Summer/Fall 2018
Pocahontas Remembered
War Stories: WWI Centennial
Virginia Museum of History & Culture
The Art of Queena Stovall
Virginia History Day VirginiaHistory.org
In This Issue
Pocahontas Remembered page 4
New to the Collection page 8
Queena Stovall page 10
War Stories page 12
Memorial Day page 17
Garden Party page 18
Gala page 22
Virginia History & Culture No. 1 Questions/Comments newsletter@VirginiaHistory.org 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, John McClure, Karen Sherry, Andrew Talkov, and Christina Vida
EXECUTIVE TEAM President & CEO Jamie O. Bosket VP for Advancement Bob W. Halbruner 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 History Day page 24
VIRGINIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chair John R. Nelson Vice Chair Charles L. Cabell Honorary Vice Chairs H. Furlong Baldwin Harry F. Byrd III Nancy H. Gottwald Conrad M. Hall Brenton S. Halsey Anne R. Worrell Board of Trustees Austin Brockenbrough III Jeannette R. Cadwallender Herbert A. Claiborne III Richard Cullen William H. Fralin, Jr. George C. Freeman III Susan S. Goode
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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Russell B. Harper Landon Hilliard Gen. John P. Jumper Linwood Allen Lacy, Jr. Hon. Elizabeth A. McClanahan G. Gilmer Minor III Kevin B. Osborne Pamela Kiecker Royall Thomas G. Slater, Jr. Robert Clarkson Sledd Gerald F. Smith Thomas G. Snead, Jr. Robert Dorsey Taylor Allison P. Weinstein J. Harvie Wilkinson III William C. Wooldridge
From the President
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n a speech he delivered to a joint session of Congress, renowned author and historian David McCullough noted, “Our past is not only prologue, it can be bracing.” He was right; history provides us the perspective we use to live our lives and shape our futures. It provides us successes to build on and failures to learn from.
As a history organization, this gives our mission lasting purpose, and it guides our every move.
Around this time last year, we began charting a new course toward greater reach and impact. In doing so, we looked carefully to our past — our remarkable 187- year institutional history. In the months since, we have debuted several new exhibits and many new public programs and events. We also launched one of the largest WWI centennial commemoration programs in the nation. In 2017 we set a new record for museum visitation by welcoming more than 100,000 people — the first time in our long history. And so far this year, we are on track to set a record yet again. Earlier this year we announced a new name for our museum in Richmond. While keeping Virginia Historical Society as our overarching organizational identity, the museum’s new name — Virginia Museum of History & Culture — is a fresh and effective way for us to continue our progress, more successfully promote visitation, be more welcoming, and better articulate what we do. Now, we are thrilled to share with you another exciting change, our newest publication, Virginia History & Culture. Through this regular member magazine, we will proudly showcase the important work you make possible and share interesting stories from Virginia’s remarkable past. Thank you for your feedback on this new publication; thank you for your support; and thank you for valuing history as we do!
With appreciation,
Jamie O. Bosket President & CEO
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! Please email us with your feedback on this new publication: newsletter@VirginiaHistory.org
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Pocahontas Remembered… An Ocean Away
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hough it was certainly the longest journey of her life, and she was already exposed to English ways, nothing could have prepared Matoaka — better known as Pocahontas — for what she would experience when she landed in England in 1616. It was more than an ocean that separated her lifestyle at home from that of London and its surrounding communities…it was a wholly different world. Pocahontas was shaped by her encounters with the English very early in her life, but more importantly, she proved to be unmatched as an influencer of English longevity in the colonies. Whether the accounts of John Smith are believable or not, Pocahontas did, time and again, come to the aid of the settlers, and specifically, perhaps, John Smith. There was something powerful about Pocahontas’ relationship with the English. She was, by all accounts, a force for reconciliation and peace. Well beyond her encounters with Captain Smith, she was a uniting presence between two cultures. In fact, it may have been duty to diplomacy and peacebuilding that ultimately led her to marry John Rolfe in April 1614. Once married, with child, and converted to Christianity, Pocahontas — now called Rebecca Rolfe (her Christian name) — was the ideal ambassador for the Virginia Company, the English backers of the Jamestown project. For the Virginia Company, she was a sign of their “progress” with the colony — a moral success story in lieu of their earlier hope for outright financial gain. As such, they sponsored a trip to bring her to England. Pocahontas, her husband, son, and others boarded a ship and made the journey to England in late 1616. They arrived at Plymouth and spent their severalmonth stay in London and Brentford. In London, Pocahontas was presented to the king and queen, and commentators noted the presence of the Rolfes at numerous public events. During her stay outside of London in Brentford, she reconnected with John Smith. Tragically, Pocahontas never made it home. She fell ill during her travels and ultimately died in the port town of Gravesend along the Thames River — the common outbound route for ships headed to sea. Her body was interred on the grounds of St. George’s
Above: Engraving of Pocahontas, 1616, by Simon van de Passe (VMHC accession number: 1993.192). Left: Statue of Pocahontas at St. George’s Church in Gravesend, England.
There was something powerful about Pocahontas’ relationship with the English. She was, by all records, a force for reconciliation and peace. Church in Gravesend in March 1617 — the exact spot is no longer known. While separately, her husband and son eventually returned to Virginia. To commemorate Pocahontas, the anniversary of her passing, and her legacy of strength, courage, and peacemaking, President & CEO Jamie Bosket accompanied Chief Anne Richardson, the first female Indian Chief in Virginia since the 18th-century, for a special remembrance journey to Gravesend. VirginiaHistory.org | 5
February. She visited the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and spent time with Senior Curator, Dr. William M. S. Rasmussen, the author of the historical society’s popular publication, Pocahontas: Her Life and Legend. When Ms. Hassabu returns for the play’s premiere, she will also participate in the museum’s growing student distance learning program, HistoryConnects.
Top: View today of Gravesend from the location where the historic docks were located. Above: President Jamie Bosket, Chief Anne Richardson, and the deputy mayor of Gravesend.
Chief Richardson is of the Rappahannock tribe, which is part of the Powhatan Nation that Pocahontas’ father once ruled. It is also one of the six tribes that at longlast received federal recognition in February 2018. Bosket and Chief Richardson’s visit was in conjunction with the “Pocahontas Project,” a series of events planned by a dedicated group in England together with a similar group in Virginia that strive to honor and tell her real-life story. A play, “Gravesend,” has been written by Londoner Kieran Knowles and is slated for its global premiere in Virginia later this year. The playwright visited Virginia in January. The 27-year-old British actress who will portray Pocahontas, Yasmine Hassabu, visited Virginia in 6 | Virginia History & Culture
The trip by Bosket and Chief Richardson to Gravesend last March took them to several of the locations of Pocahontas’ fateful travels, including the site of the 17th-century docks. They were received by the mayor and deputy mayor, visited local schools, and spoke together in St. George’s Church (an 18th-century church built very near the site of the original) to a crowd of local residents. “It was a great honor to be with Chief Richardson to tell one of the most important stories in Virginia history, and to remember a remarkable representative of our deep American Indian heritage,” commented Bosket. “It was very moving to see how sincerely the people of Gravesend treasure their connection to us, and to Pocahontas.” Outside the church, symbolically marking Pocahontas’ final resting place, is a copy of William Ordway Partridge’s statue, the original of which was commissioned for the 1907 tercentennial in Jamestown, where it remains today. Memory of Pocahontas remains strong, and she still today is uniting people across a vast ocean.
The Story of Virginia
Highlights from the Virginia Museum of History & Culture
This new 200-page, hard cover book features more than 400 iconic objects representing Virginia’s remarkable history.
Pre-order Now to TRIPLE Your Member Discount! Regular Price $39.95 Special Member Price $27.95
Visit ShopVirginiaHistory.org to place your order by August 31. Books will begin shipping October 2018. Published through the generous support of the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation.
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You Can Help! New To The Collection As part of our effort to preserve and share the experience of African Americans in Virginia, we need your help to grow our collection. Items of interest are those that represent African American achievements in Virginia politics, business, culture, and other arenas in the 20th and 21st centuries. In addition, items related to Jim Crow segregation, the civil rights movement, expressions of black pride, and the recent fight against persistent racism and injustice, as seen in the Black Lives Matter movement and Charlottesville protests, are needed. If you have items that you would like to share with the museum, please contact Karen Sherry, Curator of Exhibitions, at ksherry@VirginiaHistory.org.
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n commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first Africans in British North America in Virginia in 1619, the museum is organizing a new exhibition, Determined: The 400Year Struggle for Black Equality, scheduled to open in June 2019. In conjunction with this exhibition, and as part of our larger mission of preserving and telling diverse stories of Virginia, the museum is working to build its collections of African American–related materials to help represent this important aspect of Virginia history. One item recently acquired is a small stoneware pitcher with antislavery imagery made in 1858 by E. Ridgway & Abington, a pottery firm in Staffordshire, England. Ridgway & Abington used Harriet Beecher Stowe’s bestselling novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852), as inspiration. One side of the pitcher shows the famous death-defying escape of the enslaved woman Eliza running away with her son across the treacherous ice on the Ohio River to save her young boy from being sold. The other side of the pitcher depicts a slave auction, complete with a disconsolate group of enslaved people awaiting their fate, several eager buyers placing their bids, and the auctioneer standing at a podium. Familial separation thematically unites the two sides of the pitcher. The breaking up of families was a regular and tragic feature of
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slavery: historians estimate that one in three enslaved children were separated from their parents through the slave trade. Slave auctions were common in antebellum Virginia, with the slave markets in Alexandria and Richmond among the largest in the United States, rivaled only by those in New Orleans and Charleston. With a shrewd eye for popular taste, the Ridgway & Abington company capitalized on the popular status of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the growth of the abolition movement it sparked. Ridgway & Abington first started producing this pitcher in 1853 — one year after Stowe’s blockbuster book. Displaying the pitcher as a decorative object in your home or using it at your table was equivalent to wearing a political T-shirt or “liking” a cause on social media today — in this case, your opposition to slavery. This small pitcher links to a much larger historical context, including the domestic slave trade, the influence of art and literature on public opinion, the debate over fugitive slaves, and the international networks of the abolitionist movement.
LEARN MORE Visit VirginiaHistory.org/pitcher to read more about the E. Ridgway & Abington pitcher.
Left: Abolitionist Pitcher, 1858, by E. Ridgway & Abington (VMHC accession number: 2018.31)
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Inside Looking Out: The Art Of Queena Stovall Explore life in rural Virginia through 44 paintings created by Lynchburg, Virginia, folk artist, Emma Serena “Queena” Stovall. On display through October 14, 2018 in the Susan and David Goode Gallery.
“Stovall’s paintings are remarkably evocative and unique. Her work speaks to a distinctive cultural experience found in rural Virginia and illustrates her deep love for family and neighbors and her sense of place.”
— Dr. William M. S. Rasmussen, Senior Curator of Exhibitions and Lora M. Robins Curator of Art
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Perspective: An Interview with Judy Stovall Boland What is your connection to the artist?
Queena Stovall was my paternal grandmother.
What would surprise someone about your grandmother’s artwork?
I think most people would be surprised to know that nearly everyone in her paintings is someone she knew. Each one is a miniature portrait. She always painted their feet first and brought them up from there.
Which of your grandmother’s paintings is your favorite?
It is difficult to choose a favorite painting. There are so many that I love. I think her very best and the most meaningful to me is the painting of a country auction. It took her two years to complete it. She painted herself in the front row, saying with a twinkle in her eye, “I used my artist’s equipment to make myself look good.” Grandma loved going to auctions. She said that she had a little gambler’s instinct, that it put new life into her. The painting is bittersweet. The faces are full of enthusiasm as the bidding goes on, yet a somber elderly gentleman sits on the porch watching as his life’s possessions are sold, one by one. Grandma’s mentor, Pierre Daura, suggested the name for the painting — The End of the Line (pictured at left).
What are some of your memories of your grandmother?
My most vivid memories of my grandmother are of her sitting on a stool in her kitchen directing all of the activity going on to prepare the huge family meals. Hospitality was second nature to her. She encouraged everyone to join her at her home, The Wigwam, to enjoy God’s bounty from her farm. She was the original farm to table hostess! In her quiet, humble way, always with a big smile, she orchestrated the proceedings. There was so much to learn from her. Everyone of her children and grandchildren had great respect for her values, joy, and wisdom.
“I used my artist’s equipment to make myself look good.” — Queena Stovall
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WAR STORIES: COMMEMORATING THE CENTENNIAL OF WORLD WAR I
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orld War I had a dramatic impact on the nation and our Commonwealth. For Virginia, perhaps one of the most significant legacies was the establishment of a sizable military presence within the state. The creation of major bases brought money, jobs, and an influx of Americans from other regions — a development that helped return the Commonwealth to national prominence. On a more personal scale, every Virginia family was affected by the war in some way — the 100,000 who served abroad, the 3,700 soldiers lost, and the many thousands who supported their effort. VirginiaHistory.org | 13
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ince the opening of WW1 America and The Commonwealth and the Great War exhibitions, the museum has continued to collect stories demonstrating the impact of the war on Virginia and Virginians. Here are some recent discoveries.
SABOTAGE!
Although armies used automobiles and tanks, horses and mules continued to play a significant role throughout the war. Estimates suggest that more than 6 million horses were used as cavalry mounts or provided locomotion for ambulances, wagons, and artillery. The United States supplied more than one million equids to the war effort, and tens of thousands of these animals passed through the Front Royal Remount (Quartermaster) Depot during the war. The facility — located in the northern region of the Shenandoah Valley at the junction of two railroads and a major highway — was such an essential breeding and training facility that in 1915 a German plot was devised to poison the horses there using a contagious disease known as glanders. The biological attack was organized by a German-American doctor — Anton Dilger — who was born in Front Royal. His plot was unsuccessful. Fearing capture, Dilger fled to Mexico and then to Spain where, ironically, he died as a result of influenza in October 1918.
AN AMERICAN FIRST
In 1909, Kiffin Yates Rockwell, a Tennessee native, enrolled at the Virginia Military Institute. After studying there for one year he entered nearby Washington & Lee University. Leaving college in 1911, he went to work in Atlanta. When war erupted in August 1914, twenty-two-year-old Kiffin and his brother Paul, joined the French Foreign Legion and by October they were in the trenches of the Western Front. In May 1915, Kiffin was wounded at La Targette and after recovering he joined the French aviation service. In April 1916, he became one of the founding pilots in the Lafayette Escadrille, and the following month he became the first American pilot to shoot down an enemy plane. His final combat took place on September 23, 1916, when his Nieuport was downed by the gunner in a German Albatross observation plane. He was buried with honors at the squadron’s field at Luxeuil-les-Bains.
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FIRST LADY PRESIDENT?
It is well known that Woodrow Wilson was a native Virginian. Perhaps less well-known is that Edith Bolling Galt, the president’s second wife, was a native of Wytheville, Virginia. The couple was married in December 1915, and during the war Edith led the nation by example as a volunteer with the Red Cross. Heeding her own call to “reduce living to its simplest form” and preserve resources for the war effort, the Wilsons famously brought in sheep to graze on the White House lawn to free gardeners for wartime duties, and then auctioning the wool to bring in $100,000 for the Red Cross. When President Wilson suffered a severe stroke in October 1919, Edith began to screen all matters of state and decided which were important enough to bring to the bedridden president. In doing so, she de facto ran the executive branch of the government for the remainder of the president’s second term, until March 1921. “LUNCHBURG” Lynchburg, Virginia, was a critical railroad hub that connected Danville, Richmond, Lexington, and Newport News. In September 1917, local women began serving sandwiches and coffee to the thousands of troops passing through the city on transport trains. After few months the U.S. Army recognized the effort and assigned the stop as an official canteen. The American Red Cross stepped in to assist with food purchases and distribution.
Above: American Red Cross volunteer greeting soldiers and supplying refreshments and snacks to troops. (Image courtesy of the Lynchburg Museum System)
VIRGINIANS ON THE LUSITANIA
The sinking of the R.M.S. Lusitania by a German submarine in May 1915 resulted in the deaths of more than 1,193 of the 2,000 passengers, including 124 Americans. The incident turned public opinion in the United States against Germany. Forty-four-yearold Albert Lloyd Hopkins, president of the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, was in Britain to negotiate contracts for armor plates for battleships. Hopkins was returning to New York on the Lusitania. His body was recovered and returned to the United States for burial. Charles T. Hill of Richmond was also aboard and on the deck when the torpedo struck the ship. He narrowly avoided death — despite his lifeboat capsizing as it entered the water. Left: Poster, Irishmen – avenge the Lusitania. Join an Irish regiment to-day/W.E.T.; John Shuley & Co., Dublin. Great Britain Ireland, 1915 (Dublin: Central Council for the Organization of Recruiting in Ireland) (Image courtesy Library of Congress)
LEAD PRESENTER
PRESENTING SPONSORS
CENTENNIAL EXHIBITS
WW1 America On display through July 29, 2018, in the Virginia Sargeant Reynolds Gallery.
The Genan Foundation SUPPORTING SPONSORS Shelton H. Short, Jr. Trust in memory of Shelton and Jean Short ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY James C. Wheat III
The Commonwealth and The Great War On display through November 18, 2018, in the Stern Family Gallery.
Kiwi and Landon Hilliard
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A Research Resource For All
The historical society’s renowned research library offers many resources for researchers, with nearly nine million items at its disposal, including family papers, business records, books, journals, broadsides, sheet music, and 200 years of genealogical materials. Do you have a family member who served in World War I? The library is offering free access to Ancestry.com to locate Wold War I draft cards. Are you a Civil War buff? The library has one of the richest collections in the nation of manuscripts, maps, and printed items generated in the South. Have all of those cooking shows piqued your interest in how people cooked “back in the day”? The library has dozens of cookbooks, some dating back to the 19th century. Staff can 16 | Virginia History & Culture
help you search our catalog for family letters, diaries, and other manuscripts that would shed light on food history. Are you interested in learning more about your family history? Staff can help you fill in the inevitable blanks in the public record by using hundreds of sets of family Bible records — the pages from a family Bible where births, deaths, and marriages often were recorded — and scores of so-called “family files,” research notes donated to us by professional and amateur genealogists. The library has amassed a large
print collection of genealogical publications, including periodicals, short-run and out-of-print books, privately printed books, and published abstracts and indexes of county-level records.
NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY The library is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. To learn more about our resources, visit us online at VirginiaHistory.org/collections.
A Fitting Tribute: Memorial Day at the Museum As part of the museum’s new and growing portfolio of public programs, and the first of three special WWIfocused centennial commemorations, guests enjoyed a day full of history-rich activities on Memorial Day. Character interpreters representing General John Pershing and Virginia-born President Woodrow Wilson engaged crowds. Wilson’s original PierceArrow presidential limo was on display through a partnership with the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum in Staunton, Virginia. Hands-on crafts and learning opportunities were available in the Carole and Marcus Weinstein Learning Center, and in the afternoon, guests gathered on the museum’s front steps for a solemn remembrance ceremony. Local Boy Scouts read the names of the Virginia soldiers lost in WWI, and a brass quintet from the 392nd Army Band of Fort Lee performed.
Top to bottom: “General John Pershing” posing with a guest; “Woodrow Wilson” with his Pierce-Arrow limo; President Bosket addresses a crowd of more than 200 people on the decorated front steps of the museum.
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A Beautiful Day In The Garden More than 600 members descended on the historical society’s James River property, Virginia House, for the 65th-annual Spring Garden Party. Guests thoroughly enjoyed the recently completed renovations on site, including modern restrooms and new exterior patio space. Perfect weather, delicious crab cakes, and ample mint juleps made for a joyous occasion.
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Read With Us: Recently Published & Recommended Buy your copy today at ShopVirginiaHistory.org!
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Upcoming Events JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
4 Independence Day Celebration In celebration of the 242nd anniversary of American independence, the museum will host a full day of patriotic festivities, including a large-scale citizenship naturalization ceremony, live music, and much more!
2 Banner Lecture “Keep It a Holy Thing”: Lee Chapel’s Greatest Challenge by David Cox
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Virginia Journeys Surry County: Bacon’s Castle, Chippoke’s Plantation, and Smith’s Fort Plantation
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Banner Lecture Virginia Honor: The Ethics of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson by Craig Bruce Smith
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Banner Lecture From Richmond to France: Images and Stories of Richmond and Her World War I Soldiers by Kitty Snow
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Hazel and Fulton Chauncey Lecture “The Unknowns: The Untold Story of America’s Unknown Soldier and WWI’s Most Decorated Heroes Who Brought Him Home” by Patrick K. O’Donnell
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4
BrewHaHa: Virginia Craft Beer Festival TICKETS ON SALE NOW! In recognition of Virginia Craft Beer Month, the museum will host its second annual craft beer festival. Sample selections made from historic recipes. Cideries and breweries from across Virginia will also bring some of their favorite selections.
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Virginia Journeys Washington, D.C.: National Museum of Women in the Arts and National Gallery of Art
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Banner Lecture “A Perfect Hell of Blood”: The Battle of the Crater by A. Wilson Greene
15 Behind-the-Scenes Vintage, Upcycled, & Refurbished: What is the “End of the Line” for Our Stuff? by Christina Vida 20
Now It’s History Lecture The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History by John M. Barry Cosponsored with the MCV Foundation
26 Virginia Journeys James Madison’s Montpelier 27
Banner Lecture The Age of Eisenhower: America and the World in the 1950s by William I. Hitchcock
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
10 Virginia Journeys Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
8 Banner Lecture Never in Finer Company: The Men of the Lost Battalion and the Transformation of America by Edward G. Lengel
11 Banner Lecture Without Precedent: The Invention of Chief Justice John Marshall by Joel Richard Paul Cosponsored with Preservation Virginia’s John Marshall House and the John Marshall Foundation 17 J. Harvie Wilkinson, Jr. Lecture 1619: Jamestown and the Forging of American Democracy by James Horn
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Banner Lecture John Marshall: The Man Who Made the Supreme Court by Richard Brookhiser Cosponsored with Preservation Virginia’s John Marshall House and the John Marshall Foundation
EXHIBITION OPENING Join us on October 27 for the opening of Fresh Paint: Murals Inspired by the Story of Virginia. During the month of September, local mural artists will paint live on site prior to the installation of artifacts from our collection.
STORIES AT THE MUSEUM
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Banner Lecture Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila by James M. Scott
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Virginia Journeys Richmond City: Supreme Court of Virginia, Virginia State Capitol, The Valentine and Wickham House, and John Marshall House
Join us on the first and third Saturday of every month to enjoy a historical story followed by a related craft. Fun for all ages!
More at VirginiaHistory.org/Calendar VirginiaHistory.org | 21
A Centennial Gala
Once seated for an elegant dinner in the Helga Koch Gottwald Gateway, the group listened to inspiring remarks by Governor Ralph Northam, and a stirring WWI musical tribute by soprano Anne O’Byrne and Richmond Symphony Executive Director David Fisk. Proceeds from the evening helped support the yearlong centennial commemoration.
Top: Gala guests sit for dinner in the Gottwald Gateway. Above: Chairman Nelson and General Crutchfield prepare for ribbon cutting. Right, top to bottom, left to right: Governor Northam addressees the gathering; Anne O’Byrne performs; Trustee Harry Byrd talks with Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Donald Lemons and Elizabeth Allen; Justin Moore, Trustee George Freeman, Virginia First Lady Pam Northam, Anne Granger, and Trustee Tom Slater watch musical performance; Mary White talks with Trustee Gil Minor; Liza Cabell, Elizabeth Allen, Tom Allen, and Vice Chairman Charles Cabell tour new exhibits; the museum decorated for the night. 22 | Virginia History & Culture
Photography by Lexie Hand
More than 100 people gathered on February 16 at the museum to celebrate the opening of two new World War I exhibitions. Beginning with a red carpet walk to the museum’s historic front entrance and a cocktail reception in the Olsson Family Gallery, General Anthony Crutchfield, representing The Boeing Company, the lead presenter of our centennial commemoration, joined historical society chairman Jack Nelson in cutting the ribbon to officially open the extensive displays.
GALA HOSTS
Barbara and Harry F. Byrd III Charlotte and G. Gilmer Minor III Mary Ellen and E. Claiborne Robins, Jr.
TABLE HOSTS
Nancy and Bruce Gottwald Katherine and Jack Nelson Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP McGuireWoods VirginiaHistory.org | 23
Virginia History Day
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n 2016, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture accepted a tremendous opportunity, one with the potential to change history education in the Commonwealth, by becoming the permanent home for Virginia History Day, an affiliate of the National History Day Contest. This social studies competition teaches students critical thinking, writing, and research skills. Students also learn collaboration, time management, and problem solving.
Virginia is divided into eight regional districts. Students from sixth grade through twelfth grade participate in their schools and then in corresponding district competitions. The competition includes multiple categories — live performance, website development, documentaries, research papers, and three-dimensional exhibits — centered on a unifying theme. In 2018 the theme was “Conflict and Compromise.” Along with their projects, students had to submit an annotated bibliography of primary and secondary sources as well as a short paper documenting their research process. The top two
“One young man went from failing regular classes to excelling in AP classes as a result of NHD.” — NHD teacher
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entries in each category and age division at the district competitions advanced to the state contest held at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture in April. The top two entries in each category at the state contest qualified for the national competition held at the University of Maryland at College Park in June. In 2017, the General Assembly passed a “Profile of a Graduate” for Virginia’s students that revolves around five C’s: critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and citizenship. To support those skills, the Virginia Department of Education revised their curriculum framework for history and social sciences education. These updated standards place more emphasis on analyzing and evaluating historical sources as well as knowing facts and dates. Virginia History Day dovetails with these new goals and is centered on students demonstrating the ability to understand historical context, evaluate primary and secondary sources, and draw conclusions based on evidence. Whether or not students participate in the History Day program outside of their schools, research has shown that History Day students outperform their peers at evaluating information found online, exemplifying good work habits, demonstrating knowledge of events not studied in school, organizing reports, developing a research plan, and communicating with others. Colleges and employers seek these qualities in students and employees. And our Commonwealth and nation need an educated and engaged youth to become the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.
DISTRICT LEVEL
YOU CAN HELP! The generous support of the Lettie Pate Evans Foundation has secured Virginia History Day at the museum.
STATE LEVEL
But we need your help to engage all Virginia students.
Please consider donating today!
NATIONAL LEVEL
Left: First and second place Virginia History Day winners. Right, top: George Washington Middle School from Alexandria, Virginia, won the inaugural Virginia History Day cup; middle: a student looks at one of the Junior Individual Exhibits in the Susan and David Goode Gallery; bottom: students waiting to present their project to the judges. VirginiaHistory.org | 25
PLEASE CONSIDER BECOMING A MONTHLY DONOR Being a Virginia History GEM (Give Every Month) supporter allows you to spread your charitable giving over the year and helps assure stable funds for our educational programs and collecting initiatives. Call 804.342.9657 or visit VirginiaHistory.org/giving to join today.
More than 50% of our income comes from individual contributions.
YOUR SUPPORT makes a HUGE impact.
Thank you to our current GEM supporters. Thomas Baker • Page and John Barrow • Catherine A. Boe • Canan K. and James N. Boomer • Robert D. Bouck • Keane Hollomon Britton • Kelly Earl Brown • Amenta and Gerald L. Buckner • Tom Emory • Dr. Stephan Fafatas • Marguerite Farber • Evamon W. Fleming • Dianne and James Forsythe • Mr. and Mrs. F. Meriwether Fowlkes, Jr. • Donna and Stephen Goff • Mr. and Mrs. John O. Gwathmey • Anne A. Haskins • Joyce Herman • Browne Hollowell • Emily D. King • Lesley and Tom Mack • Martha A. Martin • Susan and Ken Moorman • G. Kenneth Morgan • Mark Morgan • Joe Obenshain • Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Oglesby III • Dr. Gay Lamb Pasley • Mr. and Mrs. Marcus E. Points • Dr. Archer L. Redmond • Gerald D. Runkle • Dr. Paul E. Sangster • Renee Burch Serrao • Janice DuVal Shaughnessy • Mr. and Mrs. John K. Spencer, Jr. • Stephanie Vale • Jean and Phil Wallace • Joan Barkley Wells • J. Thomas Wren • Anonymous 26 | Virginia History & Culture
Becoming Citizens Series Created Equal Film Series Memorial Day Event
Book Your Next Event at One of Our Historic Venues! VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF HISTORY & CULTURE
VIRGINIA HOUSE Located along the James River in the Windsor Farms neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia House has indoor and outdoor spaces for a variety of events of all sizes — from weddings to corporate retreats. Relocated from England to Richmond in the 1920s by Ambassador Alexander Weddell and his wife, Virginia, this former English manor house features nearly eight acres of stunning gardens and grounds designed by Charles Gillette.
RENOVATIONS TO VIRGINIA HOUSE From small intimate gatherings to large glamorous events, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture is rich with unique spaces.
Renovations to Virginia House were completed in April 2018. These include modern restrooms, a bridal and bridal party changing suite, and an enlarged courtyard patio.
MOST POPULAR SPACES: • • • • •
Boulevard Marble Lobby Olsson Family Gallery Robins Family Forum Helga Koch Gottwald Gateway Halsey Family Lecture Hall
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UPCOMING EXHIBITION
FRESH PAINT:
Murals Inspired by the Story of Virginia On display
October 27, 2018 to April 14, 2019 in the
Virginia Sargeant Reynolds Gallery