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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...
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 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 Ghosts of Eden Park
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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
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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 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 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 Notorious History of the Virginia State Penitentiary
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On November 6, 2019, Dale M. Brumfield delivered a Banner Lecture, “The Notorious History of the Virginia State Penitentiary.”
In 1796, the Virginia...
The Old Bay Line—1840 to 1962
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On November 3, 2022, author Jack Shaum lectured on the subject of his newest book, 122 Years on the Old Bay Line.
Old Bay Line is the name by which...
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 U.S. Marines at Belleau Wood, June 1918
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On June 14, 2012, Patrick Mooney delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The U.S. Marines at Belleau Wood, June 1918."
In 1917 the German Empire won its...
The Virginia Venture: American Colonization and English Society, 1580-1660
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On June 22, 2023, Misha Ewen presented a fascinating virtual discussion of her new book, The Virginia Venture: American Colonization and English...
Thunder and Flames: American Doughboys at War, 1917–1918
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On April 7 at noon, Edward G. Lengel delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Thunder and Flames: American Doughboys at War, 1917–1918."
In November 1917...
War and Pieces: Quilts through America's War Years
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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...
“War is horrid, in fact”: Virginians in the West Indies Expedition, 1740–42
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On May 5, 2023, Craig S. Chapman spoke about the first overseas deployment of American troops, in which 4,000 colonists (including 400 from Virginia)...
Washington at the Plow: The Founding Farmer and the Question of Slavery
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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...
What's Wrong with Black Beard?
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On March 19 at noon, Kevin P. Duffus delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "What's Wrong with Black Beard?"
The traditional historical interpretation...