The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is implementing a new collecting initiative to document the impact of COVID-19 on Virginians throughout the Commonwealth.
“As we continue to react and adapt to the widespread COVID-19 health and financial crisis, we feel that our institution is uniquely positioned to lead the important work of documenting the impact of this unprecedented and far-reaching emergency in Virginia,” said VMHC President and CEO Jamie Bosket. “Like other great trials of our past, we know that it is critical that future generations be able to learn from what we are facing today.”
As the Commonwealth’s oldest cultural organization and the only institution dedicated to telling the entire story of Virginia, the VMHC is launching an initiative to document the ways our Commonwealth and its communities have been impacted by the pandemic. The VMHC will be accepting digital submissions throughout the crisis on a special webpage which allows all Virginians to share their stories, upload original images, audio or video recordings, or donate artifacts to the collection. Experiences relating to changes in daily life, work and family needs, and the role of the health care and first responder community will be of particular interest.
These submissions will be added to the VMHC’s renowned collection of nearly nine million items for future research, exhibition, and programmatic use. The VMHC’s extensive holdings already includes personal accounts of Virginians closing schools, building makeshift hospitals, and “staying in” due to yellow fever in 1855, smallpox in 1905, and the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918.
More information about this important initiative and how to contribute content can be found online at VirginiaHistory.org/COVID19Stories.
This is the latest new development in VMHC’s commitment to serving Virginians during these trying times. The VMHC recently launched a curated collection of free digital resources and learning materials – one of the most impressive offerings of any likeminded organization in Virginia (VirginiaHistory.org/AtHome).
This growing portfolio includes hundreds of hours of video content, hundreds of pages of articles and historical research, brand new virtual tours, as well as tools for student learning and engagement at home.
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is owned and operated by the Virginia Historical Society — a private, non-profit organization established in 1831. The historical society is the oldest cultural organization in Virginia, and one of the oldest and most distinguished history organizations in the nation. For use in its state history museum and its renowned research library, the historical society cares for a collection of nearly nine million items representing the ever-evolving story of Virginia.
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is located at 428 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard in Richmond’s Museum District. Hours are Monday – Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for the galleries and museum shop, Monday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for the research library.
For more information call 804.340.1800, visit VirginiaHistory.org, or connect on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Chris Graham
