Other· 1790s
George Washington’s hair, filed in a 1793 almanac
By the Editors · As reported by The History Blog, 19 February 2018
FoundSchenectady, New York, United States
Tucked inside Gaines Universal Register, or American and British Kalendar for 1793
During an inventory at Union College’s Schaffer Library in Schenectady, New York, archivists opened a red leather almanac for 1793 that had belonged to Philip J. Schuyler, son of a college founder. Inside was an envelope holding a small bundle of grey hair tied with thread and labelled as Washington’s. The note says James A. Hamilton, son of Alexander and Eliza Hamilton, received it from his mother in 1871. Without a clear chain of custody the hair cannot be DNA-tested, but the handwriting supports the label, and the college began conserving it.
This is our summary of a find reported in the press. For the full story, photographs and any updates, read the original report in The History Blog.