Pierre Eugene du Simitiere

Pierre Eugène du Simitière (* September 18, 1737 in Geneva, † October 1784 in Philadelphia ) was a Swiss- American artist, philosopher and member of the American Philosophical Society.

You Simitière left in 1750 to Switzerland and stayed until about 1765 in the West Indies, until he emigrated to New York and finally in 1766 to Philadelphia ( Pennsylvania). In 1768 he was elected member of the American Philosophical Society.

As a passionate advocate of the American War of Independence, he was one of the first collectors around the war history and was very well known for it. This collection he supplemented by a number of his portraits of American -made leader. Of these, thirteen were published in Paris in 1781 and also published separately. His collection became so famous that he made ​​available to the public in 1782 under the name American Museum of Natural History.

You Simitière was artistic adviser to the federal government of the United States. The idea to use the All-Seeing Eye in the seal of the United States, is well on his proposal back as the motto E pluribus unum on the banner of the front of the seal.

Today there is a large part of his collection in the Free Library of Philadelphia. The College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1781 awarded him the title of Master of Arts honorary.