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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...
She Can Bring Us Home: Dr. Dorothy Boulding Ferebee, Civil Rights Pioneer
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On August 20, 2015, Diane Kiesel delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "She Can Bring Us Home: Dr. Dorothy Boulding Ferebee, Civil Rights Pioneer."
At...
Sheltering Arms: A Legacy of Caring
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On August 28 at noon, Anne Rutherford Lower delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Sheltering Arms: A Legacy of Caring."
Sheltering Arms: A Legacy of...
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...
"Shockoe Valley Topography and the Slave Trade" By Jeffrey Ruggles
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On Saturday, February 28, 2009, the community was invited to attend a conference about Richmond’s African American history, “Hidden Things Brought to...
Sites and Stories: African American History in Virginia
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On February 14, 2008, Lauranett Lee spoke about “Sites and Stories: African American History in Virginia.”
Historic highway markers are beloved...
Slave Auction Painting: Analyzing Primary Sources
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In this video, a VMHC Educator analyzes the painting Slave Auction, Virginia, by LeFevre Cranstone.
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...
Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend
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According to the ballad that made him famous, John Henry did battle with a steam-powered drill, beat the machine, and died. Folklorists have long...
Supreme Injustice: Slavery in the Nation’s Highest Court
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On May 9, 2018, Dr. Paul Finkelman and Dr. Edward L. Ayers engaged in a conversation about Dr. Finkelman’s latest book, “Supreme Injustice: Slavery in...
Surviving Southampton: Finding Women in Nat Turner’s Community
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On June 24, 2021, historian Vanessa Holden delivered a Banner Lecture about her new book about how women contributed to America’s most famous slave...
Telling Our Stories: School Desegregation in Western Virginia by Theodore C. DeLaney
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On February 22, 2007, Dr. DeLaney delivered this Banner Lecture at the VHS. In 1954 the Supreme Court held in Brown v. Board of Education that...
The Cherokee Diaspora: A History of Migration, Survival, and Pride
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On December 3, 2015, Gregory D. Smithers delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Cherokee Diaspora: A History of Migration, Survival, and Pride."
Ac...
The Civil War at a Crossroads: The Seven Days
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The Death of Pocahontas
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In this video Digital Outreach Educator, Rachel, discusses the death of Pocahontas in the Virginia Museum of History & Culture's long-term exhibition...
The Devil’s Half Acre – Book Talk and Discussion with Kristen Green and Dr. Carolivia Herron
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On September 19th, 2022, best-selling author and journalist Kristen Green joined Dr. Carolivia Herron to discuss the subject of Green’s book and...
The First Thanksgiving
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On October 13, 2011, Graham Woodlief and Barbara Ramos delivered their lecture entitled "The First Thanksgiving."
Because of what they learned in...