Curiosities
Does the odd and unusual pique your interest? The VHMC collections contain the unexpected, like a letter containing nail clippings sent by a sailor to his wife as tokens of endearment, a smallpox scab used for inoculation, or jewelry made of human hair. With over nine million items in our collection how can there not be uniquely bizarre objects with stories to share.
Content Related to Curiosities
Tiny Tomes
John Randolph Dueling Pistols (c. 1820)
Fore-edge Painting
Secrets & Symbols: "Crown of Thorns" Chest of Drawers
Secrets & Symbols: Temperance Quilt
Secrets & Symbols: Cooler by George Fulton
Secrets & Symbols: Desk by John Shearer
Secrets & Symbols: Child's Chest of Drawers
Secrets & Symbols: Teresa Blount Portrait
Apollo to the Moon: A History in Objects
Curator Conversation: Bringing it Together: Stories Behind “Our Commonwealth”
Curator Conversations: New to the Collection
Related Store Items
The Story of Virginia: Highlights from the Virginia Museum of History & Culture
The Story of Virginia tells a fascinating story, sharing more than four hundred evocative objects from the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. The Commonwealth is not merely a chapter of U.S. history; it is at the epicenter of its most pivotal moments.
Edgar Allan Poe's Richmond: The Raven in the River City
Join Christopher P. Semtner, curator of the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, as he reveals previously unpublished photographs and little-known source material to shed new light on how the mystery, madness and tragedy that Poe encountered during his Richmond years forever shaped his renowned fiction.
Virginia State Parks
From humble beginnings, the commonwealth has developed over 35 diverse, award-winning state parks. From seashore to mountains, take a journey across Virginia through a vast array of landscapes and unrivaled natural and cultural resources.
The Airship ROMA Disaster on Hampton Roads
Author Nancy E. Sheppard reveals the forgotten, harrowing story of one of the last great airships and those who sacrificed for the promise of a new era in aviation.
The Presidents Vs. the Press
In this remarkable new history, acclaimed scholar Harold Holzer examines the dual rise of the American presidency and the media that shaped it. From Washington to Trump, he chronicles the disputes and distrust between these core institutions that define the United States of America, revealing that the essence of their confrontation is built into the fabric of the nation
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