“Washington’s Tomb”

This sheet music cover for the 1850 ballad titled "Washington's Tomb" bears a lithographed depiction of the Washington family crypt at Mount Vernon. Created in 1831, the burial vault holds the remains of George and Martha Washington and other family members. In accordance with Washington's will, this mausoleum replaced an earlier, smaller one on the grounds at Mount Vernon. 

The image depicts a white family visiting the memorial, while an African American man with a number of canes beside him sits outside of it. In the nineteenth century, free and enslaved African Americans sold memorabilia to visitors at Mount Vernon, including hand-carved canes, which were then in vogue. The "Washington cane" was considered a valuable souvenir for visitors to bring back home.