Virginia History & Culture - Summer/Fall 2019

Summer/Fall 2019

Breaking The Silence: POW/MIA Wives

Protecting A National Treasure

Virginia Museum of History & Culture

We Are Determined: 2019 Commemorative Exhibition VirginiaHistory.org

In This Issue

Breaking the Silence: POW/ MIA Wives page 4

New to the Collection page 8

Annual Museum Gala page 10

Virginia Vines Event page 12

Spring Garden Party page 13

Virginia History Day page 16

Upcoming Exhibitions page 17

Determined Exhibition page 18

Protecting a National Treasure page 24

AwardWinning Author Visit page 26

News & Notes page 27

Cover: Arthur Ashe, Jr. playing tennis (VMHC).

Virginia History & Culture No. 4 Questions/Comments newsletter@VirginiaHistory.org 428 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard Richmond, Virginia 23220 VirginiaHistory.org 804.340.1800 Galleries and Museum Shop Open daily, 10 am – 5 pm Research Library Mon. – Sat., 10 am – 5 pm NEWSLETTER TEAM Editor Graham Dozier Designer/Production Jennifer Nesossis Contributors Jamie Bosket, Michael Plumb, Adam Scher, and Troy Wilkinson

EXECUTIVE TEAM President & CEO Jamie O. Bosket VP for Collections Adam E. Scher VP for Exhibitions & Publications Andrew H. Talkov VP for Guest Engagement Michael B. Plumb VP for Marketing & Communications Tracy D. Schneider Sr. VP for Operations & Finance Richard S. V. Heiman

VIRGINIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chair Charles L. Cabell Vice Chair Pamela Kiecker Royall Immediate Past Chair John R. Nelson, Jr. Honorary Vice Chairs Harry F. Byrd III Nancy H. Gottwald Conrad M. Hall Anne R. Worrell Board of Trustees Makola M. Abdullah Victor K. Branch Austin Brockenbrough III Jeannette R. Cadwallender Herbert A. Claiborne III Richard Cullen Joanie D. Eiland

The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is owned and operated by the Virginia Historical Society — a private, non-profit organization established in 1831.

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Peter F. Farrell Susan S. Goode Russell B. Harper Landon Hilliard Gen. John P. Jumper Linwood Allen Lacy, Jr. Elizabeth A. McClanahan G. Gilmer Minor III Kevin B. Osborne Thomas G. Slater, Jr. Robert Clarkson Sledd Gerald F. Smith Thomas G. Snead, Jr. Robert Dorsey Taylor Allison P. Weinstein J. Harvie Wilkinson III

From the President “Those who have no record of what their forebearers have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”

— Dr. Carter G. Woodson, 1928 As Virginians, we are exceptionally fortunate to have so many inspiring and far-reaching historical figures and events to learn from. We are likewise fortunate that the Virginia Historical Society has been so diligent in collecting tangible reminders of this past for nearly two centuries.

That said, our work is far from complete. With every passing day our scope and understanding of history grows and so, too, does our responsibility to present a full and thoughtful narrative of the past and to reinforce underrepresented areas of our collection, exhibits, and programming.

We are committed to take a more inclusive approach to our work — to purposefully add to the great stories we tell, all without losing the important lessons we’ve ably shared for decades. The more we represent all Virginians and welcome all Virginians, the stronger and more effective we will be as an institution . . . the more people we stand to inspire.

Upcoming commemorations will dramatically propel us forward. This year, in partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s 2019 commemoration, American Evolution, we mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first captive Africans in English North America. We will do this through compelling events and programming at our Virginia Museum of History & Culture, as well as through a major and transformative exhibition, Determined: The 400-Year Struggle For Black Equality, which traces four centuries of perseverance and progress by African Americans in Virginia. Next year, we will lead the state’s effort to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage, with programs and exhibitions focused on Virginia women as agents of change. In both cases, we will actively collect new materials for our permanent collection to ensure these commemorations do lasting good for our community and Commonwealth, and to ensure that our ability to tell a comprehensive history continues to evolve.

Everyone can benefit from a knowledge of history; every Virginian should be able to look to us for their history to be saved and shared.

Jamie O. Bosket President & CEO

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED! Telling the stories of all Virginians is only possible through the support and generosity of our members!

We receive no government operating support.

To make a contribution to our Annual Fund today please visit VirginiaHistory.org/AnnualFund, or contact Matt Weber at 804.342.9658.

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Breaking The Silence The League of Wives

by Heath Hardage Lee, Author and Curator, and Andrew Talkov, Vice President for Exhibitions & Publications

Above: President Nixon meets with POW wives (left to right) Carole Hansen, Louise Mulligan, Sybil Stockdale, Andrea Rander, and Mary Mearns in December 1969 (Image courtesy of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum).

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T

he now familiar black POW/MIA flag featuring the silhouette of a man in front of a guard tower, barbed wire fence, and the motto “You are not forgotten” has been remarkably effective since it was first created in 1972. Although the flag encourages us to remember servicemen, the history behind it represents an impressive story of women that is now being told at the VMHC through the exhibition, The League of Wives: Vietnam’s POW/MIA Advocates & Allies.

For years, with little or no information about their husbands’ status, military wives waited at home in silence, following the United States government’s orders to “Keep Quiet.” Eventually, they decided to take matters into their own hands, organizing privately, until challenging the stance of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration — and finding allies in President Richard M. Nixon, Congress, and others. In 1970 they formed the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia and exposed the plight of our prisoners of war and servicemen missing in action, forcing the Vietnamese, the United States government, and all Americans to take action.

This exhibition was curated by historian Heath Hardage Lee and based on her book, The League of Wives: The Untold Story of the Women Who Took on the U.S. Government to Bring Their Husbands Home (2019, St. Martin’s Press). Through her research, Lee brought into the light a powerful story of courage, strength, and determination often overshadowed by the larger narrative that surrounds America’s involvement in Vietnam. VP for Exhibitions & Publications, Andrew Talkov, recently sat down with Lee to talk about her work in telling this powerful story.

How did you discover this topic and what about it did you find so compelling?

I spoke at the Museum in 2015 about my first book, Winnie Davis: Daughter of the Lost Cause. Many wonderful sources for this book came from the VMHC archives. The museum staff knew I was already looking for another story to tell. Associate Archivist for Collections Processing, Paige Newman alerted me to the Phyllis Eason Galanti papers. Phyllis died unexpectedly in 2014 — she was a good friend of my mother—and I had always wanted to interview her about her activism during the Vietnam War. Sadly, I never got the chance to do that, but Paige told me that the VMHC was the repository for her papers.

The focus of my work has always been the hidden histories of women, and Phyllis’s story intrigued me.

Within two hours of viewing the materials in the collection I knew this was an epic story of women and war that would appeal to a broad audience.

Her papers contained letters, telegrams, photographs, and meeting notes that provided a roadmap concerning the formation of the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia.

Phyllis was such a meticulous notetaker and she provided all the critical details of who, what, and when — a framework upon which to develop the story of the national POW/MIA movement led by women like Phyllis, Sybil Stockdale, Jane Denton, Andrea Rander, and many others.

Right: Historian Heath Hardage Lee with Lt. Cmdr. Paul Galanti in The League of Wives exhibition at the VMHC. Galanti, a navy aviator, was shot down and captured by the North Vietnamese in 1966. Thanks to the efforts of his wife Phyllis and her colleagues in the National League, he and 590 other American POWs were released and returned home in 1973.

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Why hasn’t this story been told in such a complete way until now?

What single object in the show were you most excited to be able to include?

I have been in the women’s history space for my entire career and only in the past 3 to 5 years have I seen such excitement around the topic. Everyone from New York publishers to Hollywood filmmakers are finally understanding that women’s narratives represent more than half our population. Women are a majority, but we have always been treated as a minority interest. Now we are beginning to see a curiosity about women’s stories and a willingness to treat this history in the same manner as that of more traditional male figures. Instead of being in the shadows as the consort, wife, daughter, or sister of a powerful man, women and their work and history are being examined through the lens of their own merits, movements, and achievements.

This is a tough one! I’m going to have to mention several objects. The POW/MIA bracelet “chandelier” loaned by former POW Lt. Cmdr. Porter Halyburton and his wife Marty — who was a member of the National League leadership — has been a highly visible part of the exhibition. These bracelets were, and remain, iconic symbols, and the Halyburtons used the returned bracelets with Porter’s name on them to create this “chandelier” that hung for years in their breakfast room. It was such a creative use of the bracelets and celebratory object commemorating his return home. I loved including all the clothing that the women wore during the Vietnam era. Material culture tells us so much about the people we study in history and the movements that surround them. The outfits are visually arresting and fascinating for visitors to see.

Left: Lt. Cdr. Porter Halyburton (right) was reported as killed in action but returned home in 1973. Following his return, supporters returned nearly 7 pounds of bracelets bearing his name.

He and his wife, Marty (left), assembled them into a cascading “chandelier” that they hung over their breakfast table. (Image courtesy of Porter and Marty Halyburton); Right: Wool suit Sybil Stockdale wore to a meeting with President Nixon and the First Lady at the White House on December 12, 1969 (Courtesy of Stockdale Family). An image from that gathering appears on the preceding page.

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What do you hope that guests viewing the exhibition will take away from their experience, and how is it relevant to people in 2019?

First, that women’s stories are just as compelling — if not more so at times — as the history of their male counterparts. Second, the power of the group.

As individuals, the women featured in the exhibition had no voice. As a collective, they had power beyond what they could have ever imagined. When Phyllis and the other women organized under the leadership of Sybil Stockdale into the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, the government and the military — as well as the North Vietnamese — finally listened to them and took them seriously. They effected change and helped save their husbands from the prison camps. Today we see this same effect when women band together in groups like #TimesUp and #MeToo. The women in this story were trailblazers. Although they were not feminists, they were human rights activists that paved the way for women after them to speak up and make a difference.

Visit ShopVirginiaHistory.org to purchase your copy of The League of Wives by Heath Hardage Lee and visit VirginiaHistory.org/LOWLee to watch Lee speak about the book and her research.

THE LEAGUE OF WIVES: VIETNAM’S POW/MIA ADVOCATES & ALLIES

On display through September 2, 2019 Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Gallery Organized by the Dole Institute of Politics and made possible by Harlan and Alice Ochs in honor of Larry Ochs.

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New to the Collection The Blackwell Family Tree

Above: The Blackwell Family Tree (VMHC).

Right: Detail of the tree showing the name of Arthur Ashe, Jr., his wife, Jeanne M. Moutoussamy, and daughter, Camera, along with other family members.

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There are currently only three Blackwell family The Virginia Museum of History & Culture recently acquired one of three rare family trees, drawn by hand trees in existence. The earliest was completed in 1959. At 6-by-8 feet, it has 1,500 names and is a on canvas, and belonging to the Blackwell family. part of the collections at the Library of Congress.

Another 10-by-14-foot canvas with 3,333 family Completed in 1991, the intricately detailed feat names was completed in 1971 and resides at the of genealogical inscription traces family lineage Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African back to 1735 and includes more than 5,000 American History & Culture in Baltimore. names from 15 states, Africa, Canada, Germany, and Haiti. The VMHC first learned about the The third Blackwell family tree will be on display at Blackwell family tree from an article in Richmond the Virginia Museum of History & Culture beginning Magazine’s Arthur Ashe commemorative edition, June 22, 2019, as part of the new exhibition, which was published in December 2018. Ashe Determined: The 400-year Struggle for Black is a member of the greater Blackwell family.

Equality. The tree will join a variety of other artifacts relating to the life of Arthur Ashe in the collections of the museum, including Ashe’s tennis racquet, gym bag, wristband, a signed tennis ball, and numerous items related to Ashe’s monument in Richmond, designed by sculptor Paul DiPasquale.

Ashe’s cousin Thelma Doswell, a certified genealogist and Blackwell family historian, is credited with the creation of the tree. She passed away in 2012.

According to Ms. Doswell’s research, the Blackwells are traceable back to a slave auction in 1735, when an African woman named Ama (or Amar) and her daughter, Tab (Tabitha), were purchased by plantation owner James Glenn Blackwell. Ama and Tab arrived in Yorktown, Virginia, from Senegal, West Africa, on the slave ship Doddington. The mother and daughter served together as cooks and housekeepers Top: Adam Scher, Vice President for Collections, on James Blackwell’s Yorktown plantation until examines the 9-by-11 foot family tree; Above: Blackwell about 1753, when Tab was sent to the Lunenburg family members with VMHC staff members Al Johnson County plantation of Blackwell’s son, William.

Arthur Ashe, Jr.’s cousin, JoAnne Blackwell, has been the steward of the tree since 2012. Her great grandfather, James, was the brother of Ashe’s great-great grandfather, Hamit. Ms. Blackwell traveled from Laurel Springs, New Jersey, to donate the 9-by-11-foot work on canvas to the museum on February 22, 2019.

(also a Blackwell family member), Jamie Bosket, and Adam Scher.

HELP BUILD OUR COLLECTION

To donate collections, contact Adam E. Scher Vice President for Collections, at 804.342.9670 or ascher@VirginiaHistory.org.

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Annual Museum Gala Remembering Chief Justice John Marshall On Saturday, February 9, supporters of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture gathered for the museum’s annual fundraising gala and for the grand opening of the institution’s newest exhibition, John Marshall: Hidden Hero of National Union. The evening kicked off with remarks from Virginia’s Secretary of Education, Atif Qarni, followed by a ribbon cutting with Qarni and Virginia Historical Society Board Chair, Charles Cabell, to officially open the exhibition.

Of particular note was the rare, one-night-only chance to view the only surviving original, plain black silk robe worn by Marshall in 1801, during his first session as Chief Justice. This robe, displayed through the generosity of Preservation Virginia, stood in stark contrast to flashier robes worn by other justices at the time. Before long, all justices adopted Marshall’s style, establishing a precedent that presiding judges abide by to this day.

Gala participants had the opportunity to be among the first to view the exhibit, which is co-sponsored

by Preservation Virginia and the John Marshall Foundation, and features highlight objects such as Chief Justice Marshall’s Law Commonplace Notebook, his spectacles, inkwell, and writing desk, in addition to a lock of his hair.

After being seated for dinner, gala attendees were regaled with stories of John Marshall and the Marshall court delivered by Virginia Chief Justice Donald Lemons. The evening was brought to a close by a moving performance by a talented choir from Virginia Commonwealth University.

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GALA SPONSORS

CORPORATE SPONSORS Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP McGuireWoods

Previous page: Gala guests enjoy a performance by the VCU Commonwealth Singers; This page, clockwise: Chairperson Charles Cabell and Sec. Atif Qarni open the exhibition with a ribbon cutting; Judge C.N. Jenkins and Dr. Pam Royal; Cynthia Marshall, Chief Justice Donald Lemons, and Carol Lemons; Mary Moss Walker, Aster Kidane, Michael Herring, and Tracy Walker; and Jamie Bosket presents framed resolution to table host Brent Halsey.

GALA HOSTS Barbara and Harry F. Byrd III Charlotte and Gil Minor Katherine and Jack Nelson Williams Mullen TABLE HOSTS Mr. and Mrs. Brenton S. Halsey Cynthia Advani Marshall The John Marshall Foundation

(Photography by Katrina Boone/Gianna Grace Photography)

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Virginia Vines Wine festival at Virginia House Responding to a request for his opinion on the future of wine production in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter dated October 1, 1811, that “it is desirable it should be made here, and we have every soil, aspect, and climate of the best wine countries.�

In honor of Jefferson’s aspirations, and in celebration of a vibrant and thriving wine industry in the Commonwealth, the museum opened the doors of Virginia House to host guests for Virginia Vines, a brand-new wine tasting event.

Participants were able to sample a number of different varietals popular in Virginia, including wine made from the Norton grape, which was cultivated in Richmond and part of the nineteenth-century rebirth of winemaking in the state. All of this took place while listening to fantastic music provided by Dr. Weldon Hill and his talented group of jazz musicians and enjoying gourmet cheese from fine food partner Wegmans.

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Top, clockwise: Guests enjoy the beautiful afternoon at Virginia House; Wegmans cheese platter; guests in the gardens; a Merlot is poured; guests dressed in the perfect color for a wine tasting.

66th Annual Spring Garden Party

On Saturday, May 4, more than 500 members and their guests enjoyed the continuation of a beloved annual tradition — the Spring Garden Party held at Virginia House in appreciation for our members.

The Richmond Region Antique Car Club of America joined in the fun with an amazing selection of vintage cars, including a 1957 Ford Fairlane Skyliner with a retractable hardtop and the 1953 Buick Roadmaster “Woodie” Wagon. Belle Isle Moonshine provided a Blood Orange Lemonade cocktail, and Garnish Catering and Events once again wowed members with a delicious assortment of crab cakes and mint juleps.

As usual, the gardens provided a stunning backdrop for an afternoon spent enjoying good food, good drink, and amazing party outfits. Taking center stage all afternoon was a revitalized Virginia House that will be home to an increasing number of events for members and the community.

Top, clockwise: Floral arrangement; guests pose for a photo while enjoying traditional mint juleps and Blood Orange Lemonade cocktails in the gardens; the lower garden was overflowing with partygoers; guests view a 1953 Buick Roadmaster “Woodie” Wagon parked in front of Virginia House.

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Upcoming Events JULY 4 July 4 Independence Celebration & Naturalization Ceremony, 10:30 am

25 Banner Lecture, 12:00 pm, $

Virginia Waterways and the

Underground Railroad

by Cassandra Newby Alexander 27

Photo courtesy Luke Witt

10 Virginia Journeys, 7:00 am, $

Washington, D.C.:

Newseum and National

Archives Museum with

VIP Experience: Conversation

with conservators who helped

preserve the Declaration of Independence

Photo courtesy Maria Bryk/Newseum

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Hazel and Fulton Chauncey Lecture, 5:30 pm, $ The Life and Times of Henry Stuart Foote, Southern Unionist and ‘The Man Who Punched Jefferson Davis’

by Ben Wynne

Behind the Scenes Tour, 10:30 am, $ Crime and Punishment in the Commonwealth

Banner Lecture, 12:00 pm, $ Thurgood Marshall: A Life in American History

by Spencer R. Crew

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Banner Lecture, 12:00 pm, $ Play Ball! America’s Doughboys and the National Pastime in the Great War

by Alexander F. Barnes

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

3 3rd Annual BrewHaHa Craft

Beer Festival, 6:00 pm, $

2 League of Wives: Vietnam’s

POW/MIA Advocates & Allies

exhibition closes 11 Virginia Journeys, 7:00 am, $

Fairfax County: Fairfax County

Courthouse/Historic Records,

Gunston Hall, and Pohick Church

8 Special Lecture, 6:00 pm, $ 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing: An Evening with Margot Lee Shetterly and Gladys West

Co-presented with Science Matters

and the Community Idea Stations

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Virginia Journeys, 7:00 am, $ Washington, D.C.: National Museum of African American History & Culture

$ = Tickets/registration may be required. Member discounts may apply.

Photo courtesy Alan Karchmer

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Photo courtesy Fairfax Circuit Court

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Banner Lecture, 12:00 pm, $ Keep On Keeping On: The NAACP and the Implementation of Brown v.

Board of Education in Virginia

by Brian J. Daugherity

15 John Marshall: Hidden Hero

of National Union exhibition closes

FOR TEACHERS

OCTOBER 1 Banner Lecture, 6:00 pm, $ Searching for Black Confederates: The Civil War’s Most Persistent Myth

by Kevin M. Levin In partnership with the American Civil War Museum

9 Virginia Journeys, 8:00 am, $ Northern Neck: Historic Christ Church & Museum, three privately owned properties, and cider tasting

Photo courtesy Charles R. Lawson, CPP

10 Banner Lecture, 12:00 pm, $

The Ghosts of Eden Park:

The Bootleg King, the Women

Who Pursued Him, and the

Murder That Shocked Jazz-Age America

by Karen Abbott 18 Founding Frenemies:

Hamilton and the Virginians

Exhibition Opens 20 Oh, Shenandoah: Landscapes

of Diversity exhibition closes 23 J. Harvie Wilkinson, Jr.

Lecture, 5:30 pm, $

The British Are Coming:

The War for America,

Lexington to Princeton, 1775–1777

by Rick Atkinson

Teacher Open House September 13 Weinstein Properties Story of Virginia Teachers Institutes Open to all public and private K-12 teachers!

Session 1: July 15 – July 19 Session 2: July 29 – August 2 Learn more at VirginiaHistory.org/ EducatorPrograms.

STORIES AT THE MUSEUM Join us on the first and third Saturday of every month at 11:00 am to enjoy a historical story followed by a related craft.

For more information or to register for events, visit VirginiaHistory.org/Calendar.

50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing An Evening with Margot Lee Shetterly and Gladys West Thursday, August 8, 6:00 pm, tickets at VirginiaHistory.org/Apollo Renowned author Margot Lee Shetterly, will give a lecture about African American pioneers. She will also briefly interview Gladys West, one of the individuals featured in the new Determined exhibition.

This event is co-presented by Science Matters/Community Idea Stations. Chasing the Moon, a new PBS/American Experience film reimagines the Great American Space Race to the moon for a new generation. It premiers on WCVE/PBS on July 8, 2019. Visit ideastations.org/chasingthemoon.

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Education at the Museum Virginia History Day

April came to a close with the annual Virginia History Day competition, held on Saturday, April 27. This project-based learning competition allows students from around the commonwealth to investigate a specific theme each year. The 2019 theme focused on Triumph and Tragedy in History. This year, more than 8,000 students competed state-wide. Students created research projects, which ranged from exhibits, websites, performances, documentaries, and research papers, that made their way through competitions at the school and district level before coming to the museum for the state competition. Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni provided remarks and congratulations for the student participants, their teachers, and their families during the awards ceremony. First and second-place winners will gather at the National History Day competition, held at the University of Maryland, College Park, in June.

Clockwise from top: Virginia History Day winners; students from Bedford County pose before their group performance of Operation Overlord: Triumph Despite Tragedy; volunteer and supporter Charles Chadbourn congratulates Nikhil Manandhar (Fairfax County); and Ashley Cortez (Greene County) performs Separate But Unequal: Barbara Fights for Equality.

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Upcoming Exhibitions Founding Frenemies: Hamilton and the Virginians Exhibition on display October 19, 2019 – February 2, 2020 The “ten-dollar Founding Father” will take over the Virginia Museum of History & Culture just in time for the Virginia tour of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award-winning Hamilton: An American Musical. Throughout the museum, guests can discover rare artifacts related to themes explored in Hamilton and experience an interactive exhibition that explores Hamilton’s relationships with the founding generation of Virginians. Objects on display illustrate Hamilton’s service as General George Washington’s right-hand man, his leadership at the battle of Yorktown, his partnership with James Madison in writing the Federalist Papers, his impact as secretary of the Treasury, and his infamous battles with Thomas Jefferson.

Above: Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull, about 1805. (Image courtesy of The White House, Washington, District of Columbia).

This experience will satisfy new and longtime fans of the musical and reveals the critical role Virginia, and Virginians, played in shaping the Hamilton story.

Related events, in partnership with Virginia Tourism Corporation, will be announced in the spring.

Agents of Change: Female Activism in Virginia from Women’s Suffrage to Today Exhibition on display March 14, 2020 – September 27, 2020 The passage of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 radically redefined the meaning of American democracy by banning gender-based restrictions on voting. This landmark legislation marked the culmination of a concerted fight for women’s suffrage and heralded a new age of female participation in American civic life.

Organized in conjunction with the statewide Women’s Suffrage Centennial, this exhibition featuring artifacts from the museum’s vast collections and new acquisitions made through a major collecting initiative, will celebrate a century of women’s social and political activism in Virginia. Highlighting the efforts and impact of a selection of female change-makers these women brought about positive change in their communities, the Commonwealth, and the nation.

Above: Equal Suffrage League of Richmond at Capitol Square, 1915 (VMHC, Gift of Adele Clark).

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We Are Determined...

The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality

by Dr. Karen Sherry, Curator of Exhibitions Above: Students protesting school closings in Farmville, Prince Edward County, July 1963 (Image courtesy Richmond Times-Dispatch).

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I

n his final public speech, delivered in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968 — the day before his assassination — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., reflected on the aims of the civil rights movement: “We are determined to gain our rightful place in God’s world. And that’s all this whole thing is about. We aren’t engaged in any negative protest and in any negative arguments with anybody. We are saying that we are determined to be men. We are determined to be people.”

Commonwealth and the country that we know today.

Covering the complexity and breadth of 400 years of history in one exhibition is also challenging, facing many difficult curatorial decisions.

Fortunately, the museum had the help of an advisory committee of twelve scholars, museum professionals, and community leaders who brought a range of expertise and insight to the project.

King’s phrase — “we are determined” — inspired the title and spirit of the museum’s latest exhibition, Determined: The 400-Year Struggle for Black Equality. Organized in conjunction with the statewide commemoration of the 1619 arrival of the first enslaved Africans in British North America, Determined explores the history of black people in Virginia through slavery and emancipation, segregation and the civil rights movement, and the election of the first black president and the rise of Black Lives Matter. This is a story of hardship and perseverance through four centuries of black people fighting for freedom and equal rights and against oppression and discrimination. Determined celebrates the progress and remarkable achievements of black people, while also acknowledging historical setbacks and ongoing problems around race in America. istilling 400 years of history into a one-word D title is no easy feat! “Determined” was chosen because it encapsulates many of the exhibition’s guiding principles. This word embodies the strength, resilience, and courage of generations of black Virginians who fought for equality. It was determination that led James Lafayette, an enslaved man-turned-patriot-spy, to infiltrate the British camp at Yorktown and gather critical intelligence for the Americans during the Revolutionary War. It similarly drove Gladys West to become valedictorian of her segregated high school in order to earn a college scholarship that, in turn, led to a groundbreaking career in the development of GPS technology. “Determined” also evokes notions of influence: both in how skin color has often defined one’s status in American society and in how black people have fundamentally shaped the

Above: James Armistead Lafayette by John B. Martin, 1824 (Image courtesy of The Valentine).

Determined focuses on thirty key Virginians who represent diverse time periods and facets of the black experience, as well as different approaches to effecting change. Some of these individuals are prominent in history books, while others are virtually unknown. Some achieved remarkable success on their chosen path, while others tried and failed to create change, yet still persevered.

Whether heroic or humble, famous or obscure, the featured people inspire with their determination and illuminate the significance of our nation’s most cherished ideal—that all people are created equal.

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In addition to James Lafayette and Gladys West, some of the other key figures include: an enslaved man named Sam, who fomented slave resistance in Westmoreland County in the 1680s (and received harsh punishment), and Jane Minor, a former slave and nurse who used her earnings to emancipate sixteen enslaved women and children in antebellum Petersburg.

John Mitchell, Jr., a civic leader in Richmond’s Jackson Ward neighborhood and long-time editor of The Richmond Planet newspaper, championed black civil rights in the late 19th and early 20th century; Clemenceau Givings made the ultimate sacrifice for his country during World War II as one of the Tuskegee Airmen, the pioneering black pilots who helped lead to the desegregation of the U.S. military; and Missy Elliott, the multi-award-winning rapper, songwriter, and producer whose musical creativity and feminist voice transformed hip-hop.

Determined presents these thirty individual stories, along with nearly 100 original artifacts and related interpretive content. These powerful artifacts — drawn from the historical society’s collections and from external lenders — include personal items, historic objects, printed materials, works of art, and letters and other documents. To list just a few examples, the exhibition features extremely rare copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment (which ended slavery in the United States) both signed by President Lincoln. A poignant letter written by Granville White, a fugitive slave living in Canada, to his mother in Virginia details both his love of liberty and the sacrifices he made in leaving his family behind. Guests will see an Army of the James Medal, awarded to U.S. Colored Troops for their distinguished service during the Civil War, and the signature tennis shoes of the pioneering athlete and human rights activist Arthur Ashe. There are also objects of oppression — such as slave shackles and a Ku Klux Klan hood — as 20 | Virginia History & Culture

Top: A Ride for Liberty – The Fugitive Slaves, March 2, 1862 by Eastman Johnson (Image courtesy Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Paul Mellon Collection); Bottom: Clemenceau Givings (1919-1944) earned his wings as a “Tuskegee Airman” and fought in Europe. He died in a crash off the coast of Italy in 1944 (VMHC).

well as ones that embody black resistance. For example, a 19th-century gourd fiddle shows the persistence of West African cultural traditions in music, and a lunch counter stool from the Richmond Woolworth’s store documents a student sit-in from 1960. The oldest artifacts showcased in Determined are household items excavated from early 17thcentury Virginia plantations—the types of items used by the first enslaved Africans on our shores.

The exhibition galleries are arranged chronologically — from 1619 to today — but the story does not end in 2019. Recent events remind us that America still grapples with racism and persistent inequalities.

For this reason, Determined also includes a section where guests can share their own stories and commit to future action by telling what they are determined to do to make our community more equal and just.

As a major institutional endeavor, Determined embodies the museum’s own determination to tell the stories of all Virginians and its commitment to recognize diverse and often under-represented aspects of our history. This exhibition is intended to foster a greater appreciation of both the painful and celebratory aspects of our shared past, as well as a greater understanding of how race and the fight for black equality has fundamentally shaped American society.

SPECIAL EXHIBITION PROGRAMMING JUNE 22, 11:00 AM Exhibition Opening Day and Arthur Ashe Boulevard Dedication Ceremony Keynote speaker: Congressman John Lewis Museum admission is free on June 22 Ceremony is open to the public AUGUST 8, 6:00 PM 50th Anniversary of the Apollo Mission An Evening with Margot Lee Shetterly and Gladys West Visit our online Calendar of Events to learn more about these and other exhibition programming, lectures, and museum events.

VirginiaHistory.org/Calendar

EXHIBITION SPONSORS

Conrad and Peggy Hall Mr. and Mrs. G. Gilmer Minor III University of Richmond University of Virginia Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia State University Virginia Union University

Above: Gladys West in her office at the Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Center, 1977 (Image courtesy of Gladys and Ira West).

Lettie Pate Evans Changing Exhibition Fund James H. Willcox, Jr. Museum Acquisitions Fund Elis Olsson Memorial Foundation Fund

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Read With Us Recently Published & Recommended Buy your copy today at ShopVirginiaHistory.org!

22 | Virginia History & Culture

Host your next event with us!

Rentals at the VMHC and Virginia House Our two unique properties offer a variety of spaces and layouts to suit your needs, whether you are planning an elegant wedding, corporate meeting, academic seminar, family gathering, or community celebration. Our events team will work with you to find the right combination of indoor or outdoor locations across our properties to suit events of almost any size.

AT THE MUSEUM

The Virginia Museum of History & Culture, located on historic Arthur Ashe Boulevard in the heart of Richmond’s Museum District, offers a variety of unique and versatile spaces for events of all sizes, from a wedding in an art-filled gallery to a reception in our marble hall, or a sun-filled meeting room for your corporate retreat to our mid-sized theater for your awards ceremony.

AT VIRGINIA HOUSE

BOOK TODAY AND SAVE!

Virginia House, a romantic English Tudor manor house, is nestled on a hillside overlooking the James River and surrounded by nearly eight acres of gardens and grounds. It is the perfect backdrop for portraits, rehearsal dinners, ceremonies, and receptions. Preserved with original woodwork, European art and artifacts, the house maintains its original character while offering modern amenities necessary for large gatherings, corporate retreats, and special occasions.

Host an event in 2019 and save $500.*

Contact events@VirginiaHistory.org or 804.342.9676 to learn more. *Total must be $1,500+.

Images courtesy of Nikki Santere Photography, Kelly Eileen Photography, and Virginia Ashley Photography.

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Protecting a National Treasure The Only Surviving Céloron Plate Virginia’s story is key to America’s history. For 188 years, the Virginia Historical Society has served as a steward of this priceless legacy. Of the nearly 9 million items in the historical society’s collection, less than 10 percent are on display in exhibition galleries.

Conservation plays a large role in determining which items are, and can be, displayed. The VMHC’s Conservation Department is continuously working to preserve and repair items in the collection and make them accessible to the public.

One museum treasure that is currently undergoing conservation work is the Céloron Plate — one of the most important artifacts to survive from Virginia’s colonial period and one of the most treasured among artifacts held at the VMHC. This lead plaque was placed at the junction of the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers in 1749 by Capt. Pierre Joseph Céloron de Blainville.

Five other plates were laid along other tributaries of the Ohio River to assert France’s claims to all the lands watered by those rivers. Under its 1609 charter, Virginia claimed those lands, too. News of the lead plates reached Williamsburg, and a young Lt. Col. George Washington was sent west by the royal governor to confront the French. The battle Washington initiated in May 1754 resulted in an escalation of hostilities between France and Great Britain that erupted in the Seven Years’ War in Europe and the French and Indian War in North America. This is the only plaque that survives intact.

Over the years, corrosion has occurred on the piece, despite the special care taken in its display. The lead plate is endangered by fluctuating climate conditions, as well as the lead’s reaction to other materials, such as Plexiglass.

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As lead is highly susceptible to corrosion because of exposure to humidity, pollutants, and gases emitted by traditional case materials (wood, Acrylic), a new state-of-the-art case is being constructed from metal and glass with an air-tight seal. A removable tray for silica gel, a desiccant used to reduce moisture in the air, will be built into the bottom of case to maintain a desired relative humidity of 40 percent. The case will also be constructed with a detachable base which will allow the plate to be raised to an appropriate height for exhibition.

Above: The front side of the Céloron Plate with writing in French (VMHC). To read a transcription of the plaque text, visit VirginiaHistory.org/CeloronPlate.

HELP SAVE HISTORY

To give to this or another preservation or acquisition fund, contact Adam Scher, VP for Collections, at 804.342.9670 or at ascher@VirginiaHistory.org.

Support Our Work As a private institution with no state operating support, we rely heavily on charitable contributions from our supporters. Here are just a few of the ways you can give.

MEMBERSHIP

ANNUAL FUND

CORPORATE & FOUNDATION GIVING

MATCHING GIFTS

Join us as a member to take advantage of free admission year-round and a host of other exciting benefits.

Connect your brand to the oldest cultural organization of its kind in Virginia and share our commitment to excellence in our community.

Gifts to the Annual Fund power the heart of our mission, helping to underwrite exhibitions, events, and programs across the museum.

Maximize the power of your gift to the Virginia Historical Society by participating in your employer’s matching gift program.

FOUR WAYS TO GIVE

ONSITE

ONLINE

PHONE

MAIL

Visit one of our admission desks VirginiaHistory.org/give 804.342.9658 PO Box 7311 Richmond, VA 23221

PLANNED GIFTS

Plan your legacy so your passion for history will continue to inspire future generations by joining the Weddell Society.

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Above: Melissa and Nathaniel Philbrick view George Washington’s diary while conducting research.

Award-Winning Author Explores the Vast Collections at the VMHC One of the most acclaimed authors currently writing in the field of American history, Nathaniel Philbrick has published nearly a dozen important works.

Among these are several New York Times bestsellers, including In The Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, which won the National Book Award and was made into a feature film by Ron Howard.

Also on the bestseller list was Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War, which went on to be a finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in History.

More recent works by Philbrick have focused on the American Revolution — New York Times bestsellers Bunker Hill: a City, a Siege, a Revolution and Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution. In October 2018, Philbrick published In the Hurricane’s Eye: The Genius 26 | Virginia History & Culture

of George Washington and the Victory at Yorktown, on which he spoke at the museum.

Philbrick returned to visit the museum in May, as he began to trace George Washington’s tour of the young nation as its first president — the focus on his next book. Traveling with George will be a travel log of the adventures of Philbrick, his wife Melissa, and their dog as they journey up and down the eastern seaboard exploring the landscape and sites that President Washington visited some 228 years ago.

Among the many treasures in the historical society’s collection housed at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, is Washington’s personal diary from 1790 to 1791. Within these pages Washington recounts the southern portion of his presidential tour, from Philadelphia to Savannah. In Virginia, Washington passed through Alexandria, stopped home at Mount Vernon, visited Fredericksburg, Richmond, and Petersburg, and returned on a route through the Piedmont.

News & Notes Hosting Renowned Research Library Leaders In late May, the VMHC was proud, for the first time in more than a decade, to host the annual gathering of some of the finest and most historic research institutions in our nation. IRLA, the Independent Research Library Association, of which the historical society is a founding member, brings together leaders from institutions like the American Antiquarian Society, American Philosophical Society, The Getty Research Library, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, The Huntington Library, Massachusetts Historical Society, New-York Historical Society, and Winterthur.

Virginia History Trails App Explore 400 years of history with the new American Evolution Virginia History Trails mobile app, featuring a collection of historical sites, stories, and trails throughout Virginia. Users may download this free app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

Visit AmericanEvolution2019.com to learn more.

Progress at Virginia House Continued progress is underway at Virginia House ­— the iconic property bequeathed to the historical society by Ambassador and Mrs. Weddell in the 1940s. This spring, one of the greatest risks to Virginia House’s long-term safety was mitigated when all of its original 1920s cloth wiring was replaced with safe, modern electrical wiring and systems.

Significant plaster restoration was also completed, particularly to the ceiling of an upstairs bedroom where large portions of the elegant ceiling treatment had collapsed. Work will soon begin to restore the beautiful garden loggia, which suffers from extensive wood rot. These important projects will be completed using proceeds from the recent public auction of a select number of items from the house (personal property left by the Weddells, much of which was in storage and all of which is unrelated to the museum’s mission). The earnings of this strategic sale will be kept in a restricted fund for the future care of the historic property and the items it houses.

A New, More Visible Home for War Horse Commissioned in the late 1990s by philanthropist and horse-enthusiast Paul Mellon, “Civil War Horse” was sculpted by renowned English artist Tessa Pullan.

This life-size bronze figure depicts an emaciated horse — intended to memorialize the 1.5 million horses and mules of the Union and Confederate armies who were killed, wounded, or died of disease during the American Civil War. In May, with generous support from an anonymous donor, this work of art found a new and attractive home near the museum’s Helga Koch Gottwald Gateway to History guest entrance, allowing the sculpture to be visible and accessible to more people, and add interest to the museum’s evolving campus connector with the VMFA. VirginiaHistory.org | 27

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Richmond, VA Permit No. 1598

Virginia Historical Society PO Box 7311 Richmond, Virginia 23221 VirginiaHistory.org

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INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION & NATURALIZATION CEREMONY Celebrate the Fourth of July with us!

We’ll have a day full of star-spangled festivities, including: a large-scale citizenship naturalization ceremony beginning at 10:30 am live music highlights gallery tours food trucks and picnicking family activities, and more!

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