Old ivy from Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, Virginia

Unknown artist

This piece of ivy belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Frederic W. Huidekoper of Washington, D.C. Frederic Huidekoper was a prominent figure in the American railroad and steel industries. This souvenir came to the museum along with Huidekoper’s collection of geological specimens gathered throughout the country during his railroad and steel days. Though the museum’s scientists pronounced the ivy as “worthless,” it was accepted as part of the collection.