Archives – Page 13 – The UncommonWealth

Archives

Dear Jonnie: The Correspondence of a Gay Couple in Virginia in the Roaring 20s.

The archives of the Library of Virginia contain a noteworthy collection of letters offering a rare glimpse into the lives of LGBTQ people a century…

Kenneth ForestAugust 1, 2022

Archives

“Enticing, Advising, and Aiding…a Slave…to Abscond”

In October 1842, Cora Ann Elizabeth Carter and her husband William Watt Hubbard boarded the steamboat Patrick Henry en route for New York. Earlier that…

Lydia NeurothJuly 27, 2022

Archives

Guns, Ships, and Petitions for Payment

The partnership between the French and the Continental Army during the American Revolution has been long celebrated and venerated. A prime example is the Marquis…

Emeline AlexanderJuly 20, 2022

Archives

A Deed Undone

If only the dead could talk! This paradoxical statement proved sadly appropriate in the early 19th century. Enslaved people faced undue hardship from those who…

Sherri BagleyJuly 13, 2022

Archives Digital Projects

“Charging Hell with a Bucket of Water”: The Virginians of the 370th Infantry

In 2018, we shared a blog post detailing the World War I experience of James P. Spencer, a Black soldier in the 370th Infantry of…

Jessi BennettJuly 6, 2022

Archives

Random Reference: Fraktur Fractions

While many archival items contain interesting content, the item itself may look rather boring. That is certainly not the case with an arithmetic book from…

Ginny DunnJuly 4, 2022

Archives Digital Projects

A Case Study of Freedom: John Hopes

Nearly a week and a half ago, the country celebrated Juneteenth, which commemorates emancipation from slavery in the United States. Juneteenth refers to the historic…

Lydia NeurothJune 29, 2022

Archives

Libertà, Uguaglianza, Fraternità!: Court Records Shed Light on Immigrant Beneficial Societies

Angelo J. Farnocchia came to the United States from Pedona, Italy, in December of 1909. By 1911, he was clerking for Richmond confectioner Achille Cipriani.…

Vince BrooksJune 22, 2022

Archives Newspapers Virginia Authors

The Golden Age of Virginia Midwifery?

Globally and locally, whether pregnant women have the right to choose who attends them during pregnancy and birth is a lively and often contentious topic.…

D'Anne GrahamJune 8, 2022

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

Peter Francisco: The Man, the Myth, the Prenup?

Peter Francisco was a revered Revolutionary War soldier with mysterious origins. It is believed that his American story began in 1765, after being discovered abandoned…

Dawn TinnellJune 6, 2022

Archives Digital Projects

Virginia Senior Portraits: A Fashion Show

We cover a lot of serious and heavy topics on the UncommonWealth blog but every once in a while we like to present something just…

Jessi BennettJune 1, 2022

Archives

Finding Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans in the U.S. Census

The U.S. census population schedules provide a glimpse into the Asian American population over time. As is so often the case, the questions asked and…

Cara GriggsMay 30, 2022

Archives

19th-Century Henrico County Records Offer Clues on the Lives of Free Black Individuals

Shortly after we published our story about William Pemberton, Lisa Denton from Henrico County Recreation and Parks reached out to me to share about her…

Guest ContributorMay 25, 2022

Archives

“Enormous Opportunities” : Governor Mark R. Warner’s 2005 Trade Mission to Japan and India

At 12:17 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, 2005, Governor Mark R. Warner left Richmond International Airport aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 5830 bound for Detroit. After…

Cara GriggsMay 18, 2022

Archives Digital Projects Education & Programming Virginia Authors

Finding Family

Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in Broadside, the magazine of the Library of Virginia, Issue No. 1, 2022 Writer Barbara Diggs discovered…

Guest ContributorMay 4, 2022