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| View Original: | The_President's_House_by_George_Munger,_1814-1815_-_Crop.jpg (2085x1176) | |||
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| Keywords: The President's House by George Munger, 1814-1815 - Crop.jpg The President's House circa 1814-1815 Watercolor on paper cm 30 2 39 9 White House Washington D C United States White House copy of the watercolor Notes by Kloss William et al Art in the White House A Nation's Pride Washington D C The White House Historical Association 2008 The burned-out shell of a once elegant and imposing house stands alone in the landscape It is the White House as it looked following the conflagration of August 24 1814 the low point of the War of 1812 The fire was the work of British troops the first--and only--foreign army to invade the capital city of the United States Viewed from the northeast from the public common the empty scene is a vivid reminder of the elemental state of the capital city at that date One prominent but puzzling detail is the S-curved shape above the near corner of the roof It is most readily interpreted as part of a lightning protection system Not a lightning rod given its length but rather part of the metallic conductor that encircled the roof now torn from its mooring This record of fact could also be interpreted ironically since the British had destroyed what thunder and lightning could not The White House Historical Association Other versions http //www whitehouseresearch org/assetbank-whha/action/viewAsset id 245 <gallery>File The President's House by George Munger 1814-1815 jpg uncropped version</gallery> PD-Art-100 cropped minor retouches contrast fix History of Washington D C Historic fires War of 1812 in art White House in 1814 Paintings in the White House ImageNote 1 857 136 159 149 2085 1176 2 One prominent but puzzling detail is the S-curved shape above the near corner of the roof It is most readily interpreted as part of a lightning protection system Not a lightning rod given its length but rather part of the metallic conductor that encircled the roof now torn from its mooring This record of fact could also be interpreted ironically since the British had destroyed what thunder and lightning could not ImageNoteEnd 1 | ||||
