WILLIAMSBURG (AP).- A new exhibition at Colonial Williamsburg is showcasing maps and prints of early America.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation says the exhibition called "More Than Meets the Eye: Maps and Prints of Early America" will be on display at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum through next April. The exhibition showcases two important new acquisitions to the foundation's collections.

Among the most important pieces is British portrait of Col. Isaac Barre, who served as major and adjutant general at the 1759 Battle of Quebec during the French and Indian War. He also served in Parliament where he earned a reputation for his opposition to British taxation of the American colonies. Barre also coined the description of the American patriots as "Sons of Liberty."

The portrait is the foundation's first by Sir Joshua Reynolds, one of the founding members of the Royal Academy, an institution established in 1768 by act of King George III and the first to provide professional training for artists in Britain.

Barre's portrait also features a map in which the colony of Virginia outlined in red. When the foundation received the painting, curators identified the map in the painting. The map was published in London in 1755. A map book containing an imprint of the map was also recently acquired and is on display with the portrait.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation operates and maintains the preserved 18th century site as an educational and tourist venue.


Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.