George Washington King

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George Washington King (February 26, 1813 – December 16, 1893) American jeweler, watchmaker and clockmaker was born in Newton, New Jersey and lived most of his life in Morristown, New Jersey. His store was on the east side of the town square (between the Methodist Church and South Street). He was married to Cordelia Francis Cavender King (b. 1813 d. 1900) where they lived in their home at 125 Washington St. at the base of Fort Nonsense (a redoubt held by George Washington). *1

George King was related by marriage to the Vails. Judge Stephen Vail owned Speedwell Iron Works on the banks of the Whippany River and Speedwell Lake. Alfred Vail, his son, was instrumental in convincing Samuel Morse,in 1837,to bring his telegraph instrument to Speedwell so that Vail and Professor Leonard Gale could perfect it, where the telegraph worked in front of 100 people on January 6, 1838.

In 1838, Samuel Morse completed a portrait of George W. King, the clockmaker. Label on the painting notes it was painted from life at Speedwell Iron Works Morristown, NJ. The location for the sitting was across from Judge Stephen Vail's home in the house belonging to his son George Vail. The painting has George King seated in a red chair in front of a window with a view of both Speedwell Lake and Fort Nonsense.

To further his message in the painting, Morse had George King holding a letter in his left hand. The paper is laid open to reveal George King's letterhead at the top: GWK. Morse cleverly painted dashes and dots on the letter in George King's hand showing Morse's code. In 1837, Morse had drawn a "System of Signs" to be used along with the telegraph, that eventually became commonly known as Morse Code.

1919: Thomas Benedict Clarke from his personal collection of American Portraits

• 1 Early American Portraits Collected by Mr. Thomas B. Clarke American Art Association NY 1919 "Deluxe Illustrated Catalogue of Early American Portraits"

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