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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...
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 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 Notorious History of the Virginia State Penitentiary
On November 6, 2019, Dale M. Brumfield delivered a Banner Lecture, “The Notorious History of the Virginia State Penitentiary.”
In 1796, the Virginia...
The Permanent Resident: Excavations and Explorations of George Washington’s Life
On October 13, 2022, Dr. Philip Levy gave a fascinating lecture on the principal archaeological sites associated with George Washington and what they...
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 U.S. Marines at Belleau Wood, June 1918
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...
Thunder and Flames: American Doughboys at War, 1917–1918
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
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
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
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 Made George Washington Tick
George Washington very much wanted to be famous. Yet, he did not wish to be known, and there is a remoteness about him that will perhaps always remain...
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...