A Conservation Effort Comes to a Close

In May of 2023, Bennington Museum received significant funding from two grants to restore an 1811 two-sided cream silk and painted flag of the Washington Benevolent Society, of Bennington, Vermont.

Politics in early America were bitterly diverse in ways that might feel familiar to us today. The Washington Benevolent Society was a grass-roots political group active from 1808-1816 and run by the Federalist Party to electioneer for votes. The Bennington chapter was organized in July 1811 by Gov. Isaac Tichenor. It was originally formed as a group intending to provide relief for members in distress (hence the name,) but very quickly its political aims dominated the agenda.

At that time, Americans were divided between the Federalist party (which favored strong central government) and the Democratic-Republican party (which championed individual liberty and free trade.) The Federalists also supported good relations with Great Britain, which became increasingly strained as the War of 1812 approached.

The patriotic iconography on the banner and George Washington’s name were intended to associate Federalist politics with American values. The seventeen gold seven-pointed stars encircling image on the banner symbolize the seventeen states in the Union at that time. For many years after the Society was disbanded, their processional banner hung in the Tichenor house. It was given to the Museum by descendants in 1927 and restored according to the practice of the day. It hung in the Museum’s Church Gallery for many years, but until this restoration was completed was too fragile to continue to display.

The conservation project was carried out by Spicer Art Conservation in Delmar, NY, the areas’ preeminent textile conservator. The work reversed the previous treatment from 1928 which added many un-original stitched embellishments. The front of the banner was separated from the back, which will be safely stored until its restoration can take place at later date. The front was then cleaned, stabilized, humidified, rehoused and retuned the the Museum almost a year after it left the premises.

The banner is now hanging in the Center Gallery along with other artifacts relating to the Washington Benevolent Society political campaigns.

We are so grateful that this project was made possible in part through the generous sponsorship of the Brattleboro Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation.