Renowned Carver Allan Breed Talks May 11

Wood carving MARK YOUR CALENDAR

The Wentworth Lear Historic Houses announces a special carving demonstration and lecture by local carver, cabinetmaker and founder of The Breed School, Allan Breed on Saturday, May 11 at 2:00 pm. This special event compliments the "The Many Faces of George Washington," now on display through June 1. (Continued below)

Allan Breed has more than 30 years of experience as a furniture maker and carver. During his career, he has built reproduction furniture and architectural carvings for historic museums around New England including the Peabody Essex Museum, Strawbery Banke, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and others. He has also been commissioned by Christie’s Auction House to reproduce antiques and has been an instructor at both Christie’s and Sotheby’s. In addition, he has lectured on furniture connoisseurship and construction at many museums around the country, including Philadelphia Museum of Art, Winterthur Museum, The Dallas Museum of Art, MESDA, and The Henry Ford Museum.

Breed began his furniture career at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston at the age of 19. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of New Hampshire. In addition to his commission work, Breed currently teaches carving, cabinetmaking, and hand tool skills in the manner of the 18^th century workers at The Breed School in Rollinsford, NH.

"As a man of means, George Washington would have ordered his furniture from a craftsman with Allan’s skill and talent," said Stacey Fraser deHaan, House Manager of the Wentworth Lear Historic Houses. "We are fortunate to have a local artisan on-hand who can demonstrate and discuss the techniques popular during the 18^th Century as part of ‘The Many Faces of George Washignton Exhibit’ at the Wentworth Lear Historic Houses."

The national traveling panel exhibition, “The Many Faces of George Washington,” opened to the public on Friday, April 26, 2013 and examines the multi-dimensional, real-life man behind the myth. The Wentworth Lear Historic Houses is pleased to be the only northern New England organization to host this special exhibition in 2013. The exhibition was produced by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association in conjunction with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and was made possible by a generous grant from the F.M. Kirby Foundation. Wentworth Lear Historic Houses exhibit sponsors include Mrs. Rogers M. Doering, Piscataqua Savings, the Chandler’s Loft and People’s United Insurance Agency.

Through dazzling color graphics of paintings, photographs, and iconic objects from the Mount Vernon collections, “The Many Faces of George Washington” provides background and insight into our nation’s first President, a man whom many recognize but few know much about. Spanning Washington’s entire life, the exhibit focuses on the traits that made him a beloved leader and the choices that helped establish a stable democratic government. The exhibit looks at Washington’s leadership in the exhibition’s seven sections: Virginia Childhood, Risk Taker, Realistic Visionary, Wise Decision Maker, Impassioned Learner, Visionary Entrepreneur, and At Home at Mount Vernon.

The exhibition is open to the public through June 1, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5:00 pm (last tour leaves each day at 4:00 pm). Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for Seniors, and $5 for children (children under 5 are free) and includes access to the Wentworth Gardner and Tobias Lear houses as well as the historic warehouse. Groups interested in scheduling a visit should contact Stacey Fraser deHaan at 436-4406. The Wentworth Lear Historic Houses are located at 50 Mechanic Street in Portsmouth, NH.

For information about the "The Many Faces of George Washington" exhibition or the Wentworth Lear Historic Houses, visit www.wentworthlear.org.