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National Sporting Library & Museum facts for kids
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| Former name | National Sporting Library |
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| Established | March 29, 1954 |
| Location | 102 The Plains Road, Middleburg, VA 20117 |
| Type | Art museum |
| Collection size | 20,000 books (as of 2018) 1,100 works of art (as of 2018) |
| Visitors | 13,500 |
| Founder | George L. Ohrstrom, Sr., Alexander Mackay-Smith, Fletcher Harper, Lester Karow |
The National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) is a special place in Middleburg, Virginia. It's both a research library and an art museum. It focuses on sports like horse riding, hunting, and fishing.
Contents
History of the NSLM
How the Library Started
The National Sporting Library began in 1954. It started in the personal library of a man named George L. Ohrstrom, Sr.. The people who founded it wanted to make it easy for everyone to find information about horse and field sports. They felt other libraries didn't offer enough access to these topics.
The first president of the library was Fletcher Harper. He was a long-time leader of the Orange County Hunt. Other founders included Lester Karow and Alexander Mackay-Smith. Alexander was the editor of a magazine called The Chronicle of the Horse. When George L. Ohrstrom, Sr. passed away in 1955, his son, George L. Ohrstrom, Jr., helped lead the library.
Growing and Moving
The National Sporting Library first opened in a building called the Duffy House. It was on Washington Street in Middleburg. They even designed a special logo for the library. It had a fox mask, a horseshoe, a rifle, and a fishing rod.
The library's collection grew bigger and bigger thanks to many donations. Soon, it needed more space. So, the library moved to a historic building called Vine Hill, built in 1804. For a while, the library shared this building with The Chronicle magazine. They even built a special underground vault there. This vault was fire-proof and could hold 6,000 rare books!
A New Home for the Library
The library stayed in Vine Hill from 1969 to 1999. Then, it moved to its current location. This new building looks like an old English carriage house. The move was needed because the library's collection kept growing. It had 16,000 books from the 1600s and over 100 pieces of sporting art.
Building the new library took 18 months. It was finished in July 1999. The library moved its collections in August 1999. A big opening celebration happened on September 18, 1999. Many members helped pay for the new building. Paul Mellon gave $1 million and a weather vane for the top of the building.
Becoming a Museum
In 2009, the National Sporting Library changed its name. It became the National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM). They also started to make Vine Hill even bigger. They added 13,000 square feet of art gallery space. The new museum opened on October 7, 2011. Its first art show was called Afield in America: 400 Years of Animal & Sporting Art.
Collections
Library collection
The NSLM's library has over 20,000 books. It also has magazines, old papers, and other special items. Some of these items date back to the 1500s! The oldest and most valuable books are kept in a special room. It's called the F. Ambrose Clark Rare Book Room.
In 1995, the library received a huge gift. John H. Daniels, a board member, donated 5,000 rare books. This gift included the library's oldest book, printed in 1523. This amazing donation was a big reason why the library needed a new building. The Daniels collection is one of many special collections at the NSLM.
Exhibitions
Afield in America: 400 Years of Animal & Sporting Art
This was the very first art show at the NSLM. It was based on a book about animal and sporting artists in America. The show featured art by famous artists like John James Audubon and Edward Troye. It opened on October 8, 2011, and closed on May 10, 2012. Over 4,000 people came to see this exhibition.
Munnings: Out in the Open
This exhibition showed 68 outdoor paintings by Sir Alfred Munnings. It was open from April 24 to September 15, 2013. The artworks came from private collections and other museums. The opening event also included a movie and a display of Munnings' letters.
The Horse in Ancient Greek Art
The NSLM worked with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on this show. It explored how horses were shown in ancient Greek pottery. The art was from the 700s BCE to the 300s BCE. The exhibition featured more than 70 artworks from museums across the United States. It opened at the NSLM on September 9, 2017. Then it traveled to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. This exhibition was even named "New Event of the Year" in 2018!