Adornment and Allegiance: Tortoiseshell and the Formation of American Identity
The eagle has long been a symbol of American pride, but a tortoiseshell comb in the Albany Room invites us to consider the role of another animal. Hawksbill turtles, from which tortoiseshells are painfully taken, swam oceans away from the emerging nation. This distance did not make the valued material un-American, but rather, a powerful symbol of how the former colonies were becoming a colonizing force themselves. In its current location, du Pont’s placement of the comb in a room packed with imagery of eagles and agrarian bliss also offers the opportunity to consider his vision of early Americana. This virtual lecture is presented by Estrella Salgado, Fellow, Winterthur Program in American Material Culture (WPAMC). Registration required. Free.