Amanda Morrell – The UncommonWealth

“The Coat and Breeches that I am now Wearing.”

Around the year 1826, the Virginia State Library and Archives (now Library of Virginia) began collecting transcriptions of original papers in the Public Records Office…

Amanda MorrellNovember 4, 2024

Good Witch or a Bad Witch?: The Grace Sherwood Trial and Pardon

Fall is in the air and Pumpkin Spice is everywhere (that includes my coffee). It’s October, the month of Halloween! I loved Halloween as a…

Amanda MorrellOctober 2, 2023

Newspapers

Random Reference: TurkeyFest – It’s a Festival for the Turkey!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I am sure some people are thinking about gathering together with family and friends around a big table where…

Amanda MorrellNovember 7, 2022

A Scandal in the Making: Ice Cream Saloons and the Unaccompanied Woman

This is an entry in our “Random Reference” series, which features interesting discoveries made and reference questions answered by our Archives & Library Reference Services…

Amanda MorrellAugust 16, 2021

Manuscripts & Special Collections

Random Reference: Monkeying Around at the Library of Virginia

Who doesn’t like a great photo of a queen and a giant peanut, with a couple of monkeys thrown in for good measure? I know…

Amanda MorrellOctober 5, 2020

Archives Newspapers

Random Reference: Celery and Olives – A True Story

This is the first entry in our new "Random Reference" series, which will feature interesting discoveries made and reference questions answered by our Archives &…

Amanda MorrellApril 6, 2020

Misspellings and Misnomers in the Archives: The Case of Simon Kratzer

T he Virginia Land Office patents and grants comprise an invaluable grouping of original landownership records for the Commonwealth. The Library of Virginia has indexed…

Amanda MorrellJanuary 29, 2020