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 special museum in Richmond, Virginia. It's all about collecting, keeping safe, and sharing the amazing history of Richmond. It was started by Mann S. Valentine II in 1898 and was the very first museum in Richmond!
Today, The Valentine offers lots of cool things to do. You can see different exhibits that change often, go on fun walking tours, join special programs, and even do research. It's a great place to learn and think about Richmond's past. The museum also includes the Wickham House, which is a very important historic building called a National Historical Landmark.
Contents
The Valentine's Story: How It Began
From Meat Juice to Museum
The money to create The Valentine museum came from a man named Mann S. Valentine II. He became rich by selling something called Valentine's Meat Juice. This was a health drink made from beef juice, first created around 1870. Mann and his sons made a lot of money from their company, the Valentine Meat Juice Company.
In the late 1800s, the Valentine family started collecting many interesting items. They gathered things related to old cultures (archaeology and anthropology), beautiful artworks, and decorative items.
Mann S. Valentine II began planning the museum in 1892. When he passed away in 1893, he left his collection of art and artifacts, the historic 1812 Wickham House, and $50,000 to the City of Richmond. This gift was meant to start the museum. When The Valentine Museum opened in 1898, these collections became the first exhibits. It was the first private museum in Richmond.
Mann S. Valentine II's brother, Edward Virginius Valentine, was also very interested in history and was a famous sculptor. Edward Valentine became the museum's first president in 1898 and served until he passed away in 1930. He also left many of his sculptures, papers, and furniture to the museum.
The museum also got a large collection of old photos of Richmond from George S. Cook and Huestis Pratt Cook.
Growing and Changing: Richmond's Oldest Museum
In 1924, the museum decided to make some big changes. They asked an expert, Laura Bragg, for advice on how to reorganize. Four years later, in 1928, the museum began its first major update and expansion. As part of this project, the museum bought three houses next to the Wickham House to hold more artifacts. The Wickham House itself was also fixed up to look like it did around 1812, when its first owner, John Wickham, lived there.
On May 20, 1969, The Valentine Museum buildings were chosen to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are very important historic sites. They were officially added on June 11, 1969.
In the 1970s, the museum had another big renovation. A new section was added to hold even more artifacts and create more space for exhibits. The original row houses that held the museum's main exhibits were also updated.
In 1985, The Valentine hired Frank Jewell to help make the museum even better. The museum wanted to explore important topics like the experiences of African Americans in the South and Richmond's complex past. This work gained national attention. In 1988, the museum worked with Mary Tyler McGraw to create an exhibit called "In Bondage and Freedom: Antebellum Black Life in Richmond." This project helped share the stories of African Americans in Richmond before the Civil War.
In August 2014, the museum changed its name simply to "The Valentine" and added the phrase "Richmond Stories." In October of the same year, The Valentine finished updating its public exhibit areas. These updates made the galleries easier to access, added a new education center, a new lobby, and a room for many different activities.
In July 2015, The Valentine also started managing the First Freedom Center, another important historical site.
What to See: Permanent Exhibition
The Valentine's main exhibit is called This is Richmond, Virginia. You can find it on the museum's main floor. This exhibit tells the story of Virginia's capital city using five main ideas. The items you see are from The Valentine's huge collection. They help share many different personal stories that together tell the bigger history of this ever-changing region.
Explore Richmond: History Tours
In the fall of 1942, The Valentine and a history lover named Mary Wingfield Scott started offering walking tours of Richmond. These early tours brought people together to explore their city. They visited places like Gamble's Hill, Church Hill, Oregon Hill, Jackson Ward, and Hollywood Cemetery.
Today, the museum continues this tradition. It gives people in Richmond a chance to explore the city by walking, bus, or bike. The goal is to share the many different stories of the city by exploring its changing neighborhoods. The Valentine offers almost 450 tours every year!
Weekly tours cover places like Hollywood Cemetery, Downtown Richmond, and Shockoe Bottom. Each month from March to October focuses on a different historic Richmond neighborhood. There are also special tours, like ones about Richmond and the James River, a walk through the Broad Street Arts District, and a tour exploring Carytown's LGBTQ+ history.
New Discoveries: Rotating Exhibitions
The Valentine also has several rotating exhibits that change throughout the year. These often feature photographs, historical clothing and fabrics, and exhibits about important events that shaped Richmond.
- A History of Richmond in 50 Objects opened on February 14, 2014. It's in the Massey Gallery on the museum's main floor.
- History Ink: The Tattoo Archive Project ran from November 2, 2012, to March 31, 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 was on display from October 2009 to September 2010. It showed what life was like in Richmond during the Great Depression.
- In February 2011, the museum asked people to write their own captions for 100 random photos from The Valentine's Richmond Times-Dispatch Collection. The best captions were shown next to the photos, along with the original captions from the newspaper. This exhibit was at The Valentine and the Richmond Times-Dispatch until September 2011.
- In 2011, The Inaugural Gowns of Virginia's First Ladies showed nine beautiful dresses worn at special balls or parties honoring new Virginia Governors.
