Three Things to be Thankful for this Thanksgiving

1. Grocery stores

2. Temperature-control ovens

3. The Valentine Richmond History Center Archives Read more

The Wickham House is inspiring us all

Where else but in the Wickham House?  Once one of – if not – the most unique, sophisticated, and groundbreaking houses in Richmond’s exclusive Court End neighborhood, the Wickham House still fosters and attracts cutting-edge artistic creativity from all over the world 200 years after it was designed and built. Read more

Valentine Richmond History Center Announces 2012 History Makers Honorees

Photographed from left to right are Dominic Gibbons Barrett, Ralph White, John C. Purnell, Jr., Dr. Charles Price and Kelly King Horne. Read more

Holt Tobacco Collection

The Valentine Richmond History Center opened its’ latest exhibit which is a selection of objects from the Holt Tobacco The Valentine Richmond History Center opened its’ latest exhibit which is a selection of objects from the Holt Tobacco Collection. These objects, which include tobacco tins, tobacco promotional material, cigarette cards, tobacco production equipment and early tobacco lithographic and print advertising are examples of tobacciana, objects related to smoking and tobacco producing. Searching out and collecting tobacciana is a popular past time and is especially relevant to Richmond and the Valentine. Read more

State Historical Highway Markers Commemorating Valentine Museum and Wickham-Valentine House To Be Dedicated In Richmond

A bequest by Mann S. Valentine II established one of Richmond’s first museums in the Wickham-Valentine House in 1892; the neoclassical house was built for attorney John Wickham in 1812. Read more

Picturing Business in Jackson Ward

As a summer intern here in the Valentine Richmond History Center Archives I have been researching photographs and objects that the History Center has collected over the past several years.  To my surprise, some of the images that have interested me the most have been of banks, insurance companies, and other businesses. (All due respect to my own insurance agent and other financial wizards out there.) Read more

A look at the History Center through the eyes of a Summer Intern

The History Center has provided me with the opportunity of seeing the inner-workings of a successful museum from a vast array of angles.  As both the public relations and development intern, each day spent at the museum was filled with new tasks, from gathering Richmond History Maker nominations to reviewing grants. Read more

Transcribing Tours

Hello from the History Center’s Richmond History Tours Department! My name is Caroline and I’m the intern working in Tours this summer. My job has a lot of perks, including the opportunity to take as many walking tours as my heart desires. So far I’ve been lucky enough to tag along on our tours of Monument Avenue, City Center, Carver, The Fan, and the History Center’s own Wickham House. Read more

Emilio Pucci

Emilio Pucci was an Italian fashion designer who became popular during the 1950’s. Pucci is considered the inventor of the Capri pants, which were extremely popular among teenagers during the 1950s. The designer is well known for psychedelic patterns in a kaleidoscope of colors. His inspiration came from ancient colorful flags.  Early in his career Pucci experimented with stretch fabrics while designing skiwear and swimwear. It wasn’t until the 1960s when Pucci started designing flowing silk jersey dresses and scarves that he is recognized for today. Read more

Found!

It is amazing to see the “forgotten” objects are being rediscovered in our collection. In 2009, I came across a large, folded document tucked away in a box. It was a U.S. patent issued to James Wardrop of Ampthill, Virginia on November 15, 1794. Mr. Wardrop, a merchant, had developed elastic flails that improved how a threshing machine processes wheat. The patent originated in Philadelphia, which was at that time the nation’s capital. Read more