue, and men holding each one as they topple the statue. I dream of a day we are toppling many golden images, but for now I am celebrating that his name came off of The Kennedy Center, a performing arts center Congress named in memory of a former president. As one commentator said, it was as if he put his name on Kennedy's grave. The fact that hundreds of thousands of people watching along with me, and more were in person, is testament that I am not alone in my feelings. 

The exhibit has many jaw dropping artifacts, many donated by alumnus William Scheide '36. As you pass the guard's desk there is a copy of the Declaration of Independence. A copy, as in one of the 200 printed immediately after it was signed in Philadelphia. A copy as in only one of the 26 known that still exist. That kind of copy.

At the end of the exhibit is a similarly rare copy of the Constitution, also donated by Mr. Scheide.

In between are other artifacts, some on loan, some donated by alumni. I walked in at the same time as an older couple. The wife had heard an online discussion about the exhibit and just how hard it was for them to narrow down and select artifacts because they had so many.

One example of this was they thought they had the one copy of Thomas Paine's Common Sense they wanted to display, only to realize they also had a copy that was distributed in Britain. The British copy (also owned by Mr. Scheide) was censored, so the owner penned in the missing words to match the original one distributed in the United States.

Along one wall is a copy of the Charles Wilson Peale painting of General George Washington in front of Nassau Hall called George Washington at the Battle of Princeton. I saw someone taking a picture of it, so I told him if he wanted to see the original it is on display in the Princeton University Art Museum. At 237 cm. (7 feet 9 inches) it brings you into the scene. It is worthy of the five minute walk to see it in person.

I gave tourist advice to others.

As I was leaving the security guard commented I was very knowledgeable. It felt good to have someone tell me that as often I feel I know a little about a lot, but not enough to feel like an expert in anything.

I recommend either visiting in person or electronically. It is a way to get in the mood for the semiquincentennial.