Florence County Museum is pleased to present two signature exhibitions about General Francis Marion in conjunction with South Carolina’s recognition of the American Revolutionary War Sestercentennial

LEGEND: Francis Marion in the Pee Dee opened February 14th in the museum’s Special Exhibits Gallery.

The exhibition focuses on important 19th century American artworks depicting Marion and his militia during the Revolutionary War, and how these artworks contributed to the legend that surrounded Marion in the early decades of American Independence.

“It is the first exhibition of its kind,” says museum curator Stephen W. Motte.

Artworks will include the famous painting Marion Inviting a British Officer to Share His Meal, by South Carolina artist John Blake White, on loan to the exhibition from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Also on loan to the exhibit is Marion Crossing the Pee Dee, by American painter William T. Ranney. This is the largest of Francis Marion history paintings created during the 19th century and is on loan from the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, Texas.

“These paintings are the two greatest contributions to the Marion legend in American art,” says museum curator Stephen Motte, “but they are not alone. The exhibition contains work from other significant artists who were interpreting the Marion story. What is unique about all of them together is that they are firmly set in the Pee Dee, linking the Marion legend directly to us.”

One of the most intriguing items on loan to the exhibition is a recently re-discovered painting from the private collection of the Oakland Club in Pineville, SC, just minutes away from Marion’s final resting place in Berkeley County. “The representation of Marion and the symbolism are completely unique,” says Motte.

“In this part of the state we have become so familiar with Marion that we tend to think of him as a local hero, but when you look at the historical, literary, and artistic record it becomes obvious that from the 1820s to the 1880s, Marion was much larger on the cultural stage. He was a national icon because of his military activities here,” Motte says.

“Although paintings are a significant part of the exhibition, it is not just about art,” Motte adds.

The exhibition also incorporates artifacts recently recovered from archaeological sites associated with Marion’s local military activities in the Pee Dee. These artifacts were recovered during archaeology conducted in the early 2000s by Francis Marion University’s Trail Commission.

This exhibition will be the first time these artifacts have been publicly exhibited.

Francis Marion University’s James Rogers Library is also contributing some significant documents to the exhibition, including Marion’s original officer’s commission papers.

In addition to LEGEND, The Museum's Education Gallery will feature a multi-dimensional exhibition highlighting archeological sites alongside the lore of the Snow's Island Community. Inspired by Steven D. Smith's book, Francis Marion and the Snow Island Community, and the artwork of James H. Palmer, viewers will be asked to consider the setting, characters, and the invisible communities of untold stories. The exhibition aims to encourage and develop digital and critical literacies. A portion of the exhibition is funded by an SC250 Education Grant.

LEGEND: Francis Marion in the Pee Dee was made possible through the generosity of our exhibit sponsors: Mr. and Mrs. Jim Anderson, Archaeological Institute of the Pee Dee, Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation, Eastern Carolina Community Foundation: Blackwell Ervin Florence County Museum Endowment Fund, Florence County Council, Florence County Museum Foundation, Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd PA, South Carolina Society Sons of the Revolution, Trustees of the Florence Museum.

For more information, visit flocomuseum.org or call the museum at 843.676.1200.