New Sculpture Pays Tribute to America’s First President

Mechanical Steampunk Cherry Tree Officially Planted at Park & Ford Apartments in Alexandria, VA

Taking inspiration from the famed boyhood myth in which a 6-year-old George Washington said, “I can not tell a lie, Pa…”, Bruce Rosenbaum and Jon Bander collaborate to reimagine a mechanical, kinetic tree that defends a forest from vandals and thieves.

While the historic fable has shown to be fiction, the fact remains that the Park & Ford Apartments now stand on land once named “Washington Forest” – purchased by George Washington in 1775.

At the time, Washington’s chief complaint was trespassers on the land who illegally cut and stole the trees.

“We like to say Steampunk is the intersection of History + Art + Technology,” said Bruce Rosenbaum. “In this example we are also willing to embellish and expand upon the “mythology” with the George Washington Mechanical Cherry Tree sculpture.”

Standing 14 ft. high, with branches spanning 12 ft. wide, the tree’s frame is constructed of steel pipes and aluminum. Its trunk and large branches are adorned with found objects including antique tree saws, axes, gears, and a ship’s beacon lantern.

Approximately 1,500 petaled flowers give the appearance of a cherry tree in full bloom. These aluminum petals are attached to over 100 small branches, 27 of which are electrically wired.

The city of Alexandria experienced tremendous growth from 1899 – 1915 as one of Virginia’s leading industrial and manufacturing centers.

The tree’s electrical lights are repurposed glass bottles, which pays homage to a bottle factory that once operated nearby on the same land where the mechanical tree now stands.

As Rosenbaum and Bander explored the land’s history with the client, it was revealed that Washington was so unhappy with the lumber being stolen from his forest that he had the property insured for the value of its trees.

“We began to reimagine these metal “tree guardians” forming a perimeter,” explained Rosenbaum. “Built to help General Washington defend his forest from intruders and tree poaching – now and forever.”

“This is a Steampunk Cherry Tree,” said Liz Egodesky, VP of the project developer, Lowe Enterprises, Inc., pointing to a piece of art her group commissioned for the properties – From the Wall Street Journal  “Underused Office Buildings Get New Life as Deluxe Apartments” – [Click Title for WSJ Article]

With such a rich historical narrative to their work, the artists could not help but incorporate a few hidden “tidbits” and Easter eggs into their design.

Visitors who look closely will find 4 antique glass bottles made in Alexendria among the bottle lights. Embedded in the trunk detail is a U.S. quarter, 13 stars representing the original colonies, Washington’s signature, the dates he held office, and a heart with a carving of the initials “GW+MW”. On one of the branches sits a cardinal signifying the Virginia state bird.