Sports and Outdoor Activities – The UncommonWealth

Newspapers

Rolling into Richmond

When you work with old newspapers, to say you stumble across a lot of bizarre stories is an understatement. Headlines like “Dog Shoots Man,” and…

Kelley EwingJune 18, 2025

Archives Digital Projects

World War II Military Athletics

Whether serving abroad or on the home front, sports were a large part of everyday life in the military during World War II.Many different sports…

Lauren CaravatiMay 8, 2024

Manuscripts & Special Collections Newspapers

At the Races

Behind the wheel of a stripped-down Ford Model T sits a daring race driver with wind-tousled hair, posed in front of a crowd of young…

Kevin ShupeDecember 19, 2022

Newspapers

The Beautiful Game in Virginia: The Rise of Soccer

When the 22nd FIFA Men’s World Cup competition commenced on November 20, 2022, in Qatar, you knew. With a flood of internet, TV, radio, and…

Angela LehmanDecember 14, 2022

Digital Projects Manuscripts & Special Collections Public Libraries

After-School Hangouts

Each fall, high school students search for a “room of their own.” They seek out places away from teachers and parents where they can process…

Jessi BennettOctober 17, 2022

Digital Projects Education & Programming

The Right to Ramble

Next month, the Common Ground History Book Group, LVA’s virtual non-fiction book club, will return for a discussion with Kathryn Miles, author of Trailed: One…

Library of VirginiaAugust 26, 2022

Manuscripts & Special Collections

Escaping the City: Summer Camp Images Evoke Memories of Childhood and Nature

Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in Broadside, the magazine of the Library of Virginia, Issue No. 2, 2022 For many families, summer…

Dale NeighborsAugust 24, 2022

Education & Programming Highlights Virginia Authors

The Lost Appalachian Trail

The earliest people to hike the Appalachian Trail in Virginia did not have the same experience as those walking it today. In fact, for those…

Library of VirginiaMay 20, 2022

Archives

Division of Motion Picture Censorship Records at the Library of Virginia

The Division of Motion Picture Censorship existed as a section of the Department of Law (now the Office of the Attorney General) from 1922-1966. Originally…

Nathan VerillaDecember 6, 2021

Archives Newspapers

‘Recreational warriors’ of the Gridiron: The Olympia Football Squad

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

Archives

Drooping, Slapping, and Clapping: Exercises from the Past

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

Lisa WehrmannJanuary 4, 2021

Archives

The Fives Battery and the Injured Lynchburg Lott

When processing a collection of old court papers, sometimes archivists have to use their imagination to interpret what was written. The words don’t always make…

Eddie WoodwardAugust 16, 2017

Manuscripts & Special Collections

A Little Fresh Air Is Good For The Body

Editor’s note: A version of this article originally appeared in the LVA newsletter. Alice Trissel of Rockingham County spent 41 years helping provide New York City…

Dale HarterJuly 6, 2016

Archives

Are You Ready for Some Football?

This week marks the start of the NFL’s regular season. In honor of the return of football, this week’s blog post spotlights an unusual discovery…

Claire RadcliffeSeptember 9, 2015

Newspapers

Chronicling America: The Key to Roller Skate Research

The February 4 blog, Fancy Skating, focused on John J. Christian Jr., champion “fancy skater of Virginia.” The first clues about Christian’s life came with…

Kelley EwingFebruary 7, 2014