INSIDE JYF SPRING 2024

INSIDE JYF

from the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

As winter awakens into spring, we invite you to rediscover the story of America’s beginnings and find renewed meaning in the history shared by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. In this issue of INSIDE JYF, you’ll gain insight to the inner workings and philosophy of “doing history” at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, a concept that has spread through academic and public history institutions for more than a decade.

More recently the American Association for State and Local History has championed the notion of taking a holistic view of history through diverse interpretations and strive for a more inclusive future in the ways we look at the past. From the deliberate and meticulous work of researching and selecting artifacts for our exhibit spaces to interpreting living history, look inside the pages to see how we present our collective work of American history and preserve it for future generations. Discover endeavors under way to restore Jamestown Settlement’s Susan Constant, 33 years after its commissioning, and how you can support the flagship of the official fleet of the Commonwealth. Our spring calendar is full of new and recurring favorites including the third season of the Director’s Series and a new exhibition featuring the iconic works of Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter. Partake in classic events from Military Through the Ages’ 40th anniversary to the patriotic Liberty Celebration, plus events leading to Virginia’s 250th anniversary commemoration in 2026.

We remain grateful to the countless board members, donors, staff and volunteers who shape our organization and guide our mission, past and future. With a new year commenced, we welcome you to rediscover our museums and find a renewed focus on our history’s relevance today.

Best wishes,

Christy S. Coleman Executive Director

INSIDE JYF

MARK MULLIGAN TRACY PERKINS

Editors

JOAN HEIKENS JANET KANE

CATHY FOX RAWLINS

Production Management

HOLLAND WINSLOW Designer CONTRIBUTORS

Cindy Daniel, Constance Graham, Katherine Egner Gruber, Heather Hower, Erin Koch, Lianne Koch, Mariruth Leftwich, Lisa Lucas, Cora Perkins, Deana Ricks, Melissa Gill Thompson, Glenda Turner, Meghan van Joosten

WRITERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS

Felicia Abrams, Harvey Bakari, Katherine Egner Gruber, Travis Henline, Heather Hower, Dexter Johnson, Janet Kane, Homer Lanier, Mariruth Leftwich, Greg Meland, Sarah Meschutt, Samantha Pietrinferno, Konstantin Rega, Lee Ann Shelhorse, Sally Stook, Bly Straube, Jay Templin, Meghan van Joosten

Enjoy INSIDE JYF? Support the museums by donating to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc. If you no longer wish to receive INSIDE JYF in print or would like to convert to digital, email insidejyf@jyf.virginia.gov or call (757) 253-4139.

INSIDE JYF

Volume 5, No. 1 – printed February 2024

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, an educational institution of the Commonwealth of Virginia accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, fosters through its museums—Jamestown Settlement and American Revolution Museum at Yorktown—an awareness and understanding of the early history, settlement, and development of the United States through the convergence of American Indian, European, and African cultures and the enduring legacies bequeathed to the nation.

JAMESTOWN-YORKTOWN FOUNDATION

P.O. Box 1607, Williamsburg, VA 23187

(757) 253-4838

jyfmuseums.org

CONTENTS

About the Cover

An abolitionist miniature, circa 1790-1833, with the words “Britannia Set Us Free,” was acquired for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation collection in 2023. Using this rare artifact, Senior Curator Sarah Meschutt reveals how the meticulous process of curatorial acquisitions allows the museums to convey stories of everyday objects and the known and unknown people of the past. It’s one of several stories in this issue that illustrate how JYF “does history.”

6

4

10

12

Behind the Screens

Restoration Ahead for Jamestown Settlement’s Susan Constant

Jamestown Settlement’s re-creation of the Susan Constant, flagship of the fleet that brought America’s first permanent English colonists to Virginia in 1607, has welcomed aboard millions of visitors – schoolchildren, presidents and even royalty – over the past 33 years. Read about the mammoth undertaking under way and the journey ahead to preserve the wooden vessel for future generations.

Correction

In the Fall 2023 issue, there was a misspelling of the name of Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Board of Trustees member Julie Dime. INSIDE JYF regrets this error.

‘Give Me Liberty’ in 2026 Glimpse a VA250 signature exhibition and JYF partnership with a Virginia museum.

Staff Spotlight: Wallis Quaintance

Discover how one outreach educator is enriching history lessons in Virginia classrooms.

at JYF

History is more than the events of the past. It is a dialogue between the present and the people, events, places and structures of the past. This conversation provides an opportunity to ask questions of historic sources, search out voices, examine events and motives, and ultimately make connections that help us see how the past shaped our present. The goal of more transparently communicating methods for doing history is to ensure that audiences understand how historians ask new questions, examine evidence and perspectives, and make these histories relevant.

The act of “doing history” in museums takes on many different forms, ranging from researching artifacts to creating living history. In the Museum Operations & Education division, teams from many disciplines engage in the process of doing history to create meaningful

experiences for museum audiences. The Curatorial team oversees the artifact collection and content in exhibitions, asking questions of the past through museum artifacts and archaeology and embracing cultural ways of knowing alongside evolving academic scholarship. The Education team works with a wide range of audiences, from school-aged students to lifelong learners, to connect people with history through dialogue and inquiry methods. The Visitor Experience team brings history to life for visitors in immersive living-history areas, drawing on archaeological and written sources to help re-create the past. The Digital Media team crafts content delivered through digital means, whether in the galleries or online platforms, using documentary sources to create compelling storylines for interactives and films and providing engagement opportunities for virtual audiences. In all these areas, museum professionals combine historic research to form an interpretation of the past that helps explain how complex early America created complex present-day America.

The work of history also requires that the silences in the archival and artifact collections be examined, recognizing that the dominant forces that have traditionally shaped history have excluded many voices from the historical record. Public historians are increasingly drawing on oral history, community knowledge, and the perspectives of other disciplines to complement archaeological and archival evidence to address these silences. By inviting audiences to engage with the historical method, they may see more clearly the value of inclusive approaches and become more comfortable with the ambiguous, contested and always-evolving nature of history.

—Mariruth Leftwich, Ph.D. Senior Director of Museum Operations & Education

Senior Curator Bly Straube (above) “does history” through scholarship and archaeology, while Stewart Pittman (at left) brings history to life through historical interpretation.

Acquiring the Relatable Past: Bringing History Alive through Collections

For curators, the allure and fascination of history museums are the objects and the impactful stories they tell about people and events of the past, no matter how small.

Smitten by its magnetism and active imagery, a Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation curator sourced an abolitionist miniature last winter at a North Carolina auction house, recognizing its powerful storyline about the abolitionists’ campaign to outlaw slave trafficking in British territories. Its messaging resonated with the museum’s narratives and acquisition plan and the choice artifact was acquired for the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

The composition of the abolitionist miniature – measuring six-and-a-half inches in diameter – features three figures on the seashore set behind convex glass and framed within a carved circular frame, reflecting a common English source dating to circa 1800-1820. The unknown miniaturist depicts the plight of two enslaved Black people, modeled in wax and bound by wire chains, awaiting a transport vessel and kneeling before Britannia calling for release with the words – “Britannia Set Us Free.”

At least four similar circular framed works of comparable design and execution are represented in United Kingdom and American institutional collections.

As with this acquisition, the Curatorial team makes judicious additions every year to core collections at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and Jamestown Settlement. The diligent process entails sourcing works of art and objects from sales and auctions, dealers’ listings, antique fairs and at times donations of historical and legacy artifacts.

Curators and managers work together to align their selection of artifacts proposed for acquisition with themes given in the master acquisitions plan and annual plan. This policy observes the agency's mission statement and the museum’s main objectives.

While sourcing eye-catching artifacts that relate to museum storylines, there is a growing focus to secure rare historical objects that embody the experiences of politically marginalized groups in American society. Like the miniature, these may be objects expressing the material world and spiritual beliefs of women, the narratives of captive Africans forcibly transported to

America as an enslaved labor force during the 17th and 18th centuries, or trade items and accessories that resonate with Indigenous peoples residing in America for centuries.

Each acquisition of an artifact begins with a curatorial request for approval, which is a body of research submitted to leadership that describes the source location, its physical form and condition, and its interpretative value for educational programming. Formal approval to pursue an artifact triggers a bid placement or purchase and eventual accessioning of a successful acquisition in the museum registrar’s database. When researching any proposed acquisition, curators also verify a clear title of ownership and establish a fair price for that category of object.

When strolling through a history museum and observing its artifacts on display, reflect upon their context and imagine those who made them and those who used them as everyday things. Here in these spaces, known and unknown people are memorialized by their material world of the past.

—Sarah Meschutt, Ph.D. Senior Curator

Detail of “Britannia Set Us Free” Abolitionist Miniature, 1790-1833, England. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

After Joachim Wtewael (1556-1638), “Kitchen Scene with a Parable of a Feast,” oil on canvas. (Courtesy, Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Louvre, Paris/Art Resource, N.Y.; photo, Gérard Blot). A Schweinetopf sits on a table in this busy kitchen, where fish and meat are being prepared for a feast.

At right, a reproduction of a Schweinetopf rests on a bed of coals in Jamestown Settlement’s re-created fort.

through Archaeology

A Pig Tale

How do we learn about everyday life in early 17th-century Virginia?

Historical documents rarely contain the kind of information that provides insight into the common lived experiences of people in the past.

Archaeology provides a window into the commonplace by recovering the things that people threw away or lost in a certain time and place. This is known as context, and Jamestown has proved to be an incomparable context for access to the everyday experiences of individuals in the early colony. Through the archaeological discovery of James Fort at Historic Jamestowne in 1994, much is known about the objects people at Jamestown owned and how they used them.

Pottery, which is subject to breakage during daily use but is durable as sherds in the ground, provides particularly insightful data for the archaeologist. Not only can it reveal sources of production and supply, but it also can provide information on diet and how foods were prepared. One such vessel found in James Fort excavations is a unique earthenware cooking pot known as a Schweinetopf or pig pot. As suggested by the name, the form originated in 16th-century Germany and, with its rounded body and four legs, looks like a little pig.

The Jamestown Schweinetopf was made in the late 16th or early 17th century by German potters working in southeastern England. It is a rare archaeological find in England and northern Europe, where it is associated with people and locations of high status. The early colony comprised many members of the English gentry, yet one is left wondering who brought this unusual vessel to Jamestown and how it was used. One approach to

answering this last question is through experimental archaeology, which tries to understand the past by replicating a process as closely as possible.

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation purchased a reproduction Schweinetopf to use in cooking demonstrations by living-history interpreters in Jamestown Settlement’s re-created fort. Like the more common three-legged pipkin cooking pot, the Schweinetopf sits over a bed of hot embers to heat or slowly cook food.

The interpreters have found it to be most efficient for heating sauces and wetter dishes like “Soops or butter’d Meats of Spinage.” As Fort Supervisor Jay Templin explained, “I tell people that like a microwave, it’s good for heating leftovers, but you don’t really want to cook in it.”

These first-person observations suggest the Schweinetopf was used by the Jamestown elite–those who could indulge in sauces or perhaps had more than enough to eat.

“Soops or butter’d Meats of Spinage”

Take fine young spinage, pick and wash it clean; then have a skillet or pan of fair liquor on the fire, and when it boils, put in the spinage, give it a warm or two, and take it out into a cullender, let it drain, then mince it small, and put it in a pipkin with some slic’t dates, butter, white-wine, beaten cinamon, salt, sugar, and some boil’d currans; stew them well together, and dish them on sippets finely carved, and about it hard eggs in halves or quarters, not too hard boil’d, and scrape on sugar.

—Robert May’s

“The Accomplisht Cook,” 1685 edition Visit jyfmuseums.org/recipes

—Bly Straube, Ph.D., FSA Senior Curator

Straube has been a senior curator at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation since 2020 with prior experience as the senior archaeological curator of the Jamestown Rediscovery Project at Historic Jamestowne. She wrote about the Schweinetopf in “Ceramics in America” in 2005.

Words of Power: African and Indigenous Oral Traditions

Oral traditions of keeping and transmitting history have been observed on every continent. As Europeans colonized the Americas, they encountered oral traditions of Indigenous peoples and African-born captives. Among traditional societies of West and Central Africa and Indigenous North America, there are both similarities in their form and expression and differences in language, ancestry and spirituality. These stories are transmitted across generations by word of mouth through trained

history keepers. They can relate to a person, family, clan or a tribal nation. Some are considered sacred, while others are not. These include creation stories, myths, folktales and legends. Very often these histories are connected to and embedded in the landscape, objects, songs, dances, rituals, kingships and sacred or mundane ceremonies. Protocols dictate who can tell a story, what the appropriate audience is and where and when a specific story can be told.

About the Curators

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation welcomed two new curators last year, which are critical to advancing the work of the agency’s mission to tell the stories of early Virginia history through the lens of the convergence of cultures.

Travis Henline (at right) is curator of Indigenous History and Culture and considers his work an incredible opportunity to ensure that Indigenous histories are incorporated in JYF exhibits, educational materials and interpretation. He previously worked at Hale Farm and Village in Bath, Ohio, and developed American Indian programming at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Harvey Bakari (at left) is curator of Black History and Culture, bringing considerable experience in African American history and interpretation from his tenure at Colonial Williamsburg. His work is vital to integrate African American history in museum exhibits and programs, and he is passionate about changing the way African American adults and children view themselves, families, communities and stories told in exhibit spaces.

While selection and training varied by culture, tribal region and time period, history keepers were usually specially designated individuals chosen at a young age, sometimes from key social units. For example, the griot (French) of West Africa was chosen by family heredity and used music and instruments such as the kora to preserve knowledge of kingships, family lineage, and historical events for kings, queens and commoners.

Among Iroquoian peoples of America, the selected keepers of wampum belts utilized these mnemonic devices to record and transmit tribal histories. A child’s aptitude for remembering, recording and narrating was noticed and encouraged early on by elders who stayed alert for those with appropriate abilities. They were carefully trained until they knew the information verbatim. Knowledgeable listeners provided corrections if recollection was amiss. These history keepers were often intellectually gifted and animated performers.

Oral traditions continue to be used and valued by African and Indigenous American societies in the present. Much more than just stories, they are valid forms of history keeping and historical consciousness that serve as a collective inheritance. These traditions help answer the “why” and “how” questions about the past and create a sense of belonging and identity by situating community members in a lineage. They provide information about historical motivations and decision-making processes while educating, explaining and entertaining at the same time. They are not static, as what is deemed historical, traditional or even sacred to one generation may subtly shift categories in the next. They persist, though, and are destined to continue for many generations to come.

—Harvey Bakari Curator of Black History and Culture

—Travis

Engraving of Angolan musicians by Fortunato de Alemandini after Giovanni Antonio Cavazzi, from “Istorica Descrittione De’ Tre Regni Congo, Matamba, et Angola,” 1690. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation JYF2002.20.

Henline Curator

of Indigenous History and Culture

Belts utilized designs and symbols to record tribal histories. This reproduction 18th-century wampum belt was created by historical interpreter Roger Ballance for use as an educational resource.

“Although we declared our independence five years earlier, it was this victory at Yorktown, Virginia that secured the birth of our independent and free country.”

Behind the Screens

Enthralled by the scenes unfolding before them, visitors to the “Siege of Yorktown” 4D experience often burst into spontaneous applause as the final image fades from the screen. It is truly awesome that a museum audio-visual production moves audiences to such a strong emotional response.

Multimedia is an essential part of a museum experience that visitors expect in the digital age. Here at JYF, digital media is used in limitless ways in permanent galleries and special exhibitions, educational programming, online resources, social media, training, events, rentals and more. AV experiences are a way to take visitors to places that museum facilities cannot replicate and an opportunity for them to feel part of the story. At our museums, families can compete to win a battle on an interactive table, and school groups

can meet people of the past through engaging video characters.

It is, however, important to strike a balance in how subject matter is presented at the museums by carefully examining the best means to deliver content for each application. After all, no one wants to see a barrage of screens as they explore a gallery space. Through well-planned digital experiences that complement and enhance ways of sharing information, visitors can dive deeper into the content presented on exhibit labels and text panels nearby, see how people used artifacts on display in the cases and make connections with stories told in living-history areas.

A total of 122 digital media experiences at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown include feature films, 4D theaters, videos, computer

interactives, visual projections, audio programs and online experiences. A team of seven professionals in JYF’s Digital Media Services design and produce multimedia components in-house, manage those that are outsourced, and configure, install and maintain vast amounts of AV equipment and cabling, and are eager to grow in-house production capabilities.

For the recent “Reign & Rebellion” exhibition, the in-house team produced and installed 15 audio-visual experiences and managed two outsourced interactives.

As the technology field evolves, the team hopes to expand in-house capacity to continue to create evocative experiences that inspire people to connect with history and relate to people of the past.

—Heather Hower Director of Digital Media Services

WIRED FOR SOUND AT JYF!

• 3 1/2 miles of cable support multimedia museum experiences

• 31 projectors, 36 monitors and 22 interactive screens showcase visual museum content

• Almost 100TB of JYF digital content produced and stored

HOW YOU CAN PLUG-IN TO DIGITAL MEDIA

Digital media is critical to content creation for museum and digital audiences, and a substantial investment is needed to maintain existing components and create new experiences. Urgent needs include replacement of AV equipment hardware nearing end of life and a production studio for in-house media creation. To support the work, contact the Development Office at (757) 253-4139, email giving@jyf.virginia.gov or visit jyfmuseums.org/donate

The Digital Media Services team supports AV and production for programs like the Director’s Series. Shown, from left, are Nathan Hamilton, AV Integration Manager; Sarah Haendler, AV Specialist; Todd Johnson, AV Specialist; Konstantin Rega, Digital Media Content Producer; Brian Murray, AV Events Specialist; Dexter Johnson, Digital Media Producer and Heather Hower, Director of Digital Media Services.

Control rack and effects equipment right behind the Siege Theater screen.

Visitor perspective of the “Siege of Yorktown” 4D experience, American Revolution Museum at Yorktown

The Transformative Power of Dialogue History Education

As museums move beyond being only didactic display places to become more audience and conversation centric, opportunities are emerging to engage people with the past through the lens of their own experiences. One powerful tool utilized by educators and interpreters for imparting historical knowledge is dialogue.

Through the art of conversation, these educators bring history to life and engage visitors in meaningful exchanges that transcend traditional teaching methods.

Over the past year, professionals across the foundation have been involved in intensive trainings to work on growing their abilities to integrate conversations into living-history demonstrations and educational programs, as well as special programs specifically designed to explore the relevance of history in meaningful ways.

A key advantage of dialogue is the capacity to create shared learning between staff and audiences while building a more nuanced understanding of history. Civic Season programs last summer demonstrated the power of dialogue to foster this understanding. Families and museum guests participated in an art project that explored what liberty meant to them. During the exercise, museum educators led a dialogic conversation on the ideas of liberty from the context of the American Revolution, exploring the paradox of the concept of liberty and freedom while maintaining a slave society during this time period. After the exchange in conversation, educators provided individuals with a wide variety of supplies to create an artistic expression of their views on the topic as they worked through their understanding of liberty and explored the impact of liberty in today’s political climate and its relevance today.

engaged in an art activity to express what liberty means to them. Similar programs designed to foster dialogue and understanding of American history will be offered in June as part of the national Civic Season initiative.

In a world where history shapes the present and future, educators recognize that dialogue transcends rote memorization. It cultivates critical thinking, empathy and a deeper appreciation for the complexities of the human experience through time. By embracing dialogue as an educational tool, museums offer a vibrant and transformative approach to achieving its goals and to empower individuals to engage thoughtfully with the past and carry its lessons forward into the future.

—Felicia Abrams School Programs Manager

JYF fosters opportunities for dialogue in programs and in digital experiences, including the Liberty Tree at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown where visitors are encouraged to share what liberty means to them. Liberty messages travel up the tree to post on hanging lanterns, inspiring conversations in the gallery or online using the interactive at jyfmuseums.org/liberty-tree.

MARKETING history

Marketing centuries of American history never gets old.

For the Marketing & Public Relations team, promoting a range of history experiences at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown to diverse audiences and age groups inspires new opportunities and timeless ways of storytelling.

“We are always looking to share new aspects, new stories at the museums to attract new visitors and encourage repeat visits,” said Glenda Turner, senior director of Marketing & Public Relations, who leads a dedicated team of nine people in Advertising and Graphics, Media Relations, as well as Sales, Promotions and Private Events.

Beyond selling tickets and packages and increasing revenue, the Marketing team aims to create an emotional and loyal connection to the history museums through brand awareness. An integrated marketing approach blends advertising campaigns, public relations and sales efforts to reach a range of clients through digital ads, social media and other digital communication, networking and collaborative efforts to promote the museums and year-round offerings. Marketing team members maintain a solid relationship with state and local tourism partners to incorporate JYF museums in promotions of Virginia and Williamsburg vacations, and they partner with local attractions to offer travelers more value for their investment in a trip to the past with combination tickets.

Traveling to large marketplaces and forums to elevate the museums, the Sales and Promotions team works with international and national group tour organizations to generate interest in booking adult and student tours more than a year in advance. The team showcases the museums as unique venues for private and corporate events and family reunions.

Advertising and Graphics operate an in-house advertising agency, developing ad campaigns with eye-catching visuals and slogans while also generating an array of marketing materials and external publications, including brochures, flyers, the INSIDE JYF magazine, museum guides and more.

Media Relations weaves historical storylines into everyday experiences to keep history relevant for today’s audiences. In addition to news releases and email marketing, the team hosts travel writers, influencers and filmmakers to write and produce stories about the museums, special programs and historical events.

In everything it does, the call to action for the museums is its website – jyfmuseums.org, serving up a wealth of practical and engaging information from ticket options, education programs to special events and virtual museum experiences.

The JYF Sales team brought immersive experiences to nearly 3,500 group tour operators in January during the American Bus Association conference in Nashville, Tenn., where many tried on reproduction Revolutionary War coats and learned what’s on the horizon at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

Ship Sail Comprises “E” in New LOVEworks Sign

A new LOVEworks sign unveiled by James City County in November features signature details influenced in partnership with Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

One of nearly 400 LOVEworks signs across Virginia, the James City County design at Freedom Park is six-feet tall and spells out the word “LOVE” with each letter representing an important element of the area – “L” depicts a cypress tree for “landscape,” “O” shows a bicycle wheel bisected by two oars to reflect “opportunities,” and “V” is shown as the sloping track of a Busch Gardens roller coaster for “variety.”

The final letter “E,” emphasizing “explore,” is fashioned after a mast and rigged sail of a Jamestown Settlement ship, symbolizing the founding of James City County in 1607.

Eric Speth, director of Maritime Operations, worked closely with James City County on the ship mast’s design and its installation, even adding period-appropriate ropes to embellish the rigging.

Holland Winslow, graphic designer for JYF, consulted with the county designer in earlier stages to suggest adjustments to the letters forming the tree and the roller coaster.

The James City County LOVEworks sign is a result of a 2022 community design contest.

The LOVEworks program is an initiative of the Virginia Tourism Corporation, strengthening the “Virginia is for Lovers” brand through organic promotion on social media. Selfies, portraits of families, pets and more have been shared with the signs on social media with the hashtag #LOVEVA.

Restoration Ahead for Susan Constant

Jamestown Settlement is embarking on a multiyear restoration of the Susan Constant, flagship of the official fleet of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

After 33 years of maritime education, the “floating classroom” will travel in June to the Henry B. du Pont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut to begin work to preserve it for future generations. The shipyard has been a leader in maritime preservation for more than half a century, and ideal for large wooden vessels.

The Susan Constant has welcomed millions of visitors –schoolchildren, presidents and even royalty – over the past three decades to climb aboard the merchant ship. From the main deck, ’tween deck and peering into its hold, guests learn about the 17th-century technology used to sail and navigate the square-rigged ship across the ocean during the 1607 voyage to Jamestown.

Along with the mammoth undertaking to repair the wooden, 120-ton cargo vessel, Jamestown Settlement is launching a fundraising effort to underwrite the nearly $4.7 million endeavor.

The restoration is expected to extend the ship’s life another 20 to 30 years, noted Eric Speth, longtime director of Maritime Operations for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

The ship, inspected annually by the U.S. Coast Guard to maintain its certification as an attraction vessel, undergoes routine maintenance, including a thorough dry-dock

‘BERTH’ DAY – DECEMBER 14, 1990

The Susan Constant was launched at Jamestown Settlement after a fanfare christening on the James River, where it was constructed in just over a year. Under Speth’s leadership along with Stanley Potter, a naval architect, and Allen Rawl, the master shipbuilder, a team of 70 craftsmen brought British maritime historian Brian Lavery’s research to life.

inspection every five years. Work last spring entailed stabilizing the wood and painting the ship’s hull. The ship is in need of a comprehensive restoration to repair its planking, wales, stanchions, framing and other pivotal structural components.

Speth, who oversaw the ship’s construction in the late 1980s, has been traveling to lumberyards and sawmills along the East Coast this past winter to inspect and select timber for the ship, along with members of Mystic Seaport Museum Shipyard. In several instances, these have been the same places where he sourced the original materials for the ship.

In Jamestown Settlement’s 66-year history, there have been two generations of the Susan Constant, one built in Norfolk in 1957 and the other, built in 1990, is still in use today.

While the Susan Constant is away, Jamestown Settlement’s Godspeed and Discovery will remain at the ships’ pier for guests to explore 17th-century maritime history.

Climb aboard to support Susan Constant ’s preservation.

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc. Annual Fund offers opportunities to designate a gift for specific projects, includingship maintenance and preservation. jyfmuseums.org/donate

COMMISSIONING – APRIL 25, 1991

After sea trials in the Chesapeake Bay in February, the Susan Constant was officially commissioned on April 25, 1991.

UNDER THE MASTS

Coins are under each of the ship’s three masts, a ritual dating to Roman times as a symbol of good luck. Under the mainmast is a 1607 sixpence representing the year of the historic voyage from England to Virginia. A 1605 sixpence, the year in which the original ship was built, rests under the foremast. A 1990 United States quarter dollar is under the mizzenmast.

FLAGS & RIGGING

The British national flag of 1607, combining the English Cross of St. George and the Scottish Cross of St. Andrew, flies from the ship’s mainmast. The Cross of St. George, a traditional English flag dating from the Middle Ages, is flown on the other two masts. The three masts are square-rigged, with rectangular-cut sails set at right angles to the keel line.

INTERIOR

The ship has a main deck, a ’tween deck and a hold. Off the main deck are rooms for a cook, cabins for seamen and an officer’s quarters. The ship is navigated from the quarterdeck, above officer quarters, and steered with a whipstaff (wheels were not used until a century later). The ‘tween deck is bordered by eight gunports, four on each side.

EXTERIOR

The ship design is a sight to behold, from its signature decorations along the hull – stripes of green and yellow diamonds, red and white chevrons, and a white-on-blue design – to its unique and functional carvings of knights used to anchor the tackle to haul and lower the main yards and carved cats used as supports for lifting the ship’s anchors.

The Susan Constant returns from drydock on April 1, 2010 to a crowd of onlookers.

Q: How Do JYF Museum Shops Do History?

The museum shops at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown offer a vast selection of merchandise reflecting the unique essence of the museums for a special souvenir or treasured find.

A: Authenticity to tell stories.

A: Timing to develop quality products.

Through long-range planning for each spring season at the museums, retail managers and buyers begin to develop themes and concepts for store products nearly a year in advance while working with museum colleagues on planned exhibitions, events and celebrations.

Key vendors are consulted throughout the previous summer and fall to finalize product details, and orders are placed in the winter to have available by spring and in time for the busy Spring Break season.

From unique and handcrafted baskets made by women in a rural part of Rwanda, using 100-percent natural materials using organic dyes, to dreamcatchers and other American Indian craft items handmade and signed by First Nations People artisans, products are sought that are made in their original manner, using traditional methods and materials. The stories of product origins are shared on packaging elements, and on signs displayed in each museum shop.

Reproduction apothecary jar.

Three-handled tyg.

A: Inspiration from the artifact collection.

To replicate four beautiful ceramic charger plates, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries in gallery exhibits at Jamestown Settlement, it took several years to find a source who could provide the careful reproduction and excellent quality. It turned out that the new vendor had worked with the shops on a similar project in the past.

In early fall, the Virginia Beach-based company founder toured the gallery exhibits to view the chargers and obtain detailed photos and measurements. Another reproduction of three-handled and two-handled mugs (called tygs) was sought, plus a watering pitcher and bird bottle used in the early colonial era. He traveled to Spain to meet with his team of talented ceramic artisans, who started the painstaking process of re-creating these handcrafted pieces. Since each item is crafted, painted and glazed by hand, the production process can take more than six months. When finished, each item will be individually boxed, carefully packaged and shipped by ocean freight to the museum warehouse in Williamsburg.

Reproduction pikeman charger plate.

Reproduction Iznik charger plate.

Photos courtesy of vendor.

COUNTDOWN TO 250

‘Give Me Liberty’ Signature Exhibition to Explore America’s Story

The American Revolution was not just an ending of British rule in Virginia, it was the beginning of an ongoing experiment to bring liberty and democracy to a nation. Two hundred and fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the “Give Me Liberty” exhibition will explore the intricate and inspiring Virginia history which is, in fact, America’s story.

In partnership with the Virginia Museum of History and Culture and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, the signature exhibition of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission will open at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown in July 2026. It is scheduled to debut in March 2025 at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.

Beyond material culture and artifacts from Virginia’s revolutionary past, the exhibition will introduce visitors to lesser-known but essential Virginians to ensure that “Give Me Liberty” will tell a more complete history of the American Revolution.

Virginia American Revolution 250

The American Revolution did not just begin in 1776. Celebrate the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commemoration through a variety of events and programs across the state leading toward the 2026 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. Learn more at VA250.org.

Alongside stories of Washington, Jefferson, Mason and others, the exhibition will highlight the experiences and contributions of enslaved and free African Americans, Indigenous peoples, women and young people—all of whom had much to gain or lose during Virginia’s revolutionary era.

To broaden understanding of the past through impactful personal stories, “Give Me Liberty” will encourage visitors to engage more fully in the commemoration by adding their voices to articulate what the semiquincentennial means to America’s future.

Throughout the exhibition, visitors can join in dialogue about Virginia’s past and the Commonwealth today, with opportunities to use their voice and share their opinions about liberty, how far Virginia has come, and where it's going to ensure that the promises of the Declaration of Independence and America’s revolutionary ideas apply to everyone.

America has inherited the founding principles of 1776—the future of American liberty is up to everyone

“I Love Liberty” Silver Teaspoon, made by Thomas Tookey, London, circa 1773, will be on display in the “Give Me Liberty” signature exhibition. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation JYF2015.16.4.

—Katherine Egner Gruber Curatorial Manager

Eagle Soars to Freedom

For one eagle at Yorktown, freedom was won near the place of America’s 1781 Revolutionary War victory.

A fanfare gathering in late December at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown served as a homecoming for an American bald eagle, which was released into the wild after months of rehabilitation at The Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro.

The mature eagle, rescued after being struck by a car in York County and suffering from lead poisoning, returned to a crowd of 350 guests, wildlife volunteers and enthusiasts to witness its release at the museum.

“Everyone gather round,” said Wildlife Center President Ed Clark, gesturing to onlookers to line up along a split-rail fence at the Revolution-era farm. “I want everyone to get up close so that they can look the eagle in the eye.”

Clark recounted the heroic story of the discovery and recovery of the majestic bird while encircling the crowd with the eagle clutched in his arms, revealing its

watchful eyes and golden beak and talons. Wildlife photographers focused their camera lenses while museum guests took selfies and recorded the encounter on their phones.

Clark then took a step forward and threw his hands in the air, releasing the bird. The crowd cheered as the national symbol took flight across the farm to Yorktown Creek, perching in a large oak tree to survey familiar surroundings.

At the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and Jamestown Settlement, situated along the York and James rivers and surrounding tributaries, bald eagles are often seen flying over the museum grounds, nesting or perched in a tree or ship’s mast. Keep an eye out for eagles and other wildlife at the museums.

—Homer Lanier Director of Visitor Experience

on this date JYF HISTORY 1976

The Yorktown Victory Center opened April 1, 1976 as one of three Virginia welcome centers for America’s Bicentennial. “Doing history” at the museum entailed a series of sight and sound exhibits, including a walk down “Liberty Street” that began with an encounter with Mr. Shepherd, a newspaper editor at his printing press. Through projection of electronic animation, Mr. Shepherd set the stage for life in the colonies before the outbreak of war. Today, the full story of the Revolution unfolds at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown through a blend of established and innovative technology.

A crowd gathers to catch a close-up view of the eagle before its return into the wild.

Eagle takes flight over the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. Photo by Greg Meland.

BOARD SPOTLIGHT Bill Longan

Bill Longan

People are drawn to the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation for many reasons. For Bill Longan, the motivation ranged from a personal connection to a national concern.

When asked about his interest in JYF, Longan had an immediate response.

“Growing up in Richmond in the ’50s and ’60s, the Historic Triangle was a convenient and affordable site for family trips,” he said. “We spent many weekends here, and I was gripped by the history. The fascination never abated: I became curious about [how] this history related to me. I began researching my family connections, and learned that I am descended from Captain Thomas Walker, who served in the Gloucester County House of Burgesses in the 1660s. It’s been a neat journey.”

He also didn’t hesitate when he was asked to join the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors in 2023. “Historic illiteracy in our country is an emergency,” he stressed. “Anything that I can do to help avert this crisis is time well spent. Jamestown and Yorktown define the American story with a completeness that isn’t found anywhere else. The entire colonial journey is contained in the 20 miles from Jamestown to Yorktown, and it is important that JYF is committed to telling the whole story, in all its complexity.”

Longan has quickly become an active benefactor of JYF, through both personal philanthropy and by making connections to others interested in supporting JYF’s mission. He noted, “JYF illuminates a deeply meaningful history, and we need to share it with the world.”

—Melissa Gill Thompson Chief Development Officer

Bill Longan admires the Winged Victory statue at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

Wallis Quaintance

Being a museum educator in gallery and living-history spaces at Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown opens the door to a teaching environment that is anything but traditional. Now imagine taking the museums on the road into classrooms where every environment, dynamic and culture is different.

Equipped with a mind full of content, years of expertly honed teaching methodology and a trunk full of reproduction artifacts weighing close to 50 pounds, Wallis Quaintance brings American history to life for students in Virginia classrooms across Southside Hampton Roads.

She is among a core group of nine outreach educators who enrich American history lessons in kindergarten through sixth grade, presenting four specialized programs from “Jamestown-Cultures in Contact, Virginia 1600-1620” and “Powhatan Indians, An Eastern Woodlands People” to “American Revolution-A Movement Towards Freedom” and “Virginia Then and Now.”

Inspired by providing students who may not have an opportunity to physically visit the museums, she is dedicated and determined to find and create connections.

“What makes me feel good is when I go into a classroom full of kids from all different backgrounds and find a way to connect all of them to American history and show them that the history we talk about is for everyone,” she said. “Whether you are a kid whose family goes back to the American Revolution or a newly arrived immigrant, it belongs to all of us.”

She has enjoyed a career in education that has taken her from California through North Carolina and Virginia, working with fourth- and fifth-grade and middle school students in public, independent and Jewish schools across the country. Together with a background in film and theater, she makes an engaging and passionate teacher.

She believes that art allows her to create safe spaces for discussing difficult history and telling other people’s stories responsibly, while advocating for change.

“The idea that we are a nation that is diverse, a country that is made up of people from everywhere, the most important thing to me is that we tell everyone’s story,” she said.

“Everyone here has a story, no matter when you came, how long you have been here, there is a story that connects to you.”

Outside of the classroom and away from the stage, family time is paramount. When they aren’t together at home, they may try a new outdoor adventure in the way of rock climbing, a ropes course or travel.

—Lee Ann Shelhorse, Talent Acquisition Manager

Sally Stook, Outreach & Distance Learning Supervisor

Using reproduction objects, Wallis Quaintance engages Tarrallton Elementary School students in Norfolk, Va. in a Virginia history lesson.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT New Ways to Recognize JYF Supporters

To achieve its mission, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation has long relied on one of its greatest assets – the generous support of those who believe in the work to foster an understanding of early America through a convergence of cultures and enduring legacies.

The 1607 Society is the agency’s foundational membership group.

The 1607 Society members donate a minimum of $1,607 annually to support the Annual Fund, providing much-needed unrestricted funds to sustain educational initiatives, artifact acquisition, special exhibitions and more.

These groups join the Mathews Legacy Society, which recognizes donors who choose to make a lasting legacy by remembering JYF in their estate plans. Mathews Legacy Society members enjoy the benefit of attending a private luncheon each year with the executive director and museum leadership.

The Mathews Legacy Society honors the late Nick and Mary Mathews, benefactors who donated the land on which the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown is built and supported museum programs during their life and through their estate. Their legacy will be recognized at the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown in Fall 2024 during a special presentation and dinner memorializing the couple’s iconic Nick’s Seafood Pavilion.

To further recognize those whose support the Annual Fund, JYF has initiated additional philanthropic clubs:

• Patrons make annual gifts of $2,500 - $4,999

• Benefactors provide annual support between $5,000 and $9,999

• Leadership Circle supports at the $10,000 level and above. Members at these levels can make an even larger impact on what the museums are able to offer. In recognition of this support, they receive special access and invitations to exclusive events and programs.

To join this elite group of museum supporters, contact Heather Lonks Minty, Annual Fund director, at (757) 253-4052 or heather.minty@jyf.virginia.gov.

Donors enjoyed one-on-one time with author Diana Gabaldon last fall at a private reception for members of The 1607 Society. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation photo.

We can’t “do history” without you.

Your generosity gives our professionals the resources they need to educate all our visitors—of all ages, all walks of life and from all corners of the nation—about America’s rich and complex past.

For 33 years, Jamestown Settlement’s Susan Constant has been more than just a ship—it’s a floating classroom that has engaged and inspired a whopping 19 million visitors.

To continue teaching the story of early Virginia and early America, the Susan Constant depends on your support for critical restoration work.

Come aboard and make history with us! Your gift makes you a vital part of our restoration team and will ensure that the Susan Constant continues to educate visitors for generations to come. Visit jyfmuseums.org/donate or contact the Development Office at (757) 253-4139 or giving@jyf.virginia.gov to make your Annual Fund gift today.

calendar of EVENTS

Military Through the Ages 40th Anniversary

MARCH 16-17

AT JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT, celebrate this time-honored special event’s milestone 40th anniversary and make ready for centuries of military history all in one weekend. Explore military encampments, demonstrations and interact with hundreds of re-enactors depicting armed forces from 500 B.C.E. all the way to modern-day soldiers to learn how uniforms, weapons and tactics evolved through the centuries.

“Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design” Exhibit

DEBUTS MAY 11 AT JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT, featuring more than 60 iconic works of two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter, who has brought Black history to life for almost 40 years and defined the style of the Afrofuturism movement through powerful pieces in film and television, from “Roots” and “Amistad” to “Do the Right Thing” and “Black Panther.” Converging with JYF historical fashion, the exhibition presents a deeper understanding of this research into the past to envision a future. JOIN A DIRECTOR’S SERIES PROGRAM MAY 11 at 3 p.m. featuring a conversation with Carter and Executive Director Christy S. Coleman.

Director’s Series: Joseph McGill Jr.

MARCH 20 AT JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT, join JamestownYorktown Foundation Executive Director Christy S. Coleman and Joseph McGill Jr. to discuss his 30-year career in public history, work as founder of the Slave Dwelling Project raising awareness and preservation of often-neglected extant slave dwellings and his new book “Sleeping with the Ancestors” released in 2023.

Indigenous Arts Day

MAY 4 AT JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT, celebrate Indigenous peoples’ enduring legacies with traditional and contemporary art forms, featuring outdoor music and dance performances.

Naturalization Ceremony

MAY 9 AT THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION MUSEUM

AT YORKTOWN, join in a celebration of new American citizens during an 11 a.m. naturalization ceremony hosted by the Yorktown Comte de Grasse Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation in partnership with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security.

Jamestown Day

MAY 18 AT JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT, mark the 417th anniversary of the 1607 founding of Jamestown with military salutes, maritime and interpretive demonstrations.

RUTH E. CARTER