Exhibition The Two Georges: Parallel Lives in an Age of Revolution

Most people think of George Washington and King George III as opponents and opposites. Our understanding of them is clouded by myths about Washington’s cherry tree and wooden teeth, and George III’s tyranny and his reputation as the “Mad King.” Their writings, featured in this exhibition, tell a fuller story, revealing them as people we can get to know.

This exhibition brings together three extraordinary collections — George Washington’s papers from the Library of Congress, George III’s scientific instruments from the Science Museum Group in London, and George III’s papers from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives — for the first time. These materials allow us to examine the parallel lives of these two men, who were born just six years apart. They show how both were shaped by the British Empire, the Enlightenment, and revolution. They reveal their shared interests in science and agriculture and illuminate how they approached the challenges of their time, including war, slavery, politics, and the pressures of public life.

Banner image: Left: Benjamin West. George III, 1779 (detail). © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2025 | Royal Collection Trust. Right: Charles Willson Peale. George Washington at Princeton, ca. 1779 (detail). Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art.