The Virginia Museum of History & Culture in Richmond is preparing to serve up a new exhibition that will explore the life and legacy of American chef and TV personality Julia Child.
Julia Child: A Recipe for Life will debut at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture on March 16 and will be on view through Sept. 2.
The traveling exhibition was produced by Flying Fish and the VMHC is its only mid-Atlantic Museum stop.
The major exhibition features original Julia Child archives from the Schlesinger Library at Harvard and includes video, audio, photographs, memorabilia and recreated scenes from the iconic chef’s life. There will also be a special section of the exhibition that explores Julia Child’s impact on the culinary culture in Virginia.
Child is renowned for bringing French cuisine to the United States through her 1961 cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and acclaimed cooking show “The French Chef,” which began its long run in 1963.
Child had a transformative impact on food culture in the United States, and this exhibition reveals the charismatic, tenacious, and authentic woman whose own lust for life inspired the same in others.
From her signature dishes to her signature style, the exhibition invites visitors to immerse themselves in interactive spaces made famous through Child’s work.
A re-creation of “The French Chef” television studio set, and dining room invites visitors to see the cooking show from Child’s point of view and star in their own culinary production.
A vintage camera in the space allows viewers to experience how the crew captured footage for the iconic television program.
Photographs on view in the exhibition chronicle Child’s career and relationship with her husband Paul, who captured beautiful images that documented their lives together.
Visitors can also recreate one of the couple’s well-known photos that appeared on an iconic Valentine’s Day card.
“Julia Child was a pioneer in revolutionizing the way Americans cook and eat,” said Jamie Bosket, President and CEO at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. “Her influence can still be felt today, and this exhibition provides us with a unique opportunity to highlight Julia’s connections to Virginia and the influence of French cooking in Virginia’s culinary history.”
For more information on Julia Child: A Recipe for Life please visit VirginiaHistory.org/JuliaChild
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Crystal Graham
