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The Seal of the
State of Washington Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washingt ...
contains a portrait of
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
, the first
President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United St ...
, as painted by
Gilbert Stuart Gilbert Charles Stuart ( Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was an American painter from Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists. His best-known work is an unfinished portrait of George Wash ...
. The outer ring contains the text "The Seal of the State of Washington" and "1889", the year Washington state was admitted to the
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''U ...
. The seal is featured as the main element on both sides of the
flag of Washington The flag of Washington consists of the state seal, displaying an image of its namesake George Washington, on a field of dark green with gold fringe being optional. It is the only U.S. state flag with a field of green as well as the only state ...
. The seal was designed by Charles Talcott, based on a painting by Gilbert Stuart. Originally the seal was to be a scene featuring
Mount Rainier Mount Rainier (), indigenously known as Tahoma, Tacoma, Tacobet, or təqʷubəʔ, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With a su ...
, but Talcott proposed the design featuring George Washington instead.


Seal of the Lieutenant Governor

There is also a seal of the Lieutenant Governor of Washington, created in 1959. The seal was created to mirror aspects of regional interest that embody the traditions and culture of Washington state. The seal is represented by the official state symbols of the willow goldfinch, chosen in 1951 by a run-off between the
meadowlark Meadowlarks are New World grassland birds belonging to genera '' Sturnella'' and '' Leistes''. This group includes seven species of largely insectivorous grassland birds. In all species the male at least has a black or brown back and extensivel ...
and the goldfinch; the coast rhododendron, voted in by Washington women prior to universal suffrage in 1892; and the twin gavels of the state legislature, representing the bipartisan spirit of lawmaking, all enclosed in a circle. At the center is the state capitol building in Olympia, one of the tallest masonry domes in the world. Two western hemlocks, the state tree since 1947, flank the seal's outer edges. File:LtGovWaSeal.png,
Seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
of the
Lieutenant Governor of Washington The lieutenant governor of Washington is an elected office in the U.S. state of Washington. The incumbent is Denny Heck, a Democrat who began his term in January 2021. The lieutenant governor serves as president of the Washington State Senate, f ...


References

Symbols of Washington (state)
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
George Washington in art 1889 introductions {{Washington-stub