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WINTER 2022
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 4, NO. 3
LIBRARY AND HISTORICAL RESEARCH STAFF SUPPORT SPRAGGINS CARRIAGE PROJECT
The Benjamin Lewis Spraggins Sr. Sociable Carriage.
Photo Courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
IN THIS ISSUE
Spraggins Carriage:
p. 1-8
Coffelt fellow Meg Roberts:
p. 9
Consider the Sources :
p. 10-11
Albert Q. Bell Scrapbook:
p. 12-15
Friends of the Library:
p. 16-17
The departments of Historical Research and Digital History and
Rockefeller Library play key roles in supporting and promoting
research and education at Colonial Williamsburg, and directly impact programming and exhibitions throughout the Foundation.
A project to recognize and celebrate Colonial Williamsburg's Black
Coachmen highlighted the vital role each unit plays – before, during, and after the dedication of the Benjamin Lewis Spraggins, Sr.
Carriage. For more about this project, please read Janice Canaday’s The Benjamin Lewis Spraggins, Sr. Sociable Carriage blog.
1
�SPRAGGINS CARRIAGE
(continued)
John Wesley Sheppherd Jr.
Corporate Archives and Visual Resources
Researching Colonial Williamsburg’s Black Coachmen
In the early months of 2020, the Rockefeller Library was asked to assist Coach & Livestock with identifying Colonial Williamsburg’s Black coachmen. A new carriage was under construction in Pennsylvania and Coach & Livestock director Undra Jeter had
the idea to name it for one of these early coachmen to honor their unsung contribution to the Foundation’s history – but he
needed to know who these men were. Using Dr. Ywone Edwards-Ingram’s excellent article “Before 1979: African American
Coachmen, Visibility, and Representation at Colonial Williamsburg” (The Public Historian, Vol. 36 No. 1, p. 9-35, February 2014)
as a jumping off point, the staff of Visual Resources and Corporate Archives set to work. Dr. Edwards-Ingram had named several
of the Restoration and later eras Black coachmen in her article. Visual Resources combed through photographic prints of coaches and coachmen, checking photo and slide labels and photography logbooks, looking for additional named men. Corporate
2
�SPRAGGINS CARRIAGE
(continued)
Archives searched sources such as the CW News newspaper, CW Journal articles, and double-checked names against employee
information to confirm years of service. Corporate Archives was also able to use the library’s subscription to Ancestry to look
through census records, Virginia vital records, obituaries, cemetery records, and newspaper indexes to assemble basic biographical information for the identified coachmen. For one individual, there was even a scanned funeral program in Ancestry.
To date, the library has been able to identify nineteen Black coachmen: Junious Winder Bartlett, Kaley Dover Edwards,
Willie Lee Fitts, Reuben Hill, Sr., Charles Preston Jackson, Lewis Johnson, Jr., Joseph Louis Jones, Captain Mason, Willie Meekins,
Willie Washington Minkins, George Parsons, William H. Patterson, James Woodfield Sampson, John Wesley Shepperd, Sr., Benjamin Lewis Spraggins, Sr., Willie Stringfield, James Edward Wallace, Harmon Washington, Jr., and Dennis White. Current coachmen Undra Jeter, Adam Canaday, Collin Ashe, and Elijah Ford carry on their legacy. This is an ongoing project, and it is hoped
that more coachmen can be identified by name from the records and in the photographs held by Visual Resources.
After reading through the research, the committee tasked with naming the new carriage settled on Benjamin Lewis
Spraggins, Sr. Hired in 1934 as both the first coachman and the first Black coachman, Mr. Spraggins was employed as a costumed coachman for nineteen years, serving as an ambassador and tour guide for the Historic Area via carriage tours. He was
known as the “most photographed man in Williamsburg.” It was deemed fitting therefore that the new carriage be named for
him, honoring both him and the Black coachmen that he represented, their legacy, and their contributions to Colonial Williamsburg as we know it today.
Historical Research and Digital History
Researching and designing the Spraggins Carriage monogram
The Spraggins Carriage monogram.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
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�SPRAGGINS CARRIAGE
(continued)
Last year Colonial Williamsburg created a new carriage, the Benjamin Lewis Spraggins, Sr. Sociable Carriage. Sociable carriages were open four-wheel carriages with two double seats that face each other, meant to display the wealth of the passengers. The Spraggins sociable is named in honor the life and legacy of Mr. Benjamin Lewis Spraggins, Sr. Mr. Spraggins was
one of the most well-known coachmen at Colonial Williamsburg for 19 years.
At the beginning of the Spraggins carriage project the Historic Research team were invited to examine what decorative motifs should be applied to each of the Carriage four panels. Eighteenth-century coaches were often embellished with
decorative motifs on the flat panels of the carriage. We examined twenty-two references to contemporary American coaches and discovered half had devices on them. As expected, some of these were coats of arms, although there were also examples of animal heads, cyphers, and grotesque or allegorical figures.
We initially considered replicating a coat of arms, seeking a version from the College of Arms in the UK, the official
body that oversees and creates coats of arms. They have searched all the arms created since the late Medieval period and it
appears that there is no official coat-of-arms for the Spraggins surname. As we wanted to create an authentic 18th century
device that was directly applicable to Mr. Spraggins, we considered alternatives and the monogram device was seen as appropriate, accurate, and attractive.
The BLS monogram is based on the letters BLS, the initials of Benjamin L. Spraggins’ name.
Further research led us to uncover a French graphic design book published in 1724. 1 The book consists of monograms of various sets of initials. Luckily, the book contained the BLS monogram seen in the below image.
Enlargement of the original illustration from the 1724
design book.
1. Recueil d'emblêmes, devises, medailles, et figures hieroglyphiques ...Paris: C. Jombert. 1724. 119.
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�SPRAGGINS CARRIAGE
(continued)
In the above illustration we have used color to highlight the BLS letters. Red for the B; Blue for the L, and Green for the S. As
you can see, the BLS letters are intertwined on the left side of the image. They were then reversed and added to the right side of
the monogram to create an attractive symmetrical device. The final device was hand painted in gold paint on the four side panels of the carriage. I think we all agree the carriage is a magnificent symbol of Mr. Spraggins’ legacy.
Media Collections
Visually documenting the painting of the Spraggins Carriage and Dedication Event
It’s already halfway through March and Media Collections has been extremely busy! As part of our mission to visually document
the history of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, we’ve already created thousands of images for the archives. Our biggest
project thus far has been the photographic documentation of the Benjamin Spraggins Carriage Sociable Ceremony on February
26, 2022. The event took place on a cool but sunny winter day in front of the Courthouse on Market Square with well over 300
people in attendance. It began with a parade of local community partners that included groups like the Black Gum Saddle Club,
Buffalo Boyz Motorcycle Club, and New Zion Baptist Church. The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes & Drums marched and provided
music. Then came the carriages carrying members of the Spraggins family in 18th century style. It was quite possibly one of the
largest processions of horse drawn carriages on Duke of Gloucester Street in recent memory. Once the family arrived at the
Courthouse, interpreter Ronald Pressley moderated the hour with speakers that included President Cliff Fleet, retired master
silversmith Jimmy Curtis, retired master printer Willie Parks, Professor Robert Watson, and a prayer from James Ingram. Reginald Fox led the Community Choir in a song, “Ride On King Jesus.” Spraggins family members unveiled the new carriage, which
had been sitting to the side covered by a canvas drape. Members of the Coach & Livestock department presented the family
with a commemorative plaque and brought horses forward to harness to the vehicle. Coachman Adam Canaday drove the
5
�SPRAGGINS CARRIAGE
(continued)
Carriages bring Spraggins family members to the ceremony.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
carriage for its first official ride carrying Benjamin Spraggins’ grandson Darryl Jimmerson, his wife and their grandson, and Coach
& Livestock director Undra Jeter. Collin Ashe and Elijah Ford served as footmen. After the ceremony, guests were invited to a
reception where hospitality provided a full menu that included regional favorites like ham biscuits, fried chicken, braised greens,
and potato salad. The Lodge pastry chefs also presented their own version of the Spraggins carriage made of modeling chocolate
and gold dust. Volunteer photographers Jerry McCoy and Wayne Reynolds each shot over 600 images of the festivities. These
images have been edited and processed and are currently being cataloged into The Source – Colonial Williamsburg’s official media archive and digital asset management system. Staff and volunteers can access these images (and tens of thousands of others)
with an online account. If you were unable to see the dedication ceremony in person - you can still see it online through Janice
Canaday’s The Benjamin Lewis Spraggins, Sr. Sociable Carriage blog.
6
�SPRAGGINS CARRIAGE
(continued)
Interpeter Ronald Pressley.
Photo courtesy of Jerry McCoy.
Spraggins carriage before the unveiling.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
7
�SPRAGGINS CARRIAGE
(continued)
First drive of the Spraggins carriage with Spraggins family and Undra Jeter.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
Spraggins carriage display piece at the reception.
Photo courtesy of Jerry McCoy.
8
�COFFELT FELLOW: MEG ROBERTS
Coffelt Fellow Meg Roberts at work in the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
In January, Colonial Williamsburg welcomed Meg Roberts, the 2019 Robert M. & Annetta J. Coffelt and Robert M. Coffelt Jr. Fellow, for a monthlong research fellowship. Meg’s visit was delayed multiple times due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The Coffelt Fellowship directly supports the educational mission of Colonial Williamsburg and is intended for doctoral candidates
and junior scholars working on topics related to the American Revolution, Early Republic, or ideas and philosophies of America's
founding fathers. We are very appreciative of the Coffelt family’s generous support of this fellowship opportunity.
Meg is currently pursuing a PhD in History at University of Cambridge, Newnham College. Her research explores the experience
of caregivers for sick and disabled people during the American Revolutionary War. This period saw a swell in both long-term and
short-term illnesses and disabilities, requiring intensified levels of care work at all levels of society. However, despite caregiving
labor being a routine aspect of the Revolutionary experience, it has received minimal attention in the current historiography of
the conflict. Her project draws together histories of disability, domestic work, medicine, war, emotions, household, and family,
and is concerned with both the physical and emotional experience of domestic care in times of crisis. This research is particularly
timely given the current prospect of assessing our own care practices as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
9
�CONSIDER THE SOURCES
Mark Your Calendars!
On May 20th at 1pm, the Rockefeller
Library’s Media Collections Manager,
Tracey Gulden, and Visual Resources
Librarian, Marianne Martin, will be
featured in Colonial Williamsburg’s
Livestream Consider the Sources:
Collections Exposed in celebration of
National Photography Month.
Volunteer photographer Wayne Reynolds captures aerial views of the Historic
Area with his drone.
10
Photography collections play a critical
role at Colonial Williamsburg. They
provide important visual evidence
that compliments documentary records and are used to illustrate a wide
variety of presentations, publications,
exhibitions, social media posts, and
promotional materials produced by
departments throughout the Foundation. With half a million analog photographic formats and over 440,000
digital assets, preserving, organizing,
and cataloging the vast archive of
images is daunting. Meet Visual Resources and Media Collections staff
and learn about their strategies for
storing and caring for the collections,
improving access and retrieval, and
facilitating outreach through public
programs and exhibits to underscore
the value of photographic repositories. Visit the visual archives to see
highlights of pre-restoration, restoration progress, and local history collections and media collections to find out
how the Foundation continues to expand and update its photo collections
through an active institutional photography program and digital asset
management system.
�CONSIDER THE SOURCES
(continued)
Photographers Jane Iseley and Frank Davis examining slides spread out on a light table in preparation for a Garden Symposium
lecture, photo by Tina Heuvel, 1976.
11
�ALBERT Q. BELL SCRAPBOOK
Front cover of the Albert Q. Bell scrapbook.
12
Corporate Archives recently was
given a scrapbook of newspaper
clippings and ephemera relating to
Albert Quentin Bell by a local donor and Bell family member. Bell
was an Englishman who had
moved to the United States in the
1920s and settled in Manteo, NC.
He had previously constructed
outdoor amphitheaters for The
Lost Colony play on Roanoke Island, for the Cherokee removal
drama Unto These Hills in Cherokee, NC, and had consulted on the
Matoaka Lake theater built for The
Common Glory in Williamsburg in
1947. In the 1950s, Bell was involved in the construction of The
Cove Amphitheatre at Lake Matoaka for the play The Founders: A
Drama of Jamestown and the fort
and glasshouse at Jamestown Festival Park, all created for the 350th
anniversary of Jamestown in 1957.
The scrapbook and various inserted ephemera are principally related to his work in 1956-1957 for
these Jamestown anniversary projects. Ephemera inserted into the
scrapbook includes a May 11,
1957, letter from The Founders
cast thanking Bell “from our hearts
for the beautiful theatre you have
built us” and a press packet announcing the premiere season of
The Founders. The Bell scrapbook
will be a permanent part of the
Corporate Archives and is available for research by appointment.
(Accession 2022-003)
�ALBERT Q. BELL SCRAPBOOK
(continued)
Interior pages with articles about reconstruction of the Jamestown fort, Albert Q. Bell Scrapbook.
13
�ALBERT Q. BELL SCRAPBOOK
(continued)
Page one, Letter from cast of The Founders to Albert Q. Bell, May 11, 1957. Albert Q. Bell Scrapbook.
14
�ALBERT Q. BELL SCRAPBOOK
(continued)
Cover of press packet for The Founders Premiere Season, May 13-October 19, 1957. Albert Q. Bell
Scrapbook .
15
�FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
In the last issue of our newsletter, we announced the formation of the Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library group. This initiative will bring together those with a personal commitment to strengthening the library’s collections and directly support the
library’s mission of supporting research and scholarship at Colonial Williamsburg. Annual membership fees will be used solely to
acquire, digitize, and conserve library research collections -– activities that directly support the work of our historic area interpreters, historians, and museum curators.
A prime example of how our Friends group would support Colonial Williamsburg’s educational mission is to help the
library purchase vital resources such as the newly acquired electronic subscription database Bray Schools in Canada, America,
and the Bahamas,1645-1900. This vital resource, created by the British Online Archives, provides access to primary resource
materials related to the history of the Bray Associates, directly supports one of the Foundation’s major current initiatives.
Another example is recent purchases of additional 18th-century Virginia Gazettes for our Special Collections. While
funding has allowed us to purchase several issues over the last several years, support from Friends would allow us to acquire
additional available issues. Returning these rare newspapers to Williamsburg where they were originally printed would allow
the library to provide ready access to these key resources.
Please consider becoming a Friend and supporting the work of Colonial Williamsburg. More information on this exciting new
venture can be found on the Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library page.
The Bray School database includes documents, minute books, letter books, and account books for
the Associates of Dr Bray.
16
�FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY
(continued)
Front elevation of the Dudley Digges House shown in its original location on Prince George Street, in Williamsburg, Va. The
schoolhouse where enslaved and free Black children were taught before the Revolutionary War will be moved from the William
& Mary campus to Colonial Williamsburg and restored.
The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter is a publication of Colonial Williamsburg’s John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
Vice President, Education, Research, and Historic Interpretation
Beth Kelly
Executive Director, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
Carl Childs
Editor
Doug Mayo
Contributors
Carl Childs, Peter Inker, Marianne Martin, Tracey Gulden
and Sarah Nerney
Please visit Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library for information on how you can support the Library.
To contact the library directly, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
17
�
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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Text
SPRING 2022
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 4, NO. 4
DONALD MACDONALD-MILLAR COLLECTIONS AID BRAY SCHOOL RESEARCH
Front elevation of the Digges House, originally located on Block 23. Building 18 and moved to Block
24, Building 32, Williamsburg, Virginia.
IN THIS ISSUE
Millar Collection:
p. 1-4
Ferrari Family Gift:
p. 5-7
Meet Brendan Sostak :
p. 7-11
Albert Durant Volunteer Portrait
and Project Update
p. 12
Photographs, architectural drawings, and field notes housed in
the Rockefeller Library’s Special Collections Department are
providing valuable visual clues that will aid the Architectural
Preservation and Research staff’s restoration of the Bray School
structure to its eighteenth-century appearance. They form part of
a group of archival materials created by Donald MacDonald-Millar
during the early twentieth century. A pioneer in the fledgling field
of architectural history in America, Donald MacDonald-Millar con-
1
�MILLAR COLLECTION
(continued)
tributed his expertise to some of the earliest research and planning for Williamsburg’s restoration
in the late 1920s. He received his training in his
hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, where he
worked for a firm of architects. As one of the
founding members of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, he became interested in recording the measurements and architectural details of colonial structures and published
two books, Measured Drawings of Some Colonial
and Georgian Homes (1916) and Measured Drawings of Some Colonial Furniture (1925), as well as
articles in the Architectural Record and the Pennsylvania Museum Bulletin.
Gable end elevation of the Digges House, originally located on Block 23.
Building 18 and moved to Block 24, Building 32, Williamsburg, Virginia.
A visit to Williamsburg in 1919 as part of
this phase of his career led to the compilation of a
small sketchbook with field drawings and notations
about several historic structures in Williamsburg
that he examined. Sketches include architectural
details of the Mary Cary House, Ludwell-Paradise
House, Powell-Hallam House, Dudley Digges House
(today identified as the Bray School) and the Robert
Carter House. MacDonald-Millar also took a series
of black and white photographs that complement
the sketches and provide additional visual evidence
of exterior architectural features which are part of
the Donald MacDonald-Millar Photograph Collection. Both the sketchbook and the photographs are
significant as a record of the condition of the buildings in the second decade of the twentieth century,
nine years before John D. Rockefeller Jr. agreed to
fund the commencement of in-depth
restoration work on some of Williamsburg's colonial structures. They also illustrate the growing interest in Williamsburg's architectural history among early pioneers in the field of historic preservation.
Two pages within the sketchbook document various elevations, the floor plan, and a gable end with chimney of the Bray
School, while associated photographs offer more detailed evidence of the clapboard siding, dormer windows, cornice, and chimney brickwork. Together, they are important because they show the structure prior to 1924, when the Methodist Women’s Association built a large addition to create a dormitory for Methodist women attending the College of William & Mary. According to
2
�MILLAR COLLECTION
(continued)
Page two, Elevations and Floor Plans for the Dudley Digges House, today known
as the Bray School, Williamsburg, Virginia by Donald MacDonald-Millar.
Architectural Historian Jennifer Wilkoski, “At that time the house was largely unchanged from its eighteenth-century form except for the addition of a nineteenth century wing off the back. In concert with other photos taken around the same time period, we are able to verify features such as closets, dormer windows, and a cellar. All of these architectural features are now
gone due to the twentieth century renovations and the building’s move in 1930. Using the photos and sketches, we’ll be able to
put back these lost elements when the building is restored.”
Donald MacDonald-Millar also contributed to other aspects of Williamsburg’s restoration. A call to the ministry led
Millar to the Theological Seminary in New York City and he became an Episcopal clergyman. His acquaintance with Dr. W.A.R.
Goodwin, another Episcopal minister with a keen interest in historic architecture, and William Graves Perry, a partner in the
firm Perry, Shaw, and Hepburn, brought him to the attention of Colonel Arthur Woods, who sent him an invitation on May 28,
1928, to “…do research work in England and France for the Williamsburg project.” MacDonald- Millar received a six month
leave of absence from his position as assistant to Rev. Frederick Burgess of St. Matthew’s and St. Timothy’s churches in New
York City to undertake the assignment. With the help of several assistants, he traveled through the two countries to gather
information about the types of building materials that would have been available to colonial Virginians and to record
3
�MILLAR COLLECTION
(continued)
architectural precedents to assist in the reconstruction of Williamsburg buildings. His investigations
contributed to the discovery of the Bodleian copperplate whose engraved illustrations of the Governor’s
Palace, Capitol, Wren Building, President’s House,
and Brafferton Building provided critical visual evidence for their accurate restoration.
Both the Donald MacDonald-Millar Photograph Collection, AV2009.30, and the Donald MacDonald-Millar Sketchbook, MS1989.5, are available
for viewing online via these links:
https://rocklib.omeka.net/collections/show/54
https://rocklib.omeka.net/collections/show/40
Thank you to our new Media Collections Photographer, Brendan Sostak, for digitizing the Donald MacDonald-Millar Sketchbook!
Front elevation of the Digges House, originally located on
Block 23. Building 18 and moved to Block 24, Building 32,
Williamsburg, Virginia, by Donald MacDonald- Millar.
Page three, top: Rear Steps, Wythe House; bottom: Side Elevation with Chimney, Dudley
Digges House, today known as the Bray School, Williamsburg, Virginia, by Donald MacDonald-Millar, 1919.
4
�FERRARI FAMILY GIFT
The Ferrari family donates records and objects belonging to Ferrante Ferrari, ornamental blacksmith
for Colonial Williamsburg circa 1930s. L-R: Erik Goldstein, Dani Jaworksi, Matt Webster, Neil G. Ferrari, Ken Schwarz, Ann Ferrari Partlow, Donna Cooke, J. Michael Tuccori, and Carl Childs.
On May 25th, Colonial Williamsburg received an important donation from the descendants of Ferrante "Fred" Ferrari and Ugo
Tuccori, two of the ornamental blacksmiths who played a key role in the restoration of Williamsburg in the 1930s. The collection
consists of records and photos compiled by the Ferrari business venture in addition to metalwork objects, design models, and
tools. The objects will be cared for by the Foundation’s Museums, Preservation, and Historic Resources (MPHR) division, including items used to design and make the Governor's Palace balcony and weathervane, and ironwork in the Peninsula Bank (now
DoG Street Pub). The collection items received by the Rockefeller Library includes such items as a signed letter from Dr. W.A.R.
Goodwin discussing a handle Ferrari was making for the Restoration, newspaper clippings, design blueprints and drawings highlighting items he made for Williamsburg, and some photographs.
Ferrari, a native of Pistoia, Italy, near Florence, had such a reputation for metal artistry that word of his craftsmanship
had reached Dr. Goodwin in Williamsburg while planning the Restoration. Ferrari received a personal visit from Mr. Rockefeller
at his home in Hampton where he was commissioned to do blacksmith work for various buildings. He also did work for Bruton
5
�FERRARI FAMILY GIFT
(continued)
Sketch of center for Governor’s Palace balcony. Drawn on
reverse of stationery for F. Ferrari Metal Crafts.
Governor's Palace balcony, in progress. Crafted by Ferrante "Fred" Ferrari, an early contractor hired during
the Restoration of Colonial Williamsburg.
Parish Church and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham (formerly St. Bede) in Williamsburg in addition to his
many works across Hampton Roads.
The Ferrante Ferrari-Ugo Tuccori Collection (Accession 2022-028) is currently closed for archival processing but
will be available to researchers when that work is complete. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is immensely grateful
to the Ferrari, Partlow, and Tuccori families for this incredibly generous donation.
6
�FERRANTE FAMILY GIFT
(continued)
Governor's Palace balcony, completed. People are Ferrante "Fred" Ferrari, Ugo Tuccori,
Fred Ferrari and Daniel Franceshi. Ferrante "Fred" Ferrari was an early contractor hired
during the Restoration of Colonial Williamsburg.
MEET BRENDAN SOSTAK
The Media Collections team at the Rockefeller Library is pleased to welcome a new member, photographer Brendan Sostak.
Brendan joined the Foundation in April and is already hard at work visually documenting the Historic Area and its events for
the Library, as well as aiding in our ongoing efforts to digitize archival materials. In just the last few months, he’s already produced around 1,000 images! His photography will provide a lasting record of Colonial Williamsburg, as well as being used
across the Foundation to support programming, publicity, and research. Brendan comes to the Foundation from Evergreen
Enterprises, where he worked as a product photographer.
Recent projects he’s completed include shooting the fife and drum corps in action at Drummers Call, documenting the
work of the Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute, capturing the celebrations for Juneteenth, photographing Historic Area
programs such as “Faith, Hope, and Love” on the Charlton Stage, and digitizing archival negatives from the historic Frank Dementi collection (showing Williamsburg in the early years of the Restoration). This photography is available to employees and
volunteers through an in-house database, The Source. You may also see his work as it begins to appear on our social media and
starts to be used throughout the Foundation in publications and online.
7
�MEET BRENDAN SOSTAK
(continued)
Brendan Sostak, Colonial Williamsburg photographer.
Asked about his experiences here at Colonial Williamsburg, Brendan expressed his appreciation for how very welcoming
and accommodating everyone has been. He is currently most excited at the prospect of pursuing more photography of the
Trades in action. He recently shot Master Blacksmith Ken Schwarz creating a chisel (search The Source for D2022-BES-0616 and
D2022-BES-0617 to see the photos) and is eager to capture the work in other shops.
Brendan has a strong interest in science, with a BS in Biology and a MS in Environmental Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University. However, his interest in and talent for photography comes naturally: when he was growing up, his grandmother had a passion for the art and was never without her camera. Like Brendan, she loved taking photographs - but not being
in them. So when Brendan first had the opportunity to pursue photography professionally, he jumped at the chance. Brendan
also enjoys gardening, baking, and playing with his dogs, Zelda, and Hattie.
Welcome, Brendan!
8
�MEET BRENDAN SOSTAK
(continued)
Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps.
Image by Brendan Sostak
9
�MEET BRENDAN SOSTAK
(continued)
Ken Schwartz, Colonial Williamsburg’s master blacksmith.
Photograph by Brendan Sostak.
10
�MEET BRENDAN SOSTAK
(continued)
A chisel being produced in the Blacksmith Shop.
Image by Brendan Sostak
11
�DURANT VOLUNTEERS GROUP PORTRAIT
Since the Albert Durant Photography Collection’s acquisition in 1992, many community members have donated their time and
recollections to help the library assemble accurate captions for Durant’s photographs. The effort is ongoing today and the library is fortunate that a group of Bruton Heights School alumni have attended a series of sessions held in a Bruton Height
School classroom to examine additional photographs and use their collective reminiscences to assemble more identifications.
This dedicated group recently posed for a portrait taken by Volunteer Photographer Jerry McCoy. Pictured are, front row, left to
right, Lafayette James, Edith Heard, June Ross, and Jackie Gardner; back row, left to right: James Lee, George Wallace, Connie
Harshaw, Vernon Ross, and Dennis Gardner. We invite anyone interested in helping to contact us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter is a publication of Colonial Williamsburg’s John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
Vice President, Education, Research, and Historic Interpretation
Beth Kelly
Executive Director, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
Carl Childs
Editor
Doug Mayo
Contributors
Carl Childs, Marianne Martin, and Jenna Simpson
Please visit Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library for information on how you can support the Library.
To contact the library directly, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
12
�
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
Dublin Core
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Title
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John D. Rockefeller Jr Library newsletter. Volume 4, number 4, Spring 2022
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Publisher
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2022
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SUMMER 2022
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 5, NO. 1
NEW VISUAL MATERIALS ACQUISITIONS
Reconstruction progress photo looking around the corner of the Williamsburg High School, prior to its
demolition, towards the front elevation of the Governor's Palace with a workman balanced on
scaffolding on the roof, October 1932. Eller Family Scrapbook Photos.
IN THIS ISSUE
New Visual Materials:
p. 1-4
Bobbsey Twins:
p. 5
Friends Help Fund Database Purchases :
p. 6-7
Friends of Bruton Parish Church:
p. 8
Snack Wagon:
p. 8
Library Volunteer Milestone:
p. 9-10
The Rockefeller Library is pleased to announce that several new
donations are currently being processed for addition to its visual
materials collections. They range from photographic prints and
slides to scrapbooks and postcards. The first is a black and white
photograph documenting a visit by President Warren G. Harding
to Williamsburg, Virginia on October 19, 1921 to deliver an address at the installation of Dr. Julian Chandler as President of the
College of William & Mary. Harding is shown walking with several
officials in a close-up view that complements the other photo of
his visit held by the library which depicts his motorcade from a
1
�NEW VISUAL MATERIALS ACQUISITIONS
(continued)
distance. The early years of Williamsburg’s restoration are captured in another
acquisition, the Eller Family Album Photographs. It consists of fourteen 4x6 inch
black and white photographs removed from a scrapbook depicting Williamsburg High School just prior to its demolition, the Governor’s Palace under reconstruction and after completion, the Governor’s Palace gardens, the Colonial
Parkway tunnel under construction, and the Capitol under reconstruction. PostWorld War II experiences of a 1949 guest to Colonial Williamsburg are chronicled in the Hoffman Family Travel Album, a scrapbook with a combination of
photos, postcards, and memorabilia. One of the unique features of the album is
that the compiler included segments of small sections of the Colonial Williamsburg visitor’s map on each page to correlate their location with the items displayed.
Another recent donation is a collection of 35mm slides taken by Gertrude Ball Daversa, who worked in various positions at Colonial Williamsburg
between 1947-1978, including as a hostess, secretary, and assistant restaurant
manager. Her parents, Frederick Hooker Ball and Merrill Proctor Ball, signed a
lifetime tenancy agreement with Colonial Williamsburg in 1938. In exchange for
selling their residence to Colonial Williamsburg to restore as the Peyton Randolph House, they received a guarantee that they and their family members
could continue to reside in a portion of the house. Gertrude grew up in the Peyton Randolph House and after her parents' deaths, she resided in the house
until she passed away on December 15, 2003.
Gertrude Ball Daversa’s slides provide early color photographic documentation of Colonial Williamsburg buildings, gardens, and costumed interpreters, as well as of many distinguished visitors who toured Colonial Williamsburg
in the 1950s and 1960s. While working as a costumed hostess, Gertrude regularly photographed the gardens, exhibition buildings, and interior furnishings
that she discussed with visitors during guided tours. Her slides offer a glimpse
into the expanding experiences for visitors in post-World War II Colonial Williamsburg including the furnishings and gardens of the Brush-Everard House,
A man raises his hat to President Warren G.
Harding as he walks past him during his
visit to Williamsburg on October 19, 1921
to give an address at the installation of Dr.
Julian Chandler as the President of the College of William & Mary.
opened in 1952, and new trade sites, such as the King’s Arms Barber Shop and Robertson’s Windmill. Gertrude also took portraits of her colleagues that range from hostesses posing with tree and plant specimens to tradesmen in their shops and African
Americans who worked as building custodians under the Curator’s Department.
A final collection that has augmented visual materials holdings is the Daniel Reiff Photograph Collection. It is comprised
of 372 5x7 inch black and white photos of Georgian houses in Virginia and England used to illustrate Daniel Reiff’s book, Small
Georgian Houses in England and Virginia and thirty-five accompanying research files on Georgian houses in Virginia and England
used to illustrate Daniel Reiff’s book, Small Georgian Houses in England and Virginia and thirty-five accompanying research files
organized alphabetically by structure. The photos encompass not only the buildings that make up Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area but also hundreds of structures in the Mid-
2
�NEW VISUAL MATERIALS ACQUISITIONS
(continued)
Atlantic region and in England studied by our architectural historians as precedents for restoring the buildings at Colonial Williamsburg. This collection is an excellent addition to our visual documentation on the architectural features that constitute domestic Georgian architecture. Staff members preparing lectures and articles about Williamsburg’s restoration will find the research photos and files to be important references for understanding Williamsburg’s eighteenth-century residences within the
broader context of the development of the Georgian style.
Page 13, postcards of the Shoemaker’s Shop and the Golden Ball Silversmith Shop as they appeared in the late 1940s, Hoffman
Travel Scrapbook
3
�NEW VISUAL MATERIALS ACQUISITIONS
(continued)
Barbara Tharp posing by a Siberian crab apple tree in the Thomas Everard
House garden, 1950s. Gertrude Ball Daversa Slide Collection.
Examples of three black and white photos of Georgian houses featuring
hipped roofs, including the George Wythe House, the Ludwell-Paradise
House, and Wilton, used to illustrate the chapter "Brick Hipped-Roof Houses
in Virginia through the 1750s" in Small Georgian Houses in England and
Virginia by Daniel Reiff, University of Delaware Press, 1986. Daniel Reiff Photograph Collection.
4
�BOBBSEY TWINS
Who is ready to solve a mystery? In 2021, a donor gave the Corporate Archives a copy of The Bobbsey Twins: The Red, White and
Blue Mystery, by Laura Lee Hope (New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1971). Join Nan and Bert and Flossie and Freddie on their 64th
adventure that begins with the family’s trip to Colonial Williamsburg to participate in a Fourth of July pageant. As they investigate the triple mysteries of a thief in the Historic Area, a mysterious howling on a farm outside of town, and the legend of a lost
flag of the American Revolution, the two sets of twins tour the town, making stops at the Crafts (now called Historic Trades)
shops, Capitol, Magazine, Palace Green, Information Center, Motor House Cafeteria, King’s Arms Tavern, Williamsburg Inn,
Chowning’s Tavern, Governor’s Palace, Public Gaol, Craft House, Brush Everard House, and the Raleigh Tavern. They take an ox
cart ride, eat peanut soup and gingerbread men, get lost in the Palace maze, are (accidentally?) locked in the icehouse, buy a
souvenir horseshoe at the blacksmith, watch a militia drill, go on a carriage ride, and join a nighttime Lanthorn Tour. They also
manage side trips to Jamestown Festival Park, the glasshouse, and Yorktown after a ride on the Colonial Parkway. Along the way,
they solve all the mysteries AND have time to participate in the parade! This book perfectly demonstrates the earned advertising
that helped Colonial Williamsburg insert itself into so many aspects of American life that for decades it was ubiquitous in the culture. Many thanks to our donor (who prefers to remain anonymous).
5
�FRIENDS HELP FUND DATABASE PURCHASES
[Part of] A map of the southern Indian district of North America, 1775, © The Newberry
Library.
Rockefeller Library is thrilled to announce the addition of two new databases to the collection of electronic resources available
to Foundation staff and visiting researchers. Our generous Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library provided funding to help support these purchases and we give them a resounding “Huzzah!” Both these resources will expand our understanding of the
eighteenth-century world.
American Indian Histories and Cultures
Curated by Adam Matthew Digital, the primary source material included in this resource is drawn from the Newberry Library’s
extensive Edward E. Ayer Collection. One of the strongest archival collections on American Indian history in the world, the Ayer
Collection contains 130,000 volumes, over one million manuscript pages, 2,000 maps, 500 atlases, 11,000 photographs, and
3,500 drawings and paintings. Together these items present a unique insight into interactions between American Indians and
Europeans from their earliest contact, continuing through the turbulence of the American Civil War, the on-going repercussions
of government legislation, right up to the civil rights movement of the mid- to late-twentieth century.
As the library’s first electronic collection focusing on American Indians, this resource will widen the scope of our research. It will support the vital work of the Foundation’s new Assistant Research Historian examining the presence and experience of American Indians in Williamsburg and Virginia in the eighteenth century and the interpreters in our American Indian Initiative, including a new Nation Builder portraying Cherokee leader Oconostota. More broadly, it will increase knowledge of
American Indian history throughout the Foundation, enhancing our ability to tell the complete story of the people who filled the
streets, buildings, homes, and businesses of eighteenth-century Williamsburg.
6
�FRIENDS HELP FUND DATABASE PURCHASES
(continued)
The Lady's Magazine; or entertaining companion for the fair sex, appropriated solely
to their use and amusement, Volume 1, August 1770, © Birmingham Central Library.
Eighteenth Century Journals, Module V
This exciting new resource complements eighteenth-century journal content already offered by Rockefeller Library. It includes
the full run of The Lady’s Magazine: or Entertaining Companion for the Fair Sex, a periodical which ran for sixty-two years from
1770 to 1832, before merging with its rival The Ladies Museum in 1832. The Lady’s Magazine was issued monthly and is significant both for its longevity and for the platform it provided for women, as both contributors and consumers, to engage in the
literary discourse of the eighteenth century. Covering a wide range of topics and genres, from fashions to poetry to medicinal
receipts and domestic and foreign news, the textual content was often complemented with elegant engravings, music sheets,
embroidery patterns, and later, color fashion plates. Over the course of its sixty-two year run, readers of the magazine today can
trace shifts in public opinion, taste, culture and political climate, making The Lady’s Magazine an enlightening source for the
study of eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century social and cultural history.
This resource will be of interest throughout the Foundation for its insight into women’s lives and perspectives, but it will be especially useful for those who research – and create – period clothing and accessories, and for research into manners, dance, and
domestic life.
Please visit Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library for information on how you can support the Library’s educational mission.
7
�FRIENDS OF BRUTON PARISH CHURCH
On Saturday, September 17th, the library welcomed 86 members of the Friends of Bruton Parish for their 9th annual Friends Day
event. Carl Childs kicked off the morning session with an overview of the Rockefeller Library’s history and current services. Childs
highlighted the important work being done by the library’s own Friends of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library group that helps the
library acquire new and relevant resources, digitize collections, and protect collections through an active conservation and
preservation program.
Attendees were then treated to behind-the-scenes tours of Corporate Archives, Media Collections, Special Collections,
and Visual Resources. Library staff Donna Cooke, Tracey Gulden, Marianne Martin, and Doug Mayo highlighted treasures from
the respective collections they curate, including home movies showing Bruton Parish Church and Black coachmen navigating the
Historic Area in the 1950s, a selection of sermons delivered by Dr. W.A. R . Goodwin while vicar at Bruton Parish Church, letters
from the King of Spain dated July 29, 1608 and June 11, 1609 requesting information concerning the actions of English settlers in
Jamestown, and scrapbooks and photos documenting the Church’s history. Attendees learned how the work of library staff informs the interpretive programming seen in the Historic Area and exhibitions in the Art Museums.
Following the library tours, the Friends of Bruton Parish dined at the Inn’s Regency Room and were treated to Nicole
Brown’s interpretation of Bray School teacher Ann Wager and a presentation by Matt Webster on Colonial Williamsburg’s ongoing research and future restoration plans for the Bray School building.
Please visit Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library for information on how you can support the Library.
SNACK WAGON
Melissa Schutt and Donna Cooke
getting prepared for their snack
wagon run.
During the pandemic, apprentice carpenter Mary Lawrence Herbert came up
with the idea to deliver water and snacks to employees working outside in the
Historic Area during the hot summer months. The “snack wagon” was so popular that its operation has continued and this past summer library staff were
invited to participate. Employees operating the snack wagon went to the
Coach & Livestock Stables to retrieve a golf cart and fill a large cooler with ice
water. After a brief driving lesson, the adventurers were off to the Waters
Storehouse in the Historic Area to pick up crates of snacks. The snack wagon
then proceeded to designated stops throughout the Historic Area to deliver
much-appreciated water and snacks to front-line employees. This was a wonderful opportunity for us to talk to our colleagues and to see what it is like for
them working outside in the heat. It was also a chance for us to thank them for
their hard work and efforts to support Colonial Williamsburg’s mission, “That
the future may learn from the past.” We so admire and appreciate all our
front-line colleagues and the work they do to provide memorable experiences
for our guests! (Fun fact: one of the most popular snacks were “sucker punch”
pickle slices!)
8
�LIBRARY VOLUNTEER CELEBRATES MILESTONE
Laura Arnold, our library’s longest serving volunteer.
Rockefeller Library relies on its cadre of loyal volunteers – we truly could not do our work without them! In this newsletter, we
want to give a special “shout out” to Laura Arnold, who celebrates 35 years as a library volunteer this year. During her time with
us, Laura has completed many valuable projects, including the compilation of a complete index to the Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, an internal publication that ran from 1980 – 2009 and continues to be an important resource for both CWF staff and
outside researchers. (You can find all the issues, along with Laura’s index, on the library’s Omeka site. She also worked on indexing the popular British magazine Country Life, assisted with library inventories, and participated in a project to re-barcode the
entire library collection in 2003. Her current project, begun during the pandemic, involves clipping Foundation-related articles
from the Virginia Gazette for Corporate Archives’ files: she’s able to complete this work from home, making monthly trips to the
library to deliver clippings and pick up newspapers.
9
�LIBRARY VOLUNTEER CELEBRATES MILESTONE
(continued)
Laura’s achievement was recognized at the Volunteer Reception held at the Williamsburg Lodge on September 28th. We so appreciate her diligence, conscientiousness, and devotion to the library!
We also celebrate additional library volunteers who reached milestone anniversaries in 2022, including:
20-year recipient
Mary Rose Schlatter
15-year recipients
Stuart Butler
Joan Ruszkowski
5-year recipients
Dennis Branden
Joan Childs
Shelby Hawthorne
Nancy Marley
Pam Reiss
We are grateful to all the volunteers that help us meet our mission.
The John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library Newsletter is a publication of Colonial Williamsburg’s John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library.
Vice President, Educational Strategy and Civic Engagement
Mia Nagawiecki
Executive Director, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
Carl Childs
Editor
Doug Mayo
Contributors
Carl Childs, Donna Cooke, Marianne Martin, Sarah Nerney
and Melissa Schutt
Please visit Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library for information on how you can help support the Library.
To contact the library directly, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
10
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
John D. Rockefeller Jr Library newsletter. Volume 5, number 1, Summer 2022
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2022
-
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FALL 2022
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 5, NO. 2
DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS FROM PERRY, DEAN ROGERS PARTNERS
Carl Childs, Executive Director of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, and Sarah Nerney, left, and Donna Cooke, right, Corporate Archivists, are pleased to receive the first box filled with tubes of architectural drawings at the Packets Court Record s
Center on January 9, 2023.
Photo by Marianne Martin
IN THIS ISSUE
Drawings and Photographs:
p. 1-4
Colonial Heritage Group Visit:
p. 5
Friends Fund Newspaper Purchase :
p. 6
Felicity in Williamsburg Collection
p. 7-8
Frenzel Photograph Collection:
p. 9-11
Early January marked the arrival of hundreds of architectural drawings and several boxes of black and white photographs from Perry,
Dean, Rogers & Partners Architects of Boston, who designed the
John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. The firm evolved from Perry, Shaw &
Hepburn, the architectural team hired to oversee Williamsburg’s
initial restoration from the late 1920s to the 1930s. One of the
founding architects for Colonial Williamsburg’s restoration program.
William Graves Perry served as lead architect for the Boston architectural firm of Perry, Shaw, and Hepburn, which he opened in
1
�DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS
(continued)
Portrait of William Graves Perry, founding architect of Perry,
Shaw, and Hepburn of Boston.
By Fabian Bachrach, late 1920s
1922. In 1927, his firm began to assist with the restoration of several buildings in Williamsburg as Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin and John
D. Rockefeller Jr. worked as silent partners to acquire various properties. Later, after the announcement of Rockefeller as the
benefactor for the project in 1928, the firm became the official project architects for the full-scale restoration of Williamsburg’s
historic district.
Like Colonial Williamsburg, Perry, Dean, Rogers & Partners will soon be celebrating its centennial. Preliminary planning
for the observance led Perry, Dean, Rogers staff to begin review of many of its archived projects, including the significant work
completed by its Williamsburg office towards the beginning of the firm’s existence. They discovered three hundred sixty-nine
rolls of architectural drawings, along with loose pages from a photo album, documenting both the progress of restoration and
reconstruction work underway in Williamsburg and architectural precedents in the region studied in connection with the project.
After reviewing their contents, the firm contacted the Rockefeller Library to see if it would be interested in adding a portion of
the items to its extensive Perry, Shaw, and Hepburn archives, which encompasses documents, scrapbooks, photos, and drawings.
2
�DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS
(continued)
A contracted art handler delivered the drawings and photos to the Corporate Archives storage facility located at Packet’s Court on January 9, 2023. A total of 187 tubes plus one bundle of drawings and four records cartons of photographs arrived safely. The items will be quarantined to check for the presence of pests or mold to prevent migration to existing collections. Small quantities of materials will be brought to the library over time for careful comparison with existing architectural
and photographic archives. Staff will develop appraisal criteria for the selection of drawings and photos from the records
transfer to add to the permanent collections at the Rockefeller Library. We are hoping to discover some new treasures amidst
this acquisition that can be utilized in exhibitions, publications, and digital media being planned for the celebration of Colonial
Williamsburg’s centennial celebration in 2026!
Sarah Nerney, Joel Voron, Marianne Martin, and Donna Cooke examine boxes of photos at the Packets Court Records Center.
Photo by Brendan Sostak
3
�DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS
(continued)
Joel Voron, Senior Integrated Pest Management Technician, and Sarah Nerney, Associate Archivist, check photographs from one of the records cartons for signs of pest or
mold damage at the Packets Court Records Center.
Photo by Brendan Sostak.
Tubes of rolled drawings relating to Colonial Williamsburg in situ in the attic storage area of
Perry Dean Rogers Partners Architects.
Photo by Mark Freeman, 2022.
4
�COLONIAL HERITAGE GROUP VISIT
Associate Archivist, Donna Cooke, shows key documents from the history of
the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
The library welcomed 30 members of the Colonial Heritage History Club on Wednesday November 30th to tour the facility and
to see some of the library’s treasures. Colonial Heritage is a Williamsburg community designed for active adults and their history club was started shortly after the first residents moved into the development. The club’s mission is to offer residents an opportunity to explore local historical sites and attend presentations on a wide variety of topics.
Attendees received an overview of the library’s circulating and reference collection by Melissa Schutt and treated to
behind-the-scenes tours of Corporate Archives by Donna Cooke, Media Collections by Tracey Gulden and Jenna Simpson, Special Collections by Doug Mayo, and Visual Resources by Marianne Martin.
Attendees saw treasures such as including home movies showing Bruton Parish Church and Black coachmen navigating the Historic Area in the 1950s, the Harvard Footage, which shows Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area in the early Restoration began, and music from the 1950 Williamsburg Quintet album, composed of five local Black residents that performed
around Colonial Williamsburg, the December 7, 1926 telegram from “David’s Father” (John D. Rockefeller, Jr.) authorizing the
purchase of the Ludwell Paradise House, the printing plate for the bags of meal ground at Robertson’s Windmill, a printing of
the Declaration of Independence in the Virginia Gazette dated July 20, 1776, a French translation of the Articles of Capitulation
agreed to by Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781, and some of the earliest conceptual drawings for the Historic Area and Merchants Square dating to the late 1920s. The group also learned how the work of library staff informs the interpretive programming seen in the Historic Area and exhibitions in the Art Museums.
5
�LIBRARY FRIENDS FUND PURCHASE OF VIRGINIA GAZETTE
The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library has recently
acquired an original printing of John Pinkney’s
Virginia Gazette for April 28, 1775. Just days before this issue was printed British forces, acting
at the behest of Governor Dunmore, removed
the colony’s supply of gunpowder from the Magazine in Williamsburg. The resolves of the county
of Gloucester condemning this act were printed
in the Gazette. The resolves called the removal
of the powder “exceedingly alarming” and characterized the Governor’s explanation of the removal as “unsatisfactory, disrespectful, and evasive.” The committee also resolved that the Governor had “justly forfeited all title to the confidence of the GOOD PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA and
demanded that “the POWDER ought IMMEDIATELY to be restored.” Further resolves called
for the support of local manufacturing including
the manufacture of gunpowder. Noteworthy
advertisements include one from William Pasteur and John M. Galt announcing their partnership and intention of “practicing PHYSIC and
SURGERY to their fullest extent …” in addition to
running an apothecary shop. Additionally, an
advertisement from Williamsburg milliner Catherine Rathell includes her announcement that
she intends to leave the colony for England “and
remain there until liberty of importation is allowed … ”
First page of John Pinkney’s Virginia Gazette for April 28, 1775.
6
The Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Library group brings together people with a personal commitment to strengthening, protecting,
and sharing the library’s world class research
collections. Funding is used to acquire, digitize,
conserve, and disseminate library collections. In
short, our Friends help the library support Colonial Williamsburg’s educational mission: "That
the future may learn from the past." To join visit
the Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
page.
�NEW CORPORATE ARCHIVES ACCESSSION: NOTEBOOK FOR FELICITY IN WILLIAMSBURG: AN AMERICAN
GIRLS LIVING HISTORY PROGRAM
As 2022 drew to a close, Corporate Archives received a very delightful new accession indeed: a notebook documenting the Felicity in Williamsburg: An American Girls Living History Program from the late 1990s. The Felicity in Williamsburg program was
a partnership between Colonial Williamsburg and Pleasant Company, creator of the American Girl dolls and books. The Felicity
Merriman doll was the fourth doll in the American Girl series, released in 1991, featuring a girl from Williamsburg, Virginia, who
lived in the year 1774. Accompanying her over the years were an array of books, clothes, furniture, and accessories that were
very popular. This gave Colonial Williamsburg a prime opportunity to provide education and entertainment to young girls and
their families in the town where “Felicity lived” and partnered with Pleasant Company to devise a two part program: a walking
tour through the Historic Area that integrated the adventures of Felicity with the real-life people, places and events of Virginia’s 18th century capital city; and lessons with Miss Manderley, the deportment teacher in the books, where a character interpreter would portray the teacher and provide lessons to visiting girls in how to stitch a pincushion, perform an 18th century
dance, and to properly serve tea. The notebook sent to Archives documents the program goals, tour, lesson outlines, in addition to program brochures and ephemera like buttons, and provides internal information about the various Miss Manderley
interpreters and tour mechanics. There are house guides for the Everard House part of the tour, where visitors observed objects that would have existed in a house like Felicity’s. There are snapshot photos of visiting little girls with their Felicity dolls,
in colonial costume, and interacting with the tour guides and Miss Manderley. There are several pieces of correspondence
from girls thanking Miss Manderley and updating her on their sampler progress. One page has an extremely adorable clothespin doll of Felicity wearing her blue Holiday Gown made by a visitor and sent to one of the Miss Manderley interpreters. Many
young girls grew up with Felicity and still have fond memories of her and of their visits to Williamsburg even though they are
now in their 30s (and dare I say inching into their 40s?). Records like these are a wonderful reminder of a very special experience that many of them had at Colonial Williamsburg with Felicity in Williamsburg and we are pleased to add it to the other
documentation that we hold about this program.
The collection will be available for research once it is fully processed and conserved.
Cover of Felicity in Williamsburg.
7
�FELICITY IN WILLIAMSBURG
(continued)
Felicity in Williamsburg program guides.
Felicity buttons.
8
�THE GEORGE & DOLORES FRENZEL PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION
Residence with door decorated in the Williamsburg style with a fruit fan of apples, oranges, pomegranates, and a pineapple and windows decorated with accents made of pine branches, pineapples,
and pomegranates in neighborhood along West 11th Street in Brooklyn, NY.
During the month of December, the Rockefeller Library staff has been posting a series on our Facebook page about our favorite
Colonial Williamsburg Christmas decorations. As the year concluded, we turned the focus of the series outward to look at the
impact of Colonial Williamsburg’s holiday decorating style upon other communities. Many repeat visitors who love to visit the
Historic Area during the holiday season are inspired to take some of the decorating ideas and activities back to share with their
hometowns. One such couple, George and Dolores Frenzel, spent many years accompanying Dolores’s father on annual holiday
trips to Williamsburg. After his passing, they decided to bring a Colonial Williamsburg Christmas to their block in Brooklyn, New
York. They inaugurated a colonial themed holiday celebration in connection with the 350th anniversary of the Gravesend area
where their neighborhood is located on West 11th Street.
Mr. Frenzel recalls in a letter “…that first year we went all out with our colonial soldiers, fife and drum, horse and carriage, professional colonial musicians playing on 18th century instruments, and practically everyone on costume.” Each resident also decorated the exterior of their home with wreaths, garlands, and plaques made of the natural fruits, nuts, dried flowers, seed pods, berries, leaves, and evergreens used in many of Colonial Williamsburg’s decorations. Several created wreaths
with unique objects that related to the professions and interests of the occupants. In addition, the neighbors gathered for a
special Yule Log Ceremony. The fifty-three families on the block found the experience to be uplifting as they all joined together
to help each other with decorations and participate in the activities. All agreed to revive the event the following December,
giving birth to an annual tradition.
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�THE GEORGE & DOLORES FRENZEL PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION
(continued)
The door on a residence decorated in the Williamsburg style with a pine garland
accented with clove studded oranges in neighborhood along West 11th Street in
Brooklyn, NY.
10
�FRENZEL COLLECTION
(continued)
Door wreath decorated in the Williamsburg style with seed
pods, apples, limes, magnolia leaves, berries, and doves in
neighborhood along West 11th Street in Brooklyn, NY.
The Williamsburg Christmas block in Brooklyn eventually received attention from the media and both the Brooklyn
Spectator and the Virginia Gazette published articles about the neighborhood’s holiday spirit. On Christmas Eve 1996, the Virginia Gazette featured an account written by George Frenzel himself that recounted the ways in which the event had grown
beyond a celebration of the colonial history of the neighborhood to encompass “…being thankful for the heritage we have of
freedom and liberty, and of reaching out to neighbors in support.” He concluded “All felt they were in the spirit of our early
settlers by admiring the things of nature that God had given us and of only taking what was needed and leaving the rest for
future generations. And they felt that was the whole spirit of Williamsburg.”
After fifteen years of overseeing their neighborhood’s emulation of a Colonial Williamsburg Christmas, George and
Dolores Frenzel had an opportunity to meet with a member of Colonial Williamsburg’s landscape and floral design staff, Libbey
Oliver, who referenced Brooklyn’s Williamsburg Block in her publication Williamsburg Christmas. The couple developed a
friendship with Oliver and sent her regular updates on their block’s evolving decorations and customs through letters, news
clippings, and photo albums. Earlier this year, Oliver donated the photographs and associated documentation to the Rockefeller Library where they will be preserved as the George and Dolores Frenzel Photograph Collection. Together, the items in the
collection illustrate how Colonial Williamsburg’s holiday decorations and celebrations reach far beyond the Historic Area to
strengthen other communities and encourage exploration of colonial history and heritage.
The John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library Newsletter is a publication of Colonial Williamsburg’s John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library.
Vice President, Educational Strategy and Civic Engagement
Mia Nagawiecki
Executive Director, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
Carl Childs
Editor
Doug Mayo
Contributors
Carl Childs, Marianne Martin, Doug Mayo and Sarah
Nerney
Please visit Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library for information on how you can help support the Library.
11
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
John D. Rockefeller Jr Library newsletter. Volume 5, number 2, Fall 2022
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2022