Mount Vernon, George Washington's private residence for more than forty years, is one of the most recogniz-able great homes in the United States and one of the nation's first efforts in historic preservation. The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon provides the first official publication of this exceptional collection at George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens. Since 1860 Washington's Virginia estate has been owned by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association who have brought together and maintained nearly 30,000 objects owned by George and Martha Washington or associated with their lives and legacies. Selected silver, ceramics, glass, furniture, textiles, metals, paintings, and miniatures, as well as personal items, are presented in the context of Washington's life as a Virginia planter, commander in chief, United States president, and retired public servant. From his purchasing habits of the 1750s through his retirement from public service in 1797, George Washington defined each of his roles in Colonial and Federal America.