1015 East Clay Street • Richmond, Virginia 23219 • 804.649.0711 2010 AnnuAl RepoRt • www.richmondhistorycenter.com The Valentine Richmond History Center is the only cultural organization dedicated to documenting Valentine the region’s entire 400-year history and making it available to school children, adults and scholars. Richmond History Through responsible and proactive preservation, education and leadership, the History Center is home Center Board of Trustees 2009-2010 The History Center continued to lead by example for Richmond’s history. James W. Klaus — Chairman during the 2009-2010 fiscal year by acquiring important new objects and participating in Pamela J. Royal, M.D. — Through stewardship of its historic Clay Street buildings and the more than Vice Chairman community-wide initiatives, such as the Future of Richmond’s Past project, as well as completing Preserving 1.7 million objects and photographs in its collection, the History Center preserves the culture and life of Bruce B. Gray — Secretary a bold new strategic plan. the Richmond region. Gerald L. Hagen, Jr. — Treasurer Farhad Aghdami Drawing upon research findings of the American Association of Museums, trustees and staff From its opening in 1898, the History Center has been committed to providing Katherine E. Busser Educating Drew St. J. Carneal high quality educational experiences to the broadest possible audiences, including thousands of students members worked together to draft a new Strategic Plan that challenges the institution to reach Thomas N. Chewning and adults each year. Deborah W. Davis beyond its normal boundaries. The Collections team, for instance, acquired this year a rare Denise P. Dickerson painting of an enslaved woman from the mid-19th century (pictured on the cover and at left). The History Center is an active voice in the discussion about Richmond’s past, present Richard W. Fowlkes, II Leading Mary McMillan Horton 2 and future and believes that the city’s rich history and historic resources are key to its successful future. “Aunt Betsy” was a slave on the Hickory Hill plantation in Hanover County, belonging to Williams Neil S. Kessler James V. Meath Carter Wickham, the grandson of John and Elizabeth Wickham, whose 1812 home is operated as a 2009-2010 by the numbers T. Justin Moore, III Pamela C. Reynolds historic house museum by the History Center. volunteers worked over people participated in Stephen R. Scherger hours 10% 10,840 Historic Richmond Tours from 07/09 John C. Stanchina The acquisition of this unusual painting, as well as the projects and initiatives that follow in this 45 3,830 Sandra G. Treadway R. Giles Tucker On the Cover: report, were made possible by the generous support of our members and friends. You will find in interns worked approximately people attended 30% Thomas B. Valentine Aunt Betsy private facility rentals hours from 07/09 these pages a snapshot of our achievements in 2009-2010, and we thank you for your role in yet 3,728 Edward W. Valentine Francis Blackwell Mayer 20 1,825 Scott R. Warren 1857 another remarkable year at the History Center! Charles N. Whitaker (See page 5 for more students from pre-k to high school participated in Elise H. Wright information about this 14,419 school programs and special summer activities 4% from 07/09 important new acquisition to J. Edward Ukrop — Ex Officio the History Center’s collection.) William J. Martin — Director James W. Klaus William J. Martin adults participated in research The History Center is an Chairman, Board of Trustees Director , adult education programs and tours appointments 3 182 245 American Association of Museums accredited institution. Annual Fund and Special Grants Education and Public Programs In the pages of this annual report, you will read about the educational courses we offer to children, tours of our historic neighborhoods, new This year, 14,419 students participated in the History Center’s In addition to 21 public schools in the City of Richmond, the History exhibitions and many other exciting programs that bring the history of Richmond to life. With almost two thirds of our annual revenue in school programs; approximately 7,600 of those were served through Center served schools in Chesterfield and Henrico, as well as 21 private 2009-2010 coming from contributions, the History Center could not offer these programs without the generosity of individuals, foundations outreach visits to schools. All programs support the Virginia schools; 18 day care/pre-school facilities; university classes from Virginia and corporations in our community. We are especially grateful to the donors and volunteers who helped ensure that the History Center could Department of Education’s Standards of Learning for History Commonwealth University, the University of Richmond and Randolph continue its mission for yet another year. and Social Science, English, and the Visual Arts and are offered both Macon; scout groups; and 16 schools outside the Richmond Metro area. on-site and as outreach. The department received three instructional grants this year, Second Century Campaign including two from the Gray Foundation of the Community Foundation to underwrite the Richmond Scholarships and Era Explorations The completion of the exterior improve- programs. With these funds, the History Center was able to make ments to the History Center campus marks available programs to thousands of elementary, middle and high school the official end to the first phase of the Second A local student examines students – in both the city and the counties – who otherwise may Century Campaign. Visitors in the spring of a reproduction of a candle mold during a not have had such an opportunity. The third grant, from the 3 2011 will be greeted with a fresh new entrance 4 school program. Memorial Foundation for Children, supported outreach at the rear parking lot of the museum. Even programs for 964 at-risk, pre-school age students in as construction continues on that project, we Richmond, Chesterfield and Henrico. are actively raising funds to renovate the lobby and gallery spaces on the first and ground Local school systems continued to draw upon the History floors. We are pleased to share that the entire Center for professional development opportunities, including a first floor galleries will be named in honor of three-day workshop for 50 Chesterfield County teachers, Wallace Stettinius, a well-respected advisor to who developed lesson plans on the growth and decline non-profits in the Richmond community, as of Jackson Ward using resources from the Archives. well as a generous philanthropist. The department also provided programs and tours for In keeping with the spirit of Wally’s work, a portion of the new 2,503 adults, hosted 20 interns and oversaw 45 volunteers. galleries will be dedicated to changing exhibitions that will serve Over the past year, the History Center conducted a series of public Director of Education Pat Armbrust continued her work as to inform contemporary conversations in the community. forums to engage citizen participation in the development of this Project Director for a Teaching American History Grant The remainder of the gallery space will be dedicated to a important exhibit. Construction on the new galleries is expected to with Chesterfield County Schools. comprehensive exhibition on the history of Richmond. begin in the fall of 2012. Collections Management Historic Richmond Tours In 2009-2010, the Collections team scanned Elizabeth Wickham, whose 1812 home is operated Historic Richmond Tours (HRT) provided service for 10,840 tradition and drew a record crowd. Again this year, Historic Richmond and catalogued more than 1,500 prints, labels as a historic house museum by the History Center. participants this year. Walking tour participation remained steady as Tours worked with Segway of Richmond to offer a series of public and souvenirs from the Tobacco Collection. Maryland artist Francis Blackwell Mayer painted compared to the previous year, and adult group tours and specialty bus Segway tours, including two in Hollywood Cemetery. Considerable progress also occurred in the the portrait in 1857. tours increased by 10 percent. Demand continues for custom group HRT’s relationship with Hollywood Cemetery is now well established. digitization of the Richmond Times-Dispatch Other acquisitions of note include shirts and tours, private tours and family reunion tours. The current number of Photograph Collection; to date, 12,165 images A tour of the cemetery is one of the most requested among students, materials from the Creery Shirt Shop; U.S. Navy active guides is 22. have been catalogued. Work in the Costume & adults, residents and visitors alike. As the region prepares for the uniforms worn by Governor A. Linwood Holton, Jr.; Textile Collection included inventory of costumes and In addition to two new bus tours, I Know Richmond: The Bus Tour 150th anniversary of the Civil War and Emancipation, requests for and food service items belonging to Lady Astor accessories. Thanks to these and other projects, the and author Selden Richardson’s Built By Blacks tour, HRT added its Civil War and African American Heritage collections database holds more than 100,000 records, first regional, daylong bus tour of Chesterfield County. Three new focused tours are increasing. Exhibitions 25,000 of which include object images. An increasing walking tours also were added: Manchester; author Tyler Potterfield’s Byrd Park; and a tour of Highland Park, led by History Center number of these records were made available to the Waste Not, Want Not: Richmond’s Great Depression, 1929- Director Bill Martin. 5 public this year through the History Center’s website. 1941 opened in the Massey Gallery on October 29, 6 These efforts contribute to a better understanding of 2009, the 80th anniversary of the Stock Market Crash. Generous support from Bon Secours Richmond Health System the History Center’s collection, which now includes In the Stern Gallery, photographs and ephemera from provided increased marketing support for the public season, as well approximately 1.7 million artifacts, documents and the Archives comprised two separate exhibitions: as funding to provide each of the guides with a photographs.