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The "America’s 14 Forgotten Presidents Before Washington" Collection


Above: (Ninth from the left) David McKean, former Ambassador to Luxembourg under President Barack Obama, and a descendant of President Thomas McLean, and (tenth from the left) Peter Hanson Michael, a descendant of President John Hanson, speak at the 2017 Grand Opening of "The Hall of Presidents Before Washington" exhibit at the Annapolis Westin with other McKean and Hanson descendants, the Brown family (owners of the collection), Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh, Annapolis Mayor Michael Pantelides, and the Director of the exhibit, Mark Croatti.

The "America's Forgotten 14 Presidents Before Washington" collection is owned by the Brown brothers. Here they accept citations from Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh for their contributions to historical preservation at the 2017 Grand Opening.
Brothers George, Sam,and Dr.Steve Brown with the originals at the 2013 National Continental Congress Festival at the Annapolis Masonic Lodge. The originals rarely go on public display; the exhibit at the Westin includes exact laser replicas of the originals.

Below are the images of the documents. To visit our interactive presidential portrait collection, click HERE

Peyton Randolph    

Henry Middleton
John Hancock
         Henry Laurens                
        John Jay          
Samuel Huntington
Thomas McKean

John Hanson

Elias Boudinot                    
Thomas Mifflin      

Richard Henry Lee
Nathaniel Gorham
     Arthur St. Clair      
Cyrus Griffin
Each document is framed along with a portrait of the president who signed it and bios explaining the life of the president and what is taking place in the document. There are magnifying glasses that allow visitors to see every last detail of the documents, especially the currency. Supplementing the framed documents, portraits and bios are information panels that provide even greater detail behind each president's life, including the most important accomplishments that took place while they were president. Other framed document replicas include the Declaration of Independence; currency from all 13 colonies; a note signed by Robert Morris, the financier of the American Revolution; the Articles of Confederation; the signed Treaty of Paris; and the printed proclamation of the ratified Treaty of Paris.
PLEASE NOTE: Colonial-attired personnel are only present at designated book signings, lectures and festivals.