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Secrets & Symbols: Desk by John Shearer
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Desk, 1817
John Shearer (about 1760–after 1818)
VMHC Collection, Gift of The Children of Louis and Harriett Waldrop
John Shearer, a Scottish immigrant...
Secrets & Symbols: Temperance Quilt
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Quilt, about 1890–1900
Rena Effinger Coyner Koiner (1869–1949)
Cotton fabrics
VMHC Collection, Gift of Dennis and Kay Stockdale
Rena Koiner, the maker of...
Secrets & Symbols: Teresa Blount Portrait
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Portrait of Teresa Blount, about 1710–20s
Unknown artist
VMHC Collection
Traditionally, portraits contain clues to a sitter’s social identity. This...
Secrets & Symbols: "Crown of Thorns" Chest of Drawers
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“Crown of Thorns” chest of drawers, late 1800s
Unknown maker
VMHC Collection
So-called tramp art was popular across the U.S. from the 1870s to the 1930s...
Shockoe Hill Cemetery: A Richmond Landmark's History
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On December 7, 2017, Alyson Lindsey Taylor-White delivered a Banner Lecture entitled “Shockoe Hill Cemetery: A Richmond Landmark's History.”
I...
Silent Spring Revolution: Kennedy, Carson, Johnson, Nixon, & the Great Environmental Awakening
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On March 1, 2023, bestselling author Douglas Brinkley delivered a lecture about his newest book, "Silent Spring Revolution: John F. Kennedy, Rachel...
Soul Liberty: The Evolution of Black Religious Politics in Postemancipation
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That churches are one of the most important cornerstones of black political organization is a commonplace. In her new history of African American...
Stonewall Jackson’s Little Sorrel
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On September 14, 2017, Sharon B. Smith delivered a Banner Lecture entitled “Stonewall Jackson's Little Sorrel.”
During the Civil War and throughout...
The Bartlett Book of Garden Elements
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On June 18, 2015, Rose Love Bartlett will delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Bartlett Book of Garden Elements."
Every beautiful garden, large...
The Feud: The All-American, No-Holds-Barred, Blood-and-Guts Story of the Hatfields and McCoys
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On June 20, 2013, Dean King delivered the 2013 Hazel and Fulton Chauncey Lecture at the Virginia Historical Society entitled "The Feud: The All...
The Jeffersons at Shadwell
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On January 13, 2011, Susan Kern discussed her book, The Jeffersons at Shadwell. In her book, Susan Kern merges archaeology, material culture, and...
The Life and Legacy of Emily Winfree: From Enslavement to Carnegie Hall
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On June 16th, 2022, authors Jan Meck & Virginia Refo held a thoughtful talk and discussion about their new book, The Life and Legacy of Enslaved...
The Lincolns, the Booths, and the Spirits: Two Families and the Otherworld in the Civil War
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On September 8th, 2022, historian Terry Alford held a fascinating lecture about his newest book, In the Houses of Their Dead: The Lincolns, the Booths...
The Material World of Eyre Hall: Four Centuries of Chesapeake History
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On March 24, 2022, Carl R. Lounsbury delivered a lecture about four centuries of Chesapeake history as revealed through material world of Eyre Hall.
...The Paradox of Robert Edward Lee
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On June 1, 2017, at noon, David Cox delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Paradox of Robert Edward Lee."
Robert E. Lee remains as controversial...
The Permanent Resident: Excavations and Explorations of George Washington’s Life
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On October 13, 2022, Dr. Philip Levy gave a fascinating lecture on the principal archaeological sites associated with George Washington and what they...
The Poe You May Not Know
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On June 4 at noon, Barbara Anne Cantalupo delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Poe You May Not Know."
Although Edgar Allan Poe’s name is most...
The Rarefied Life of George Washington Parke Custis
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George Washington Parke Custis was raised at Mount Vernon by George and Martha Washington. Young “Wash” appears in Edward Savage's 1789 painting of...
The Strange Genius of Mr. O: The World of the United States’ First Forgotten Celebrity
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On July 15, 2021, historian Carolyn Eastman delivered a Banner Lecture examining the career of James Ogilvie, a now-forgotten celebrity of the very...
Transforming the James River in Richmond
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The James River has always been the centerpiece of Richmond, but by the mid-twentieth century it had been abused and neglected. Today, the river draws...