This saucepan would have been used by Mount Vernon’s kitchen slaves to prepare meals for the Washingtons and their guests. Made of copper, the saucepan is lined with tin to avoid the distinctive metallic taste imparted to food by copper…

First published in England in 1747, Hannah Glasse’s The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy was probably the best-known and most widely used cookbook in both England and the American colonies in the eighteenth century. The book went through a…

This basket was probably purchased for Martha Washington in Philadelphia in 1795. She would have used it to hold bulkier items as she sewed, which supports the family legend that the basket often held George Washington’s socks while Martha darned…

This footstool is identified by script on the underside that reads “This stool was owned by Martha Washington and given to Nellie Custis her grand child…”  Martha would likely have used this stool as she was sewing (image…

Martha Washington’s granddaughter Eliza Custis Law purchased this chair at the 1802 public auction following Martha’s death. Family tradition identifies it as Martha’s sewing chair. Because of the amount of high-quality fabric…

This short boxwood ruler was used for various sewing projects. Martha was a dedicated seamstress throughout her entire life. This ruler was typical of the period; there would likely have been several such instruments at Mount Vernon. Martha’s…

Martha Washington was an avid seamstress. While much of her time was spent directing the work of servants and slaves, she produced many pieces of needlework. This shell pattern was cross-stitched by Martha herself over a period of decades. The…

This tea service was presented as a gift to the Washingtons in the early 1780s from the Comte de Custine-Sarreck, who had served under George Washington and General Rochambeau at Yorktown. It was designed specifically for the Washingtons and made at…

This bureau dressing table was made by Williamsburg cabinetmaker Peter Scott, and is the only known documented piece of furniture made by him. It was purchased by Daniel Parke Custis in 1754. Martha Custis brought it to Mount Vernon after her…

Imported Chinese luxury goods had long been popular in the American colonies. Such goods became more readily available when trade with China opened up after the Revolution. George Washington purchased this lacquered Chinese dressing glass for his…