The Valentine facts for kids
| The Valentine | |
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Entrance stairwell, postcard c. 1910
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| Established | 1898 |
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| Location | Richmond, Virginia |
| Type | History Museum & National Historic Landmark |
| Collection size | Multiple |
The Valentine is a museum in Richmond, Virginia. It collects and shares the history of Richmond. Mann S. Valentine II started it in 1898. It was the very first museum in Richmond!
Today, The Valentine has many cool things to see and do. You can explore different exhibits, go on walking tours, and join special events. It helps everyone learn about Richmond's past. The museum also includes the Wickham House. This house is a National Historical Landmark, which means it's a very important historical place.
Contents
Discovering Richmond's Past
How The Valentine Museum Started
The money to start The Valentine museum came from Mann S. Valentine II. He became rich by selling "Valentine's Meat Juice." This was a health drink made from beef juice, invented around 1870. Mann and his sons made a lot of money from this company.
In the late 1800s, the Valentine family began collecting many items. They gathered things related to old cultures, art, and decorative objects. Mann's sons even dug up ancient Native American mounds in North Carolina to find artifacts.
Mann started planning the museum in 1892. When he passed away in 1893, he left his art and artifact collection to the City of Richmond. He also left the 1812 Wickham House and $50,000 to create the museum. The museum opened in 1898, showing off his collection. It was the first private museum in Richmond.
Mann S. Valentine II's brother, Edward Virginius Valentine, was also interested in history. He was a famous sculptor. Edward Valentine became the museum's first president in 1898. He served until he passed away in 1930. He left many of his own sculptures, papers, and furniture to the museum.
The museum also got a large collection of Richmond photographs. These came from George S. Cook and Huestis Pratt Cook.
The Museum Grows and Changes
In 1924, the museum decided to reorganize and expand. This big project started four years later. The museum bought three houses next to the Wickham House to hold more items. The Wickham House itself was updated to look like it did in 1812. That was when its first owner, John Wickham, lived there.
In 1969, The Valentine Museum buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are officially recognized as important historical sites.
During the 1970s, the museum had another big renovation. A new wing was added to hold more artifacts and create more space for exhibits. The original row houses were also updated.
In 1985, Frank Jewell became the new director. He helped the museum focus on important topics like racism and the history of Black people in the South. This work brought the museum national attention. In 1988, the museum created an exhibit called "In Bondage and Freedom: Antebellum Black Life in Richmond." This exhibit explored the lives of Black people in Richmond before the Civil War.
In August 2014, the museum changed its name to "The Valentine." It also added the subtitle "Richmond Stories." Later that year, the museum finished updating its public galleries. These new spaces were easier to access and included a new education center and lobby.
In July 2015, The Valentine began managing the First Freedom Center. This is another important historical site.
Permanent Exhibit: This is Richmond, Virginia
The Valentine's main exhibit is called This is Richmond, Virginia. You can find it on the museum's main floor. It shares the story of Virginia's capital city through five different themes. The items on display come from The Valentine's huge collection. They help tell personal stories that make up the larger history of this changing region.
Exploring Richmond with Tours
In 1942, The Valentine started offering walking tours of Richmond. These early tours helped people explore their city. They visited places like Gamble's Hill, Church Hill, and Hollywood Cemetery.
Today, the museum continues these tours. You can explore the city by walking, bus, or bike. The goal is to share the many different stories of Richmond. The Valentine offers almost 450 tours each year.
Weekly tours cover places like Hollywood Cemetery and Downtown Richmond. Each month, from March to October, focuses on a different historic Richmond neighborhood. There are also special tours. These include the history of Richmond and the James River, and a walk through the Broad Street Arts District. You can even explore Carytown's LGBTQ+ history.
Special Exhibitions
The Valentine often has new, changing exhibits. These might feature photographs, historical clothing, or displays about important events in Richmond's past.
- A History of Richmond in 50 Objects opened in 2014. It showed Richmond's story through 50 special items.
- History Ink: The Tattoo Archive Project ran from 2012 to 2013. It looked at how popular tattoos were becoming in America and in Richmond.
- The Waste Not, Want Not: Richmond's Great Depression, 1929-1941 exhibit showed what life was like in Richmond during the Great Depression.
- In 2011, the museum asked people to write captions for old photos from the Richmond Times-Dispatch Collection. The best captions were displayed with the photos.
- Also in 2011, The Inaugural Gowns of Virginia's First Ladies showed nine dresses. These dresses were worn at parties celebrating new Virginia Governors.
