The Society of the Cincinnati’s collections are the backbone of our temporary exhibitions, which explore the history of the Society and Anderson House and its first owners, Larz and Isabel Anderson—along with aspects of the American Revolution and its legacy. This selection of past exhibitions highlights themes ranging from the founding of the Society and the lives of its members during the Civil War to the life of Isabel Anderson and photographs of Anderson House taken by Frances Benjamin Johnston in the 1910s.

These exhibitions are no longer on view. For information on our current exhibition open to the public, visit Now on View on the website of the Society of the Cincinnati’s American Revolution Institute.

The Secret History of the Society of the Cincinnati

In the spring of 1783, after enduring eight long years of war, the main part of America’s Revolutionary army was camped along the Hudson River in New York waiting for word that a peace treaty had been signed. The soldiers—officers and enlisted men alike—had not been paid in months, in some cases longer, and feared being sent home without their pay. Rumors spread that the soldiers would ...

Pierre L'Enfant's Vision for the American Republic

The French artist and engineer Pierre-Charles L’Enfant (1754-1825) made vital contributions to the early formation of the American nation and American identity. As a foreign volunteer during the Revolutionary War and, later, as a citizen of the new nation, L’Enfant created imagery, architecture, and city landscapes that memorialized America’s republican principles of liberty and civic engagement. His work helped define the new American republic and ...

Once in Every Three Years: The Triennial Meetings of the Society of the Cincinnati, 1784-2010

The Institution of the Society of the Cincinnati, adopted on May 13, 1783, directs that delegates to the General Society will meet the “on the first Monday in May, annually, so long as they shall be necessary, and afterwards, at least once in every three years.” The first general meeting convened in Philadelphia on May 4, 1784, and lasted two full weeks. Since then, with just a few gaps in ...

"The Reward of Patriotism"— Commemorating America's Heroes of the War of 1812

Viewed by many as a second war for independence, the War of 1812 tested the new American nation’s sovereignty, identity, and military just thirty years after its Revolution. The United States declared war against the British after suffering nearly a decade of abuses on the high seas as a result of the Napoleonic Wars between Great Britain and France. With the battle cry “Free Trade and Sailors’ Rights,” the ...

The Adventurous Life of Isabel Anderson

Philanthropist. War nurse. Political commentator. World traveler. Patriot. Author. Arts patron. Isabel Anderson filled her life—spanning the centennial of the American Revolution and World War II—with pursuits that both fulfilled and challenged the expectations for a woman of her generation. She valued history and tradition, but refused to follow what she considered outdated customs. She embraced the duties of a society wife and hostess, but sought more meaningful ...

"Picturesque Effects"—Frances Benjamin Johnston's Photographs of Anderson House

In May 1910, Frances Benjamin Johnston photographed one of Washington’s grandest homes, Anderson House, which had taken its place on Massachusetts Avenue five years earlier. Johnston would become one of the first American women to achieve distinction as a photographer. Her photographs of Anderson House—which had never been exhibited or published together until this exhibition—reveal both the photographer’s techniques and the original appearance of the historic ...