Robert Cromwell (1838-1918) was a Union soldier serving in the 10th Illinois Infantry Regiment, Company A. For several months during the spring and summer of 1864…
Library of VirginiaNovember 4, 2014
A recent episode of BackStory With the American History Guys entitled “On The Take” addressed the topic of corruption in American politics and government. Host Brian Balogh interviewed…
Mary Dean CarterSeptember 3, 2014
“I send you two patients to the mad stone. They are natives of this place and had their children bitten today.” -J. Reuben Richerson to R.…
Trenton HizerAugust 20, 2014
In 1771, James Juhan, musical instrument maker, arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, from Boston, Massachusetts. From 1771 to 1772 he advertised in the Charleston newspapers…
Chris KolbeFebruary 19, 2014
While processing collections, archivists often come across items that don’t directly relate to the collection at hand but which often provide a window into a…
Chad UnderwoodFebruary 5, 2014
Letters to Santa Claus printed in the Richmond Evening Leader, December 23, 1902. A copy of the full page is now on display on the…
Kelley EwingDecember 17, 2013
The release of the film 12 Years a Slave had us talking here at Out of the Box. Discussions on slavery are a common occurrence at the Library of…
Bari HelmsDecember 4, 2013
This is the latest entry in a series of posts highlighting inmate photographs in the records of the Virginia Penitentiary. Walter E. Stiars, the subject of…
Roger ChristmanSeptember 23, 2013
While examining the James City County/Williamsburg court records recently, I came across a civil suit titled Gatewood vs. Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company that contained two oversize…
Greg CrawfordApril 24, 2013
The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce that the first digital images from the Rockingham County Chancery Causes are now available on the Chancery Records…
Greg CrawfordApril 12, 2013
Interested in commercial fishing techniques used in Virginia’s Northern Neck around the turn of the 20th century? Take a look through the Northumberland County circuit…
Sam WaltersApril 9, 2013
In November of 1860, executor William F. Smith was in a pickle. Charged with settling the estate of Elizabeth P. Via of Augusta County, he…
Sarah NerneyFebruary 20, 2013
We love our letterhead here in the processing sections of the Library of Virginia. One can come across such interesting, varied, and colorful examples while…
Vince BrooksJanuary 16, 2013
On 16 December 1895, 12-year-old Mamie M. Yates wrote a letter to Santa Claus. It read: Dear Santa Claus, I will write to you to…
Greg CrawfordDecember 19, 2012
