Media Alert
December 4, 2023
Taylor Fuqua, Manager of PR & Marketing; tfuqua@VirginiaHistory.org; 804.342.9661
Richmond, VA – The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is presenting a small, focused display that unveils the symbolic imagery, hidden messages, and other private references contained in a small selection of items from its vast collection.
Secrets & Symbols: Hidden Messages in Decorative Objects, which will be on display from December 9, 2023 through October 20, 2024, provides a close-up examination of 6 large objects in the VMHC collection, including several new acquisitions. Representing diverse materials, artists, and eras, the featured items share a common thread: they have all been personalized with secret or symbolic contents. For example, an 1816–1817 walnut desk created by John Shearer—one of the most skilled furniture makers in the Shenandoah Valley in this period—has decorations alluding to the maker’s British loyalties. Shearer also left notes about the desk’s patron inside a hidden compartment. And, Rena Koiner, an Augusta County farmwife, expressed aspects of her personality in the design and materials of a quilt she made in the 1890s.
This special, limited-time display invites guests to explore the rich layers of meaning in these and other seemingly common utilitarian objects. In addition, videos in the display provide additional historical context and show the interiors or other hidden parts of the items.
Plan your next visit to the VMHC to check out Secrets & Symbols: Hidden Messages in Decorative Objects at VirginiaHistory.org
###
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is the only institution dedicated to presenting the entire history of Virginia over time and across regions. Its nationally significant collection of more than 9 million objects, renowned research library, galleries and public programs demonstrate the centrality of Virginia to the narrative of the United States.
The VMHC is owned and operated by the Virginia Historical Society — a private, non-profit organization established in 1831. The historical society is the oldest cultural organization in Virginia and one of the oldest and most distinguished history organizations in the nation.
###