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Secrets & Symbols: Child's Chest of Drawers
Chest of drawers, about 1914
William L. Hedgbeth, Sr. (1882–1966)
VMHC Collection, Gift of Llewellyn H. Hedgbeth in memory of her grandfather William L...
Secrets & Symbols: Desk by John Shearer
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
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
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
“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...
Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend
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
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...
The Ghosts of Eden Park
On October 10, 2019, Karen Abbott delivered a Banner Lecture entitled, “The Ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg King, the Women Who Pursued Him, and the...
The History Crisis in America: Myth and Reality
On July 9 at noon, Charles F. Bryan, Jr., delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The History Crisis in America: Myth and Reality."
History occupies a...
The Internal Enemy: Slavery and War in Virginia, 1772-1832
On April 17, 2014 Alan Taylor delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Internal Enemy: Slavery and War in Virginia, 1772-1832."
In 1813, British...
The Life and Legacy of Emily Winfree: From Enslavement to Carnegie Hall
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 Material World of Eyre Hall: Four Centuries of Chesapeake History
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 Record of Murders and Outrages: Racial Violence and the Fight over Truth during Reconstruction
On February 10, 2022, historian William Blair delivered a lecture about the early Reconstruction era effort by Freedmen’s Bureau officers to document...
The Roads from War to Reconstruction and Beyond
On June 22, Edward L. Ayers spoke with Paul Levengood in a Banner Lecture entitled “The Roads from War to Reconstruction and Beyond.”
Reconstruction...
The Story of Virginia: The Arrival of the First Africans
In this lecture, historian and author Ric Murphy tells the fascinating story of the arrival of the first Africans in Virginia in 1619.
Based on his...
The Strange Genius of Mr. O: The World of the United States’ First Forgotten Celebrity
On July 15, 2021, historian Carolyn Eastman delivered a Banner Lecture examining the career of James Ogilvie, a now-forgotten celebrity of the very...
Turning Fact into Fiction: Writing Fiction about the Richmond Theater Fire
On May 11, 2023, Rachel Beanland gave a lecture on the historical research behind her novel about the Richmond Theater Fire, The House is On Fire...
War and Pieces: Quilts through America's War Years
On Thursday, August 22, Neva Hart delivered a banner lecture entitled "War and Pieces: Quilts through America's War Years."
For soldiers in the field...
Washington at the Plow: The Founding Farmer and the Question of Slavery
On December 9, 2021, historian Bruce A. Ragsdale presented a lecture about his book, Washington at the Plow: The Founding Farmer and the Question of...
When the Sun Stood Still: Reflections on the Reverend John Jasper in His Bicentennial Year
On February 23, 2012, Samuel K. Roberts delivered a lecture entitled "When the Sun Stood Still: Reflections on the Reverend John Jasper in His...