The two cartographers responsible for the first official state map of Virginia were very different individuals. One was an older itinerant scholar who undertook many…
John DealNovember 18, 2024
2024 marks the 25th anniversary of the 1999 Virginia state budget amendment that funded 17 new Library of Virginia positions “to eliminate the 54-year backlog…
Roger ChristmanOctober 23, 2024
In the years following the War of 1812, Virginians enacted legislation to develop the Commonwealth’s “internal improvements”: its canals, turnpikes, and roads. Virginians were very…
Cassandra FarrellOctober 21, 2024
October means Halloween, pumpkin spice lattes, and most importantly Archives Month! This Virginia Archives Month we are highlighting the relationship between self-expression and archives with…
Mary Ann Mason, They/ThemOctober 2, 2024
The Library of Virginia has more than 50,000 collections and continues to grow. The Library’s archivists preserve those collections for future generations and then make…
Karen KingSeptember 16, 2024
This summer the Library of Virginia was thrilled to welcome a cohort of six interns for the third year of our Transforming the Future of…
Library of VirginiaAugust 26, 2024
Virginia’s Tidewater region has long been associated with the U.S. Navy, but did you know that the Commonwealth also had an Oyster Navy? Better yet,…
Vince BrooksAugust 5, 2024
I was fortunate enough to be able to visit family living in the path of totality for the solar eclipse on April 8. The day…
Nathan VerillaJune 3, 2024
In 1973, the Korea-U.S. Economic Council (KUSEC) formed “to boost mutual understanding and to strengthen economic ties between the US and Korea.” This private organization…
Cara GriggsMay 17, 2024
When I began processing a portion of the Richmond City Chancery Causes, I did not know the name “Gilbert Hunt.” I had not known about…
Jennifer TaylorMay 15, 2024
While researching for the Asian American Pacific Islander Desi Americans (APIDA) Resources web page in 2020, I came across a U.S. government publication called Sinews…
Cara GriggsMay 6, 2024
The Library of Virginia maintains the most comprehensive collection of information about Virginia’s history, culture, and government. We hold more than 200 million manuscript items,…
Trenton HizerMarch 13, 2024
On February 9, 1864, Colonel Thomas E. Rose (1830-1907) led 108 other imprisoned Union officers in a daring escape from Libby Prison. Rose, colonel of…
Trenton HizerFebruary 9, 2024
On December 25, 1955, the Richmond Times-Dispatch ran an article titled “Decline of Penmanship.” An Associated Press piece by Arthur Edson, the article bemoaned “this…
Jessi BennettDecember 18, 2023
