In late October 1910, thanks to the efforts of some of Richmond’s most prominent Black leaders, the “Colored State Fair” was held at the Virginia…
Kelley EwingOctober 1, 2021
A little more than 20 years ago, the Library of Virginia performed most newspaper inventory, cataloging, and even preservation microfilming in-house. We did use online…
Kelley EwingAugust 4, 2021
IIn 2020, Governor Ralph Northam issued an executive order proclaiming Juneteenth as a Virginia state holiday. Later that year, the General Assembly unanimously voted in…
Library of VirginiaJune 14, 2021
CONTENT WARNING: Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and…
Emma ItoMay 5, 2021
Virginia Chronicle, the Library of Virginia’s digital newspaper database, has added an impressive array of new titles in recent months.Formed by a merger of the…
Kelley EwingMarch 22, 2021
Since 1967, Americans have been gathering around their televisions at this time of year to watch the pugnacity and pageantry that is the National Football…
Vince BrooksFebruary 3, 2021
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have noticed a steady increase in the number of people cycling in my neighborhood. Cycling has always…
Jennifer HuffFebruary 1, 2021
As the world enters 2021, we continue to ride a roller coaster of news (and emotions) regarding the COVID-19 virus. Our smart phones provide almost…
John DealJanuary 13, 2021
Every year, as the air turns cold and memories of Thanksgiving turkey fade away, children begin the age-old tradition of penning a letter to Santa…
Vince BrooksDecember 23, 2020
Everyone likes a good mystery, so here is one—but instead of the expected murder and mayhem, this caper involves social media, the Google box, local…
Errol SomayDecember 2, 2020
While searching for an unrelated newspaper article for a library patron, I stumbled upon a unique piece of local news reporting in the 28 October…
Rebecca SchneiderAugust 3, 2020
In mid-October of 1899, Richmond's Black Community prepared to have a three day celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation complete with a large downtown parade. The Richmond…
Jessi BennettJune 19, 2020
George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Jacob Berryman. Cato. Dinah. Three names from current headlines. Three names from Virginia’s history found in our records.Their names,…
Library of VirginiaJune 11, 2020
The Library of Virginia has an extensive collection of historical and current newspapers, with more than one million pages digitized. Newspapers can be a direct…
Emma ItoMay 22, 2020
