Curator Conversations: Who's In Your Locket?

In this series, VMHC curatorial staff bring exclusive member-only programs to you on a variety of interesting topics. To see upcoming events in this series, please visit VirginiaHistory.org/Events.

Who’s In Your Locket?: The Social Symbolism of Miniature Portraits (August 9, 2021): Before the invention of the photograph in the late 1830s, the only way to capture a person’s image was through a painting, drawing, or other work of art. Miniature painting developed as a special branch of art and miniature portraits took on special significance because they were exchanged as gifts, worn or carried on your person, and often embellished with locks of hair and other personal touches. Join VMHC curator Dr. Karen Sherry to learn about the miniature tradition and to view examples of these historical love tokens from the museum’s collection.