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SPRING 2020
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 2, NO. 4
THE ROCK WORKS REMOTELY
A screenshot of Colonial Williamsburg’s new, online interactive tour of the Governor’s Palace.
IN THIS ISSUE
The Rock works remotely:
p. 1-2
Did you know:
p. 2-4
Vodcast transcription project:
p. 5
Online lecture:
p. 5-6
Williamsburg postcards:
p. 6-14
Drone photography continues:
p. 15-16
Corporate accession:
p. 17-18
Community Photography Challenge
p. 19
Since Colonial Williamsburg’s closure to the public in March,
Rockefeller Library and Historical Research staff quickly transitioned to working from home: helping to support the creation of
online educational experiences, ensuring our colleagues have
access to critical research resources, and expanding the availability of digital content.
With Colonial Williamsburg’s increasing reliance on using 21st-century technology to tell our 18th-century story, staff
pivoted to adapt services to meet new demands. With the help
of our IT colleagues and vendors, we first worked to ensure uninterrupted access to our subscription research databases for
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�THE ROCK WORKS REMOTELY
(continued)
Foundation employees. And because the need for information from our collections never ceases, staff worked within the imposed safety restrictions to fulfill numerous internal reference requests including shop drawings, building and site information,
and information on key events in CW’s history. Library staff has also continued to process image order and rights and reproductions requests from external researchers, and our historians have continued to provide their expertise to support CW’s historic
interpreters.
To help satisfy the Foundation’s virtual audiences, Digital History staff developed 360° virtual tours of the Governor’s
Palace and Art Museum galleries, allowing visitors to experience one of our iconic buildings and several art exhibitions without
having to travel to Williamsburg. Additionally, our historians contributed several educational pieces to the CW Blog, such as Out
of Adversity: The Smallpox Census, Researching 40 Years of African American Interpretation, and CW Historians’ Guide to
Writing Historical Fiction. Staff also focused on increasing our social media presence by producing daily posts for our own Facebook page. Content has included regular features such as Online Research for Homebound Historians and Document of the Day,
celebrations of events such as National Photography Month, and posts using resources from library, archival, and media collections to highlight special moments and people from CW’s past. In addition to creating our own content, staff have worked hard
to meet the demand for photo, audio, and video resources to support all of CW’s social media activities, including shooting
drone and still photography. We also partnered with the Williamsburg Regional Public Library to present a ZOOM talk centered
on the making and restoring of the 1956 classic Williamsburg: The Story of a Patriot, which proved so popular an additional session was added. All of these projects are part of an ongoing initiative to engage CW’s audiences in new and innovative ways.
Beyond maintaining library services where possible and participating in CW’s virtual outreach, our staff have also
worked creatively, using the time to initiate a number of projects that could be carried out remotely by colleagues unable to
perform their primary work duties. These projects included transcribing manuscript collections and newly purchased Virginia
Gazettes and will benefit all library researchers. We also increased the digital content available through our library website, most
notably our collection of digitized CW publications. The Foundation’s long running newsletter, the CW News, encompasses over
1800 issues dating from 1940 to 2020 and offers an unparalleled look into the history of Colonial Williamsburg and the Restoration. It can now be viewed in full at: https://cwfpublications.omeka.net/collections/show/10.
So, this has been anything but a quiet time for Rockefeller Library and Historical Research and Digital History staff and
we look forward to welcoming our colleagues and visitors back to The Rock soon!
Our social media engagement grows daily as does our number of followers -- Please Join the Rockefeller Library & Historical Research Facebook group for continued regular updates from the library, peeks into our collections, and the research of
our historical research staff.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Merci Train was sent by France to the United States as a thank you for the food the United States provided in 1947 to
France and other European nations on the American Friendship Train. The Merci Train, or French Gratitude Train as it was
sometimes called, arrived in February 1949 aboard the French ship Magellan. It contained 49 boxcar loads of gifts, one boxcar
for each of the then 48 states and the other one to be divided between the District of Columbia and the Territory of Hawaii.
Upon arrival, the boxcars were sent to the respective states which often had special celebrations to welcome them. A large
number of the gift filled boxcars were exhibited and many remained on display by the states following the disbursement of their
contents. Such was the case with the Virginia boxcar, which was sent to the Virginia War Museum in Newport News to be displayed permanently after the objects had been assigned.
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�DID YOU KNOW?
(continued)
Colonial Williamsburg President Kenneth Chorley (left) and Coach Consultant Colonel Paul H. Downing (right) examine and
discuss the so-called "Gratitude Train Diligence," (or Chariot) also known as the "Merci Train”.
The 49 boxcars contained thousands of treasures from the French citizens and included items such as jewelry, swords,
dolls, trees, books, glass, seals, tapestries, furniture, paintings, a 1777 Houdon bust of Benjamin Franklin, a bust of Thomas
Jefferson, lace, a vial of holy water from Lourdes and even a bridal gown for an American bride. Certain items were designed for
museums while others were considered for individuals and sometimes came with notes. However, some states chose not to give
articles to individuals but to various in-state museums, libraries, and repositories so that they could be viewed by the public.
The Virginia boxcar full of gifts arrived in Richmond and was on display for several days at Thalhimers and Miller &
Rhoads department stores. Governor Tuck appointed a committee of five to decide where the gifts would be sent. One of the
gifts for Virginia was a Louis XV period chariot built circa 1750. This coach was chosen for the Merci Train by Jacques Robiquet,
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�DID YOU KNOW?
(continued)
Honorary Curator of National Museums. At one time, the chariot had been stored in pieces in a warehouse outside Paris.
The elaborate two-passenger carriage was adorned with cherubs and gilt and lined with red damask. It was sent to Colonial Williamsburg and intended for permanent display. It arrived on February 21, 1949 sight unseen and was promptly put in storage. It was felt the coach could not be properly exhibited until the Palace stables were reconstructed and was too ornate to be
used except for formal events. In 1949, the cost of restoring the elegant vehicle was estimated at over $4,400. For various reasons, it was decided not to restore the chariot at that time. A 1952 Colonial Williamsburg photo shows the carriage departing
from the west gate of the Capitol to proceed down Duke of Gloucester Street. In 1953 it was being stored without benefit of
repairs or maintenance due to its uncertain future and by early 1954 Colonial Williamsburg leadership suggested either gifting it
or loaning it. After researching the carriage, it was determined it was “not suitable for display or use in Colonial Williamsburg for
reasons of authenticity.” In 1957, after approval from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Development, it was transferred to Luray Caverns. he carriage was to be used for exhibit purposes and could be recalled by the Department of Conservation and Development at any time. The carriage is currently displayed at the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum
which is part of Luray Caverns.
The carriage on display at the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum (Courtesy of Luray Caverns, VA).
Courtesy of Luray Caverns, VA
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�VODCAST TRANSCRIPTION PROJECT BEGINS
The introductory screen of a Colonial Williamsburg vodcast from the “Colonial Williamsburg Past & Present” series.
The Rockefeller Library’s Media Collections group has started a project to produce written transcripts for the extensive collection
of “vodcasts” in our archive. Vodcasts are short videos intended for internet viewing, and were created on a variety of topics,
from colonial history to the Restoration to new exhibits in the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. Some of these are available
on YouTube, but since the transition to a new website this spring the bulk are now stored in digital archives. We would love to
have them more available online again, but to make them more accessible to the hearing-impaired we need to have transcripts!
This April, a project was initiated to begin transcribing these videos. In a collaboration between Colonial Williamsburg
employees and Rockefeller Library volunteers, accurate word-for-word transcripts are being produced. As of late May, 47 transcripts have been created, making more than three and a half hours’ worth of video accessible. Believe it or not, this is only a
fraction of the work to be done, but we are excited to have it well underway!
COLLABORATION WITH WILLIAMBURG REGIONAL LIBRARY AND WILLIAM & MARY FOR ONLINE LECTURE
If you have been following our newsletter, you’ll know that the Rockefeller Library has been collaborating with the local public
library system, the Williamsburg Regional Library, to present interesting programs for the public. In the inaugural lecture, Marianne Martin and Tracey Gulden presented a much-lauded talk on the history Merchants Square. This past fall, Jenna Simpson
spoke about the history, legacy, and restoration of the film Williamsburg: The Story of a Patriot. The Patriot talk was scheduled for
an encore performance at the public library in March – but alas, coronavirus closures forced its cancellation.
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�COLLABORATION WITH WILLIAMBURG REGIONAL LIBRARY AND WILLIAM & MARY FOR ONLINE LECTURE
(continued)
Undaunted by the possible technical challenges and seeking to continue public outreach through these difficult times,
the libraries decided to move the Patriot talk online, through the Williamsburg Regional Library’s Zoom account. This first internet presentation was given on April 27 – and the 100-viewer limit was reached within minutes of the program’s start time.
Facing disappointment from many eager viewers who were unable to log in due to the great demand, an encore of the encore
was presented on May 11. The College of William & Mary generously hosted the May presentation through their Zoom, allowing for more viewers, so no one was left out!
The Zoom program allowed Simpson to show the movie before presenting her talk and slides, and attendees were
able to submit questions through a “chat” function. The experiment has been deemed a success, and the libraries are considering collaborating on future topics through this platform!
“WISH YOU WERE HERE”: WILLIAMSBURG POSTCARDS—THE EARLY DECADES
Most of us recall sending or receiving postcards from far away
locales and treasuring the memories they hold of experiencing
a new culture, place, or insight into history. Postcards played
an important role in promoting Williamsburg’s historic sites as
recreational travel and tourism developed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries throughout the United
States. When postcards emerged as a souvenir format in the
1890s, Williamsburg quickly became a featured destination.
Once Colonial Williamsburg opened as an official historic site in
the 1930s, postcards became a product sold by both the museum and local businesses to satisfy tourists’ desire to share their
travels. In celebration of National Postcard Month, the Rockefeller Library is pleased to share some highlights from its collection of over one thousand postcards.
During what is known as the Pioneer Era from 18701898, the first form of postcard, featuring an illustration on one
side and an undivided back on the other, did not allow the
sender to include a note, unless it was written across a portion
of the image on the front. Most pioneering postcard formats
served as advertisements up until the 1893 Columbia Exposition, when postcards first appeared as souvenirs for Exposition
visitors to purchase.
The Private Mailing Card Era from 1898-1901 is characterized by cards printed with the notice "Private Mailing Card
Authorized by Act of Congress on May 19, 1898." Backs of the
cards remained undivided and purchasers could mail the cards
for a cost of one cent. Several examples of postcards from this
Old Powder Horn, Detroit Photographic Company,
ca.1898
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�“WISH YOU WERE HERE”: WILLIAMSBURG POSTCARDS—THE EARLY DECADES
(continued)
Duke of Gloucester Street, Detroit Photographic Company, ca.1898 .
The address side of Duke of Gloucester Street, Detroit Photographic Company, ca.1898 .
7
�“WISH YOU WERE HERE”: WILLIAMSBURG POSTCARDS—THE EARLY DECADES
(continued)
Old Powder Horn and Nathaniel Bacon Window, United States Congress, ca.1900
The address side of Old Powder Horn and Nathaniel Bacon Window, United States Congress,
ca.1900.
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�“WISH YOU WERE HERE”: WILLIAMSBURG POSTCARDS—THE EARLY DECADES
(continued)
era are present in the collection. They feature places around Williamsburg with historic associations such as the Everard House,
the site of First Theater, the Debtor’s Prison and the Powder Magazine.
By the time the Jamestown Exposition took place in 1907, postcard production had entered the Divided Back Era,
which continued until 1915. Modified postcard backs offered a segment on the left side for senders to pen a brief message.
Production of cards gradually shifted to more American printers. The Jamestown Exposition provided a strong impetus for promotion of other historic sites that attendees might also stop at along the way. A series of postcards commemorating Williamsburg area historic sites in conjunction with the 1907 celebration are excellent examples of very early divided back cards.
Washington’s Headquarters [George Wythe House], Williamsburg, Virginia, Jamestown
Amusement and Vending Co., Inc., 1907
The Early Modern Era between 1916-1930 led to an increase in production of souvenir cards relating to the Williamsburg area. One type of format popular in this period is the "White Border Card" characterized by a view surrounded with a white
border. Real photo cards also began to appear that featured photographs, rather than prints, of local surroundings. In the era
before Colonial Williamsburg operated official gift shops, tourists counted on the Cole News Shop as their source for maps, postcards, travel guides, and souvenirs. The proprietor, Mr. Henry Dennison Cole, produced his own postcards of historic sites in the
area being restored by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities and other groups of preservation minded citizens.
Once Colonial Williamsburg opened a core group of exhibition buildings to the public in the early 1930s, a new era
dawned in which the museum began production of official postcards as souvenirs for visitors. Photographs by F.S. Lincoln, an
architectural photographer hired on a contract basis in 1935 to take some of the first promotional photos of Colonial Williamsburg exhibition buildings, appeared on several real photo postcards issued in the late 1930s. Both examples of postcards bearing
his photos, as well as his actual photograph collection, reside at the Rockefeller Library.
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�“WISH YOU WERE HERE”: WILLIAMSBURG POSTCARDS—THE EARLY DECADES
(continued)
The address side of Washington’s Headquarters [George Wythe House], Williamsburg, Virginia, Jamestown Amusement and Vending Co., Inc., 1907
Henry Dennison Cole in doorway of Cole News Shop on site of today’s Taliaferro-Cole
Shop, 1928, Clyde Holmes Photograph Collection.
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�“WISH YOU WERE HERE”: WILLIAMSBURG POSTCARDS—THE EARLY DECADES
(continued)
Postcards on display inside Cole News Shop, Frank Nivison Photograph Collection.
Old Masonic Lodge, published by H.D. Cole.
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�“WISH YOU WERE HERE”: WILLIAMSBURG POSTCARDS—THE EARLY DECADES
(continued)
The Albertype Company of Brooklyn, New York, produced one of the earliest official postcard series highlighting Colonial
Williamsburg exhibition buildings, costumed interpreters, Williamsburg Inn and Lodge, and Merchants Square. In addition to
holding numerous examples of Albertype cards, the Rockefeller Library also houses the corresponding photographic prints used
to generate the postcards. Albertype cards are characterized by sepia toned images that show exterior and interior views of exhibition buildings, as well as some of the earliest scenes of African Americans in costume demonstrating colonial cooking techniques.
Revolutionary Burying Grounds in Governor’s Palace Gardens, F.S. Lincoln, late 1930s.
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�“WISH YOU WERE HERE”: WILLIAMSBURG POSTCARDS—THE EARLY DECADES
(continued)
The Reconstructed Governor’s Palace, Williamsburg, Virginia, Albertype Company, late 1930s.
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�“WISH YOU WERE HERE”: WILLIAMSBURG POSTCARDS—THE EARLY DECADES
(continued)
Colonial Coach at Gates of the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg, Albertype Company, late
1930s.
Want to view more postcards in the collection? Please visit the Rockefeller Library’s Visual Resources Omeka site: https://
rocklib.omeka.net/items/browse?collection=15
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�DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTINUES
Peyton Randolph House (Colonial Parkway at lower right).
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
While Colonial Williamsburg has been closed, drone photography has continued! Wayne Reynolds, the Rockefeller Library’s volunteer photographer and drone pilot, and I ventured into the Historic Area on four occasions to photograph the town from the
air. The first flight occurred on March 27th. We went to Market Square and took aerial views of the Peyton Randolph House, the
Magazine and the Courthouse and captured stills and video footage. Wayne created the Library’s first ever drone video and saw it
posted on Colonial Williamsburg’s main Facebook page where it was viewed by over 20,000 people. Our second flight was April
29th back at the Governor’s Palace. You may remember that last year we photographed the rear gardens of the Palace from the
air - but without video. This time we shot video and included 360-degree views of the building plus flights down Palace Green.
Wayne created a second video with music from our Media Collections that was posted on the Library’s Facebook group page. Our
third flight on May 1st recorded the repaving of Duke of Gloucester Street at the Capitol end of town. Our fourth flight on May
18th was again at the Capitol where we shot 360-degree video of the Capitol to be included in a virtual tour of the building currently in development. Wayne created two more videos using footage from both trips and each are also posted on the Library’s
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�DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTINUES
(continued)
Library’s Facebook group
page here: https://
www.facebook.com/
groups/
RockefellerLibrary/. You
do not have to have a
Facebook account to see
them – the page has been
made public and anyone
can view them at any
time. In the meantime,
you can see a few of the
stills included with this
article. What is up next?
We are currently planning
our next flight (pending
the weather) – location
TBD!
Governor’s Palace
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds
Duke of Gloucester Street repaving project
Photo courtesy of Wayne Randolph
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�CORPORATE ACCESSION
In January 2020, Corporate Archives accessioned a scrapbook
that the Weavers had until then kept in their shop but wanted deposited in the archives for permanent safekeeping. The
book is covered in a dark green herringbone woolen fabric
that we suppose was woven there in the shop and is now a
bit worn around the edges. The scrapbook documents shop
activities through newspaper clippings and personal snapshots for the dates 1986-1987. Activities in addition to weaving include CW’s rare breeds program especially the sheep,
cotton growing and picking, flax breaking, spinning, dye days,
and a fashion program titled “Ballgowns to Bedgowns” held in
the Hennage Auditorium on September 26, 1986. Crucially,
many of the people in the photographs are identified in handwritten notations on the pages. Items like these are vital to
the archival documentation of the Trades at CW and their
involvement in many projects and programs across the Foundation. To view the scrapbook (when we reopen for business!), please send an email to rocklibrary@cwf.org or call
757-565-8510 to make an appointment.
Corporate Archives, Scrapbook of the Weaver's Shop covered in green woven herringbone
fabric, 1986-1987.
17
�CORPORATE ACCESSION
(continued)
Corporate Archives, Scrapbook of the Weaver's Shop covered in green woven herringbone
fabric, 1986-1987.
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�THE COMMUNITY PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGE
May was National Photography Month and as such we launched our first ever “Community Photography Challenge” on the Library’s Facebook page. We asked the CW community – both locally and abroad – to help us decorate the walls of the Janice
McCoy Children’s Book Collection located on the Library’s second floor. If you have not heard of it before - it is a small but wonderful group of children's books dedicated to the memory of Janice McCoy, an interpreter in the Historic Area. Originally, we
envisioned this as a children’s photography challenge. However, due to the closure, we decided to expand it and asked folks to
send in images that illustrated the theme “Why I love Colonial Williamsburg”. Since the walls to be decorated were in a children's book area we asked folks to involve their children in the photos: having fun in previous visits or field trips. And if folks did
not have children then anything, they felt illustrated the theme. We posted the Challenge to our FB group and asked our colleague Nealla Champagne to send the information out to our fabulous CW volunteers. The responses were overwhelming!
Through FB and our volunteers, we received over 200 images of children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, friends and family
all visiting and enjoying CW! Some e-mails also included wonderful stories of visits for anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays.
Especially touching were notes and photos from both Chris and Jerry McCoy whose mother and wife are commemorated with
this collection. Right now, we are hard at work printing and hanging the photos on the wall. We will post pics of the result on
our FB page and in the next edition of this newsletter when we are done. Many thanks to Nealla for helping get the word out
and to all our CW volunteers and friends of the Rockefeller Library -both near and far - for making this happen!
Janice McCoy Children’s Book Collection
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, Donna Cooke, Tracey Gulden, Marianne Martin,
Sarah Nerney and Jenna Simpson
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
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�
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 2, no. 4, Spring, 2020
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
2020-06
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8e1a5b45fb63919cab9de7c78a22cace
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SUMMER 2020
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 3, NO. 1
BOB SOWERS AND THE TODD AND BROWN INC. BRICKYARD
Bob Sowers and an unidentified colleague molding bricks, 1947.
IN THIS ISSUE
Bob Sowers and the Todd and Brown Brickyard: p. 1-4
“We shall carry on”:
p. 4-8
Drone photography continues:
p. 9-12
Curbside circulation:
p. 12
Attention to authenticity and detail guided the restoration of
Williamsburg’s eighteenth-century buildings. This care extended
to the materials used to restore or reconstruct structures. Many
Virginia residents contributed surviving historic bricks from family properties to provide a supply for projects in Williamsburg. In
addition, brick masons created thousands of bricks according to
colonial methods to aid in filling in gaps in deteriorated foundations, walls, chimneys, and fireplaces.
Contractors Todd and Brown Inc., hired by Perry, Shaw,
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�BOB SOWERS AND THE TODD AND BROWN INC. BRICKYARD
(continued)
Workmen stacking bricks at the Todd and Brown Inc. brickyard located behind the Williamsburg Inn, 1930s .
and Hepburn in 1928 to oversee construction projects in Williamsburg, set up a temporary brickyard behind the Williamsburg
Inn to facilitate the brick manufacturing process. Workmen from Colonial Brickyard Company staffed the site. Archival photographs in the library’s collection capture the components of the early brickyard, including a clay pit, a clay mill, kilns for firing the
bricks, and stacks of bricks drying in preparation for the firing. Rather than use the eighteenth-century foot treading process to
mix and condition the clay for molding, the brickyard used the nineteenth-century technology of a pug mill powered by a mule
circling round it. The pug mill contained blades within it that moved back and forth and mixed the clay as the animal’s movement rotated a vertical shaft connected to them.
Veteran brick mason Bob Sowers, known by the nickname “Babe,” helped to lead the effort to make bricks according to
historical methods at the brickyard. Architect Thomas Mott Shaw captured Mr. Sowers and his team through several detailed
2
�BOB SOWERS AND THE TODD AND BROWN INC. BRICKYARD
(continued)
Colonial Brickyard Company workmen operating the pug mill at the Todd and Brown Inc. brickyard, 1933.
pencil sketches that are part of the Thomas Mott Shaw collection of drawings housed at the Rockefeller Library. Bob Sowers
specialized in molding the bricks and stood down in a pit by the clay mill operated by the mule walking in a circle. He pulled clay
out of the mill and filled and smoothed wooden brick molds to precise quantities. According to a notice in the May 1942 Colonial Williamsburg News, “…every brick the Restoration has used Bob Sowers molded.” Sowers, a resident of Lightfoot, Virginia,
worked initially for the Colonial Brickyard Company and then became a member of Colonial Williamsburg’s Construction and
Maintenance Department until retirement.
Today, several brick manufacturers market “Old Williamsburg” bricks emulating the rubbed brick and glazed headers
used to construct many Williamsburg structures. In addition to educating visitors about colonial brickmaking techniques, the
Historic Trades masonry staff continues the tradition begun at the Todd and Brown Inc. brickyard of producing bricks for use in
various restoration projects throughout the Historic Area.
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�BOB SOWERS AND THE TODD AND BROWN INC. BRICKYARD
Bob Sowers filling brick molds at the pug mill of the Todd and Brown Inc. brickyard, 1933.
“WE SHALL CARRY ON”: COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG’S PARTICIPATION IN THE WAR EFFORT, 1940-1945
The outbreak of World War II could have been disastrous for Colonial Williamsburg as a young museum that was only a decade
old. However, the proximity of the site to many military installations, along with the determination and resiliency of staff, allowed
Colonial Williamsburg’s historic area, hotel properties, and restaurants to assume new roles assisting in the community war
effort. Less than a month after the United States declared war, President Kenneth Chorley wrote a letter to Members of the Restoration Organization in which he stated “The year which closed last night brought to an end the most successful year in the history of the Restoration. More people visited Williamsburg, went through the exhibition buildings, and stayed in our hotels, than
in any other year.” He assured employees that despite the anticipated need for rationing which could adversely affect the tourism industry, Colonial Williamsburg had no plans to close its operations. Rather, it would seek new ways to make “…travel and
recreation …a vital element in our war plans.” Chorley ended his letter by coining the rousing phrase “We Shall Carry On” as the
wartime slogan to guide Colonial Williamsburg employees.
4
�“WE SHALL CARRY ON”
(continued)
Soldiers and civilians listening to a Sunday band concert on Palace Green, 1943.
Provisions for housing for the influx of soldiers, military families and officials into the area became a top priority. Williamsburg’s population doubled between 1941 and 1942 and left officials and residents scrambling to convert all useable spaces
into extra rooms and dormitories for new residents. The Williamsburg Inn became a non-profit residence for army and navy
officers and their wives, while the Inn dining room converted into their officer’s club. The Williamsburg Lodge, Brick House Tavern, and Market Square Tavern provided housing for additional weekend guests. Many local families opened their own homes
and rented rooms, including at outlying farms, as the town experienced a 300% increase in private room rentals. Some soldiers
even ended up renting makeshift bunks at local churches. President Chorley noted in a January 1944 letter, “Every bed in town is
filled every night. We have put beds in kitchens, shops and in every other building that could be adapted to living quarters. John
Green [Director of Visitor Accommodations] and his staff have found places for an astonishing number of these people…His report shows that there were 167,649…guest days in 1943…”
The large influx of soldiers and their families from Fort Eustis and Camp Peary also meant Colonial Williamsburg needed
to step up and become a hub for off-duty personnel seeking entertainment and dining venues. Servicemen congregated on the
business blocks, later known as Merchants Square, and attended movies at the Williamsburg Theatre where between nine and
ten thousand people per week watched films at the theatre. Other activities for weekend leave included candlelit evening tours
of the Capitol, shopping at the Craft House, refreshments at Chowning’s Tavern, a juke box and dancing in the Williamsburg
5
�“WE SHALL CARRY ON”
(continued)
Lodge Game Room, carriage rides, afternoon
concerts on Palace Green by military bands,
picnics, and dining at the Travis House. The
main Williamsburg USO opened in 1942 in the
Stringfellow Building on the business block
providing a canteen, a reading room, and a music room where soldiers could play records or
listen to radio programs. The rear parking lot
served as an outdoor dance floor on some evenings. Crowds soon overwhelmed the facility
with the USO sometimes experiencing over
8,000 visitors on a Sunday afternoon. John D.
and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Jr. donated
$10,000 to fund the construction of an expansion to include a social hall. On May 6, 1943, the
expansion dedication ceremony was presided
over by the Rockefellers and top Army and Navy
officers. During the following year, the USO
drew almost one million visitors and by 1945
had welcomed its three millionth visitor. The
Virginia Gazette reported that it held “…the
record for attendance in ratio to floor space,
among the USO Clubs of the United States.”
Bruton Heights School, which had
opened in September 1940 as a new educational facility and community center for Williamsburg’s African American residents supported in
part by donations from the Rockefellers, expanded its recreational activities for adults to
include African American soldiers. In 1941,
groups of servicemen from Fort Eustis began
attending movie screenings in the Bruton
Heights School auditorium. A committee of African American citizens formed in 1943 developed a more formal recreational plan proposing
that Bruton Heights School could function as a
USO for African Americans stationed at Fort
Eustis and Camp Peary. A dance held on March
24, 1943 in the Bruton Heights gymnasium
attracted one hundred servicemen and gave
impetus to the proposal. The offerings expanded to include a canteen serving light refreshments with help from community volunteers
Two costumed employees salvaging fat in the Governor’s Palace Kitchen
as part of a fat salvage drive, 1945.
such as Fred and Fannie Epps, movie nights held five nights per week in
the school auditorium, and dances in the gymnasium. Officials converted a classroom into a military lounge and opened the school library to
provide access to books and magazines. Bruton Heights officially became a unit of the national USO organization in 1944 and Marie Sheppard served as its full-time director. By August 1944, the Bruton Heights
USO had welcomed over 10,000 soldiers and eventually the program
outgrew the facility and moved to Fort Eustis in 1945.
Colonial Williamsburg employees played a significant role in
the war effort, whether through military leave to serve their country or
whether through local projects to support troop morale, raise funds and
6
�“WE SHALL CARRY ON”
(continued)
Sign, Williamsburg Inn Reserved for Commissioned Officers, 1942.
collect supplies, or protect the community. During
the war, 194 Colonial Williamsburg employees
took military leave to serve in various posts
around the world. War bond drives became a
frequent occurrence with Colonial Williamsburg
leading the way by offering the option for employees to elect a ten percent monthly payroll deduction for purchase of war savings stamps and
bonds. Many employees and town residents
signed up to serve as airplane spotters as part of
the Ground Observer Corps. They manned posts
round-the-clock in the steeple of the Methodist
Church on Merchants Square and included Boy
and Girl Scouts. Bundles for Britain, organized by
local housewives, assembled used garments to
send overseas to aid British clothing shortages,
while Red Cross volunteers sewed surgical dressings and rolled bandages. Colonial Williamsburg
employees and residents joined forces to participate in fat salvage bees, pulpwood collection,
Books for Buddies, and knitting scarves for servicemen. Others served as civilian defense wardens
who trained the community for air raid drills. The
Colonial Parkway Tunnel, which Civilian Conservation Corps crews built to route traffic under Williamsburg’s Historic Area, was almost complete
aside from paving in 1942 and became the city’s
designated air raid shelter. Victory gardens also
appeared all around town and included plots at
the C&O railroad tracks behind the Palace, twenty
-four plots measuring 25 x 50 feet behind the
Freeman House on Francis Street, and one maintained by students at Matthew Whaley School.
Vegetables such as corn, potatoes, string beans, sweet potatoes and tomatoes kept the Lodge kitchens replenished during the
war. As the war progressed, many convalescent soldiers filled area hospitals and townspeople and William & Mary students united to bring them comfort. Kenneth Chorley’s wife, a professional singer known as Jean Travers prior to their marriage, gave
countless concerts, including a three-hour recital at the Fort Eustis hospital. Hostess Elizabeth Callis offered special tours of the
Historic Area to groups with neuro-psychiatric war injuries.
7
�“WE SHALL CARRY ON”
(continued)
Soldiers and civilians socializing in the canteen of the Williamsburg USO, 1943
Through many different avenues of community wartime service, Colonial Williamsburg and its employees proved that
they could indeed “Carry On” and impact the war effort in beneficial ways that would also sustain the organization financially.
Through all these achievements, Colonial Williamsburg employees and residents alike were commended for their resourcefulness
and commitment.
Did you enjoy the above article about CW and WWII? It was taken from a presentation by the same name given in July via Zoom
by Marianne Martin and Sarah Nerney for the Williamsburg Regional Library. Did you miss it? It is available on the WRL’s
YouTube site and takes about 45 minutes to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoM_LVXvjNg
8
�DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTINUES
In July, volunteer photographer/drone pilot, Wayne Reynolds, and Media Collections Manager, Tracey Gulden, captured aerial
views of two more locations in the Historic Area. The first is the newly expanded Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. The
enlarged building is home to two world-class museums: the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum and the DeWitt Wallace
Decorative Arts Museum. The expansion adds 65,000 additional feet of space and 7 new museum galleries. Guests can now enter through a 2-story entrance on South Nassau street topped with a cupola and weathervane that face a pair of brick arcade
buildings. Seen from the air the true scope of the expansion can be viewed in grand detail. The second location is the Custis
Square Archaeology Project located just across South Nassau Street from the Art Museums. On this 4-acre lot stood the home
and extensive garden of Williamsburg resident John Custis IV . During this 5-year project archaeologists hope to uncover a
wealth of knowledge about the landscape and all the people who lived there. While we can only show a few images of these
sites here, you may see more on the Rockefeller Library’s Facebook page. Many thanks as always to Wayne Reynolds and drone
for all these amazing photographs!
The expanded Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg .
Photograph courtesy of Wayne Reynolds
9
�DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTINES
(continued)
Custis Square archaeology project.
Photograph courtesy of Wayne Reynolds
Custis Square ditch feature.
Photograph courtesy of Wayne Reynolds
10
�DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTINUES
(continued)
Custis Square as seen from the new entrance to the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
Photograph courtesy of Wayne Reynolds
The expanded Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg with Public Hospital in front.
Photograph courtesy of Wayne Reynolds
11
�DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTINUES
(continued)
Over head view of expanded Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
Photograph courtesy of Wayne Reynolds
Southern view of the expanded Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
Photograph courtesy of Wayne Reynolds
12
�LIBRARY CIRCULATION GOES “CURBSIDE”
Though the library building is still closed to visitors, Colonial Williamsburg staff regained access to Rockefeller Library’s circulating
books on Tuesday, June 23rd through a new “curbside” service. Patrons use the library catalog to “order” books online and are
notified by email when the books are ready for pickup. So far, this new service has put over 300 books in the hands of eager researchers, and it’s a delight for library staff to see familiar (though masked) faces during pickup hours. With the start of the fall
semester at William and Mary, lending back and forth between Rockefeller and Swem Libraries has also resumed. Colonial Williamsburg staff and W&M faculty, staff, and students again rejoice in access to two amazing library collections!
Librarian Melissa Schutt arranges bags full of books ordered
online, awaiting pickup from the Rockefeller Library.
Library Assistant Felicity Meza-Luna hands off a bag of
books to a patron on the first day of curbside pick-up at
the Rockefeller Library.
Photograph courtesy of Wayne Reynolds
Photograph courtesy of Wayne Reynolds
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
Tracey Gulden, Marianne Martin, Sarah Nerney and Melissa
Schutt
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
13
�
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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Title
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library newsletter, volume 3, number 1, Summer, 2020
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
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2020-09
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3e3d0d3108d107f271b80f97826e9364
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Text
WINTER 2021
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 3, NO. 3
PHOTO IDENTIFICATION PROJECT
Albert Durant’s photographs provide a backdrop for Ethell Hill (left), Gertrude Brown (middle), and Rev. Dr. Reginald F. Davis
(right) as they ring First Baptist Church’s newly restored Freedom Bell in honor of peace and justice during the “Let Freedom
Ring” event in February 2016.
IN THIS ISSUE
Photo Identification Project:
p. 1-4
Linda Hunter Rowe:
p. 5-6
Statistically Speaking:
p. 7
Photography in the Snow:
p. 8-10
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library are proud to be the repository of important photo
collections, such as the Albert Durant Photography Collection
recently highlighted for African American History Month. African
American life in Williamsburg and the surrounding region from
the early 1930s through early 1960s is captured in the collection
of approximately ten thousand photos taken by Albert Durant,
the first city licensed African American photographer in Williamsburg and a graduate of James City County Training School. As he
1
�PHOTO IDENTIFICATION PROJECT
(continued)
R&B singer Ruth Brown performing in a Williamsburg area nightclub during the formative years of her career, Albert Durant
Photography Collection.
documented everyday life in his community, Durant focused upon achievements such as educational pursuits, business ownership, leadership in churches and organizations, and civic involvement to emphasize the important strides they were making forward despite living with racial discrimination. A renewed commitment to preserving and providing access to these vital resources has led the Rockefeller Library to launch a photo identification project in collaboration with the Library of Virginia.
Many of the images in the Albert Durant Photography Collection have limited or no identification information. Since its
acquisition in 1992, the Rockefeller Library has worked in coordination with the local community to identify and catalog the
Durant photographs and to feature them in exhibits, special events and publications to enrich understanding of local African
American history. An early outreach effort involved collaboration with the staff of Williamsburg Regional Library to mount an
exhibition of Durant’s photographs and solicit input from residents to provide missing places, names, and dates. Oral history
community nights and a “Do You Remember?” byline in the Virginia Gazette led to many more identifications of key individuals,
such as R&B singer Ruth Brown in the formative years of her career. More recently, the “Let Freedom Ring” event, held in 2016
2
�PHOTO IDENTIFICATION PROJECT
(continued)
Albert Durant’s photos of student life are a highlight of the Bruton Heights School Exhibition, Bruton Heights School Education
Center, which opened in April 1997.
at First Baptist Church, provided an opportunity for the Rockefeller Library to help celebrate African American History Month by
mounting an exhibition of Durant’s photos in its own exhibit space. A Wall of Remembrance allowed exhibit guests to sit down
and examine copies of unidentified photos in notebooks and add any information they could. Over the course of the year, the
library obtained over sixty new identifications for photos.
Despite these efforts, Library staff felt that they could do more to give voice to the people depicted by harnessing the
power of community memory to identify the individuals, places, and events portrayed in these photos. Crowdsourcing is one
methodology that has been used successfully by libraries to cast a wider net to communities who may be able to help fill in the
gaps with some of these critical details. Archival materials, whether they be photos, documents, maps, or ephemera, are
mounted online and the public is invited to transcribe or comment upon the objects to assist with compiling more information
about their historical significance. The Library of Virginia has leveraged community expertise through its collaborative Making
History: Transcribe site, where individuals can help to transcribe historical documents to improve access to their content. During the pandemic, public participation rose dramatically, and the staff found it challenging to keep up with supplying new projects. Thus, the Library of Virginia has sought to include other libraries in the state who have an interest in harnessing the power of crowdsourcing with their own collections.
3
�PHOTO IDENTIFICATION PROJECT
(continued)
Wall of Remembrance with identification notebooks, Albert Durant: A Lens Focused Upon African American History exhibit,
John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, 2016.
Photo by Marianne Martin.
A test batch of twenty-five images from the Albert Durant Photography Collection have been sent to the Library of Virginia. They
will be mounted on a password-protected site for interested community groups and individuals to view and comment upon if
they can offer names, dates, places or other details about the individuals and events pictured. The Rockefeller Library will be inviting community partners to participate and help flesh out the stories of Williamsburg’s African American residents. Upon successful completion of this initial batch, additional photos will be made part of this project. More details will be available soon.
4
�LINDA HUNTER ROWE
Linda Hunter Rowe
Colonial Williamsburg image
Linda Hunter Rowe was an exceptional and well-beloved historian for Colonial Williamsburg, retiring from the Foundation in
2017 with fifty years of service. As Cary Carson, retired Vice President of the Research Division and Director of the Department
of Historical Research said of Linda: “Her knowledge of place—early Virginia—and period—the 18th century—was deep and
rich.” Knowledgeable, gracious, kind, helpful—all words former colleagues use over and over to describe Linda Rowe.
Linda’s career path was not typical of public historians entering the field today. After obtaining her B.A. in English Literature from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1967, Linda landed at CW in Historical Research and shortly thereafter became a Research Assistant. She was promoted to Research Associate in 1985 and to Historian in 1994. She earned her
M.A. in American Studies at William & Mary in 1989. Her thesis, "Peopling the Power Structure: Urban Oriented Officeholders in
York County, Virginia,1699-1780," was an outgrowth of her involvement with the York County Project, a six-year NEH-funded
study of the urbanization of Yorktown and Williamsburg based on biographies of their inhabitants.
5
�LINDA HUNTER ROWE
(continued)
When the York County Project received its funding in 1979, Linda became the supervisor of a young, aspiring,
and somewhat unruly crew hired to transcribe the York County records and create the biographical card file and biographies. She was a patient mentor who taught the necessary skills of beginning research, including the intricacies of
reading 17th-century handwriting, evaluating evidence, and writing reports.
From a very early point in her career, Linda also took an interest in women’s history, African American history,
and the history of religion in Williamsburg and Virginia. These research interests continued to define her career at Colonial Williamsburg. She developed women’s history tours, programming, workshops, and training. A congregant of Bruton Parish, Linda assisted with the church’s Heritage Center exhibits, and she and former CW Historian Lou Powers produced the current, definitive transcription of the parish register used on the church’s website. At the time of her death,
Linda was updating Bruton Parish’s guide to the burials in its churchyard. She was Colonial Williamsburg’s principal expert on the Church of England.
The history of First Baptist Church was also close to Linda’s heart, and she worked with the congregation for
many years to discover as much as possible about the Church’s founding and development. Her biography of Gowan
Pamphlet was published in The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography ("Gowan Pamphlet: Baptist Preacher in Slavery and Freedom," 2012). She served on the Board of Directors of the church’s Let Freedom Ring Foundation. Her work
with Bruton Parish Church, First Baptist Church, and others have produced a much deeper understanding of the religious landscape in Williamsburg during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Linda Rowe contributed greatly to Colonial Williamsburg’s interpretation of African American history for the
last forty-one years. In addition to religion, African American education was another area of research in which she was
deeply engaged. Her research formed the basis of the exhibit at Bruton Heights School and resulted in her report “A
History of Black Education and Bruton Heights School, Williamsburg, Virginia” (1997).
Like most public historians, Linda’s knowledge was disseminated more through the museum than through academic journals. She was an assistant editor, editor, and contributor to The Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter, a publication written by interpreters and research staff to disseminate new findings. She wrote for the Colonial Williamsburg
Journal, the predecessor to Trend & Tradition. She assisted in developing site plans, interpretive plans, and training.
She mentored interpreters. Her fund of knowledge was immense, and she shared that knowledge with kindness and
grace. At the time of her death, she was still working diligently with the Foundation, providing historical context to the
archaeological excavation of the early First Baptist Church site on Nassau Street.
Linda Rowe passed away October 23, 2020, but her important contributions to Williamsburg and Virginia history live on.
6
�STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
7
�PHOTOGRAPHY IN SNOW
Volunteer Photographer Wayne Reynolds at work in the snow on Palace Green.
Photo Courtesy of Jason Betzer
In Williamsburg you never know if snow will come each year or not. So, when snow fell on the Historic Area last month library
volunteer photographer Wayne Reynolds was right there to photograph it for us. Wayne trekked around the snowy streets
looking to capture the look and feel of the town in winter. While this was not the first snow of the season (that was in January),
this is the first time that someone was able to record Wayne at work in it! A fellow photographer named Jason Betzner
(Instagram @jbetzner) was out at the same time and caught Wayne in the field. Included here is Jason's image as well as a few
of the images that Wayne captured that day. Wayne's images are kept in our digital asset management system to help CW staff
illustrate lectures and publications, exhibits, social media, products, marketing pieces, press releases and more. Our volunteer
photographers help us capture the visual history of CW so that years from now we will have a record of what CW looks like today. Many thanks to Wayne and all our volunteers who give us their time and talents. We are fortunate to have them help us
do all the many things that we do here at the Rockefeller Library.
8
�PHOTOGRAPHY IN SNOW
(continued)
Leicester Longwool sheep in pasture.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
Capitol in the snow.
Photo Courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
9
�PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE SNOW
George Wythe House in Snow.
The image Wayne Reynolds was shooting when he was photographed.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
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
Tracey Gulden, Cathy Hellier, Peter Inker, Marianne Martin,
Doug Mayo, Sarah Nerney, and Melissa Schutt
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
10
�
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library newsletter. Volume 3, number 3, Winter 2021
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
2021-03
-
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Text
SPRING 2021
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 3, NO. 4
LIBRARY EXHIBITS AVAILABLE ONLINE
A-Z Archives. An alphabetical approach to discovering the treasures of the Corporate Archives.
IN THIS ISSUE
Library Exhibits Online:
p. 1-2
Did You Know? CW Laundry:
p. 2-3
Peyton Randolph Site:
p. 4-6
Library Reopening:
p. 6-7
Library Exhibit:
p. 7
Research Training:
p. 8
New Arrivals:
p. 9-10
Annual Reports:
p. 11
The Rockefeller Library regularly offers exhibits on colonial history, the buildings and trades in our historic area, and the history of
the town and the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg, all of
which highlight the broad scope of our rare book, manuscript,
newspaper, drawing, photographic, archival, and multimedia
collections. To make these more accessible to those who are not
able to visit in person, we have been working to make digital versions of recent exhibits available online. We are pleased to announce that these are now live on our website at: John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Exhibits.
Currently you can browse through digital versions of our
most recent exhibit, “An Elegant Seat: Building and Rebuilding
1
�LIBRARY EXHIBITS AVAILABLE ONLINE
(continued)
Landing page for the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library’s exhibit on the building and history of the Governor’s Palace.
the Governor’s Palace,” as well as “Colonial Williamsburg Celebrates 90 Years” and “A-Z Archives.” This is a great opportunity to
see images and read about the objects and history we have had on view from the comfort of your home - or wherever you may
be! We are currently in the process of preparing our next exhibit, “Hollywood Comes to Williamsburg,” and hope to have a digital version of that available soon as well.
DID YOU KNOW? THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG LAUNDRY
In late 1940, construction on a laundry facility within the warehouse of Colonial Williamsburg that sits at the intersection of Botetourt and Lafayette streets. Intended to handle bed and table laundry from the Williamsburg Inn, Lodge, and Guest Houses, the
facility would also clean hotel staff uniforms. The most up to date laundry equipment included three washers, two extractors, a
flat work ironer, a tumbler, two general pressing units, and a coat pressing unit. The plan was for the laundry to handle over
13,000 pounds of laundry a week or around 52,000 pounds per month. Opened in March 1941, the laundry capacity was soon
unable to keep up with the increasing demand and was struggling to process 200,000 pieces of incoming laundry per month. A
new facility was designed across Botetourt St. from the former one that incorporated a more efficient straight-line production
method: dirty laundry was delivered to the upper level of the building off Botetourt St. behind Franklin House dormitory (now
the Franklin Street office building), proceeded through the cleaning and pressing processes, and was picked up to return to the
hotels on the lower Lafayette St. level. The new laundry building and improved production process was intended to handle
300,000 pieces of laundry per month from the hotels, in addition to providing laundry and dry-cleaning services for employees’
personal laundry. This new “ultra-modern” laundry opened in June 1949 and was managed by Armond D. Campbell who came to
Colonial Williamsburg in 1941 to run the first laundry and retired in 1979 after thirty-nine years of service. Laundry services continue today in the same building, now managed by contractor Crothall Laundry Services.
To read more about the 1949 laundry in an interview with manager Armond D. Campbell titled “CW’s Laundromat,”
please see pages 5 and 6 in the August 1949 CW News.
2
�DID YOU KNOW? COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG LAUNDRY
(continued)
Landgon (Jimmy) Gonden (left) and Daniel Roberts (right) work in the Colonial Williamsburg laundry, March 1950.
Photographer: Thomas Williams.
Second row, middle: Alease Bankston and other unidentified employees in the Colonial Williamsburg laundry, 1950
Photographer: Thomas Williams.
3
�PEYTON RANDOLPH SITE 360˚ TOUR
(continued)
Filming Deirdre Jones Cardwell with the 360° camera (center image) for the tour.
Much of the work we do as historians, including researching in archives and in the stacks of the library, is hidden to the average
guest to Colonial Williamsburg’s historic area. One way we can make this research more visible is to provide new ways to engage
with the research that has been undertaken. Under President Fleet’s leadership and guidance to produce more digital work that
can be accessed in the wider world, we set out to tell the story of the enslaved individuals at the Peyton Randolph House. Our
aim is to expand Colonial Williamsburg’s reach to the many people that would not be able to visit the site, providing them with
online tours, accessibility, and contextualization. The Peyton Randolph 360° tour is intended to be the first of many such explorations to come, exploring new ways and opportunities to focus in on and contextualize the enslaved experience. New audiences like to engage in new ways, and so this is a real opportunity to explore educational experiences in a dynamic way.
We have now produced four very different 360° tours. In each of them we focused on slightly different aspects of the
buildings they explore. For our fifth tour we wanted to take a somewhat different approach again, taking the lives of the individuals as the main theme of the tour, by telling their stories as much as we could. This was a real opportunity to examine the lives
of the people of the Peyton Randolph House, using new technology to explore the historic research we have undertaken on the
story of the enslaved inhabitants of Williamsburg.
Initially, we worked with Peyton Randolph’s inventory of property made on his death in 1775. It is a distressing fact that
enslaved human beings were considered property, but this also meant that the names of twenty-seven individuals enslaved by
the Randolphs were recorded for posterity. Over many years Colonial Williamsburg historians have used this document as a
jumping off point to scour other historical resources, especially those in our collection. This has allowed us to uncover more information about each of the people named, their lives, and their humanity. The 360° tour allowed us to situate their stories
4
�PETYON RANDOLPH SITE 360˚ TOUR
(continued)
stories where they lived and
worked and show just how much
of the site could be considered a
‘slave space.’ By placing the
names and biographies of these
enslaved individuals in the tour,
we were able to contextualize
the spaces with the lives of these
twenty-seven people. As you
move through the tour you will
see that Black hands were at
work in every room, in every
space.
To provide some reality
to what can sometimes be seen
as abstract historical texts, we
employed the wonderfully talented group of actors in the Museum
Theatre
department.
These women and men provide
first person portrayals of some of
the individuals documented in
the Randolph inventory. Our actors have developed personas
and monologues based on evidence derived from historical
research. This includes the circumstances of the household,
recollections and writings of other enslaved people, and primary
source writings about enslaved
people—their attitudes and feelings. While the words the actors
speak are not literal, they do
reflect the feelings that those
who lived here likely would have
had. This goes some way towards
ensuring their voices and
thoughts can be heard, a simple
human right not accorded to
them during their lives. Along
Margarette Joyner performs as ‘Mama Succordia’ for 360° video camera (left) and a standard 2D camera (right).
with this glimpse into the people of the house, we also had the indispensable
knowledge of Janice Canaday, the Randolph site manager, who guided us through the
site and provides a voice and context to these human stories.
Adding these personifications of enslaved individuals to the Randolph House
was a technical challenge that we met using new software to embed the actors into
the 360° environment. This was done using a tripod mounted Insta360° One X2 camera and developed into a 360° tour using 3D Vista software. This software brings photographs and film together, connecting them in a seamless experience that flows as if
you are moving through the building.
The still images from the 360° camera result in what at first seems like an
oddly distorted image (above). The images are called equirectangular and are basically spherical images unfolded onto a 2D rectangular plane. The image looks warped in
2D, but when seen through the 360° 3D Vista software it turns into a sphere. This
means you can look all around the room 360° degrees like you were standing where
the camera was.
For everyone involved this was an exciting project. Being able to capture a
glimpse of the people who lived at the Randolph site was fulfilling for all of us. For
5
�PEYTON RANDOLPH SITE 360˚ TOUR
(continued)
probably the first time, all twenty-seven enslaved people at the Randolph site have had their stories told simultaneously. It is
also a great opportunity for you to experience just a small sampling of the work our highly skilled actors and interpreters do for
the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The result should be seen not as a tour of a building, but rather a tour of people’s lives.
It enables us to connect with people’s humanity, their lives, and their lived experiences for which the house was simply a backdrop.
If you would like to find out more about this and other 360° tours, go to our blog posts page. It can be found on the
CW Blog tab of the Learn menu on Colonial Williamsburg’s landing page.
Equirectangular (360°) photo of the Peyton Randolph Hall
ROCKEFELLER LIBRARY REOPENS TO THE PUBLIC
The staff of the Rockefeller Library is pleased to announce that we will be reopening to the public on Thursday July 1st. The Library began welcoming Colonial Williamsburg staff researchers back onsite on June 14th.
During the COVID closure, Library staff introduced new services to meet the demands of researchers, including curbside
circulation of books and “scan on demand” services for those unable to visit the library in person. We also greatly increased our
outreach activities through our Facebook group Rockefeller Library & Historical Research Facebook, providing regular updates
from the library and behind-the-scenes peeks into the archive.
Staff also took the opportunity to greatly increase digitization of our collections so that more of our materials will be
available remotely via our website and under Digital Resources on the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation website.
6
�ROCKEFELLER LIBRARY REOPENS TO THE PUBLIC
(continued)
We are eager to begin welcoming researchers back to the “Rock” and very appreciative of all the support we received
from our users during closure. Please note that research in Special Collections, Archives, and Visual Resources will continue to be
by appointment only. Please contact rocklibrary@cwf.org for additional information.
Daniel Moore, site supervisor of the Governor’s Palace, was the
first Colonial Williamsburg staffer to visit the John D. Rockefeller
Jr. Library following the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
LEARN ABOUT OUR NEW EXHIBIT
Hollywood Comes to Williamsburg: A Century of Movie and Media Productions
Presentation by Jenna Simpson and Marianne Martin, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in association with the Williamsburg Regional Library. July 27th at 2:00 pm
Since the birth of the motion picture industry, Colonial Williamsburg has served as the setting for numerous television programs
and movies, while also producing many of its own educational films that bring aspects of the eighteenth-century to life on the
screen. Take a journey through the history of movies, television shows, and media productions filmed in Williamsburg through
an illustrated lecture featuring still images, objects, and archival materials from the collections of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library at Colonial Williamsburg.
7
�RESEARCH DEPARTMENT AND TEACHER INSTITUTE PARTNER ON RESEARCH TRAINING
A classification table of research resources.
The Historical Research and Digital History Department’s Dr. Kelly Brennan and Dr. Cathy Hellier have produced training materials for the Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute of Colonial Williamsburg, “Building Inquiry and Analysis Skills by Engaging
with Primary Sources.” This week-long online course is designed to help primary and secondary teachers identify, engage with,
and use historical sources in their classrooms.
Primary sources, documents created during an era or around the time of an event, make it easier for students to understand the past and connect to the humanity of its people. Teachers often have little background in working with these kinds of
documents, especially elementary education educators. Cathy and Kelly’s short video and additional materials focus on identifying primary sources, free collections of primary sources online, and some of the difficulties working with these sources. There is
also a brief discussion of historical handwriting and learning to read it.
The two historians also did a video on secondary sources, tertiary sources, and citations. Secondary sources, produced
later and often by someone who was not present, are still valuable to a researcher doing in-depth analysis of the past. Cathy
included identifying, locating, and evaluating secondary sources in this section. Most teachers are already familiar with tertiary
sources because they use textbooks and almanacs in their classrooms, but often don’t know how they are categorized. Kelly
discussed different kinds of tertiary sources. She also gave an example of why it is difficult sometimes to tell the difference between a primary, secondary, and tertiary source. The last segment of this video examined the importance of citing sources and
gave some concrete examples of how to do it.
Colonial Williamsburg’s Teacher Institute’s “Building Inquiry and Analysis Skills by Engaging with Primary Sources” program runs July 12-16.
8
�NEW ADDITIONS
The first Cleveland Bay foal of 2021: A filly named Williamsburg Starlight or Star.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
The second new Cleveland Bay foal of 2021: A colt named Williamsburg Windmill Point or Windy.
Photo Courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
9
�NEW ADDITIONS
(continued)
As of June 2, 2021, Colonial Williamsburg's Coach & Livestock team has been blessed with 7 new Cleveland Bay foals - 4 fillies
and 3 colts. Their names are as follows:
Williamsburg Starlight, "Star", a filly.
Williamsburg Windmill Point, "Windy", a colt.
Williamsburg First Lady, "Lady", a filly.
Williamsburg Shakespeare in Love, "Luvie", a filly.
Williamsburg W.A.R Goodwin’s Victory, "Vic", a colt.
Williamsburg Bryhn’s Patriot Heart, "Bryhn", a filly.
Williamsburg Freedom’s Flame, "Flame", a colt.
Media Collections not only preserves media from the past but also visually documents the institutional history of The
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation for the future. And these new additions are no exception. They are also not finished! Coach
& Livestock is expecting more foals soon. Volunteer photographer Wayne Reynolds has been photographing the newbies for
us and we include a few here for your enjoyment. These images, plus thousands more, are in our media database called "The
Source." The Source is a digital asset management system that serves as the central repository of official Colonial Williamsburg
media and accessible by employees and volunteers of the Foundation.
The third new Cleveland Bay foal of 2021: A filly named Williamsburg First Lady, or Lady.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
10
�ANNUAL REPORTS
The staff of the John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Library is digitizing the annual reports of
the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
and its predecessor organizations. The
reports are being placed online for ease
of access and are freely available to the
public. They may be viewed on our Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Publications website under the “Colonial Williamsburg Annual Reports” collection
page.
The
Colonial
Williamsburg Annual Report is issued annually to
the public in printed (and now also digital
on the website) form. Beginning publication in 1951 and continuing to the present day, the Annual Report was first titled Report by the President. The reports
always contain a message from the President of Colonial Williamsburg summarizing the year’s achievements and challenges, descriptions of notable events and
completed projects, and a financial statement. The reports sometimes also contain a message from the Chairman of the
Board of Trustees and lists of donors to
the Foundation. The earlier reports also
contain lists of all the administrative officers in addition to the members of the
Board of Trustees.
Title page of the first annual report of Colonial Williamsburg, Incorporated.
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 Tracey Gulden, Peter Inker, Marianne Martin,
Doug Mayo Sarah Nerney, and Jenna Simpson
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
11
�
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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Title
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John D. Rockefeller Jr Library newsletter. Volume 3, number 4, Spring 2021
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
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2021
-
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Text
SUMMER 2021
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 4, NO. 1
NEW EXHIBIT
The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library is pleased to announce
the opening of a new exhibit, Hollywood Comes to Williamsburg: A Century of Movie and Media Productions.
Curated by library staff Jenna Simpson, Tracey Gulden,
Donna Cooke, and Marianne Martin, the exhibit traces the
history of both movies and television programs filmed in
Williamsburg by outside production companies as well as
the in-house films, filmstrips, sound recordings, and Electronic Field Trips created by Colonial Williamsburg’s audiovisual staff. Among the interesting objects on display are
scripts and flyers, still photographs, Dr. Goodwin’s scrapbook, an Arriflex IIa film camera, an Emmy award won by
Colonial Williamsburg Productions, a jawbone used as an
instrument in the Colonial Williamsburg production Music
of Williamsburg, and Williamsburg: The Story of a Patriot
paper dolls. Guests can also view segments from Colonial
Williamsburg’s Archival Film series, such as A Glorious System of Things, Search for a Century, and Williamsburg Restored via a monitor in the exhibit space.
IN THIS ISSUE
New Exhibit:
p. 1-3
Captain Peach Records:
p. 4-5
World War II Scrapbook :
p. 6-9
Arboretum Photography Project:
p. 10-12
Donor Appreciation Weekend:
p. 13-15
Library Endowment:
p. 16
Conservation Concerns:
p. 17-18
Donna Cooke and Tracey Gulden open the exhibit.
Photo by Wayne Reynolds.
1
�NEW EXHIBIT
(continued)
Hollywood Come to Williamsburg exhibit cases.
Photo by Wayne Reynolds.
When the Covid-19 pandemic began in late March 2020, the exhibit committee regrouped to determine how to continue preparing for the exhibition remotely. Committee members planned, researched, wrote text and label content, and worked
virtually with a graphic designer from their home offices. As the pandemic safety guidelines relaxed, the team met with the Art
Museums of Colonial Williamsburg staff for installation of a large wall panel featuring a short film chronology highlighting some
of the most important milestones in film productions set in Williamsburg and began physical installation of objects in cases.
Tracey Gulden oversaw the printing of the many still photos displayed alongside objects. Several staff members from the Art
Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, including Jan Gilliam, David Mellors, Jim Armbruster, and Colleen Kennedy, helped with
printing oversize exhibit graphics and title rails, fabricating object mounts, and hanging large wall panels. Judy Marx, a volunteer
in Media Collections, contributed her expertise by scanning and color correcting many images used in graphics. Melinda Evans of
Designs by Me created the eye-catching movie themed title poster, introductory panel, and film chronology.
The exhibit officially launched on July 27, 2021, via a virtual presentation given by Jenna Simpson and Marianne Martin
as a special event in partnership with the Williamsburg Regional Library. At the conclusion of the presentation, Donna Cooke and
Tracey Gulden performed a virtual ribbon cutting ceremony to open the exhibit to the public. A recording of the presentation
may be viewed online via the Williamsburg Regional Library’s YouTube channel .
2
�NEW EXHIBIT
(continued)
Exhibit case and timeline for Hollywood Comes to Williamsburg.
Photo by Wayne Reynolds.
Hollywood Comes to Williamsburg: A Century of Movie and Media Productions is free and open to the public during library hours from Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm, through December 2022. Within the next few months, an online version will be
launched that will include a smaller sub-set of items illustrating the span of movie and media production in Williamsburg over the
past one hundred years.
3
�CAPTAIN SAMUEL J. E. PEACH JR RECORDS
Winthrop Rockefeller presenting Captain Peach, Head of Security, with his silver
bowl in honor of his twenty-five years of service at Colonial Williamsburg, circa
1968
Photo by Jane Isley
4
On May 25th, the Library received a donation of records related to Captain Samuel
J. E. Peach, Jr., first chief of security and
safety, who began work at Colonial Williamsburg in 1943. Kept by his wife Nadine in scrapbooks over his thirty-year
career, the records contain correspondence, newspaper clippings, and photographs and cover subjects related to Captain Peach’s job, including property protection and recovery, security arrangements for film productions, and VIP visitors. Also included are personal tributes
from fellow employees on the occasions of
his service anniversaries and his retirement in 1973. In a Daily Press newspaper
article about him dated September 14,
1958, Captain Peach said that the records
of his lost and stolen property cases range
from “hubcaps to hams” and that “We are
a little proud of the fact that we usually
get our man. It’s a matter of work and
patience usually.” When asked in another
newspaper interview after he’d been on
the job for fourteen years about any interest in retirement, he said “No, sir. I’m not
in any hurry to retire. I like this job fine
because it gives me a chance to help people instead of get them in trouble.” The
donation was made by Captain Peach’s
granddaughter Shannon Davis and his son
John Peach, and we are grateful for their
generosity in gifting this personal collection to the Library. We were also pleased
to meet the family of a long-time employee and hear personal stories about growing up in Williamsburg and about Captain
Peach himself. The Peach records will be a
permanent part of the Corporate Archives
and will be available for research by appointment once they are arranged and
processed. (Accession 2021-023)
�CAPTAIN SAMUEL J. E. PEACH JR RECORDS
(continued)
Shannon Davis and John Peach with their donation of records of Captain Samuel J. E. Peach, Jr.,
first chief of safety and security at Colonial Williamsburg, in front of the Robert Brackman portrait
of John D. Rockefeller Jr., May 25, 2021.
Photo courtesy of Shannon Davis
5
�NEW ACQUISITION: THE JAMES LEE AND ETHEL M. FISHER FAMILY ARCHIVES
Faculty of the Officer’s Training School, Camp Peary, 1944.
Page 3.
The Rockefeller Library is pleased to announce a significant addition to its holdings on World War II era Williamsburg, The
James Lee and Ethel M. Fisher Family Archives, a gift of Eric T. and Elizabeth Fisher Davis. Consisting of a scrapbook and
fifty-one associated black and white photographs, the archives document the wartime experiences of Dr. James Lee Fisher,
who served as a Navy medical doctor during World War II, and his wife, Ethel, who accompanied him to his first post at
Camp Peary, where she served in the Red Cross Unit. Mr. and Mrs. Davis also kindly provided a copy of the section of Dr.
Fisher’s reminiscences which pertains to his wartime service. This narrative helps to bring the events pictured in the scrapbook and associated photos to life and also illuminates the character and personality of Dr. Fisher .
6
�NEW ACQUISITION
(continued)
“Ethel came down to Williamsburg, and for 9 months we lived at the Williamsburg Inn,”.
Page 4.
Dr. Fisher departed for active duty as Lt Commander in the Medical Division of the United States Navy on December
18, 1942. His first assignment brought him to the United States Naval Construction Training Center at Camp Peary, home of
the “Seabees,” and located near Williamsburg, Virginia. Dr. Fisher’s wife, Ethel, joined him in Williamsburg in 1943 and they
lived for nine months in officer’s quarters at the Williamsburg Inn. Photos within the scrapbook of the Fishers interacting with
other couples billeted at the Inn illustrate the Inn’s important role in bolstering morale by providing a place for a peaceful interlude of rest and relaxation on weekends where the military could gather for refreshments, swimming, and entertainment.
7
�NEW ACQUISITION
(continued)
In September 1943, the Fishers moved to a cabin on the banks of
the York River on the Camp Peary
base. Ethel Fisher took part in the
Red Cross Unit overseen by Mrs.
Ware, wife of Captain James G. Ware,
the Commanding Officer at Camp
Peary. A series of group portraits,
along with informal scenes of the Red
Cross Unit members cutting and rolling bandages, highlight women’s contributions to wartime work in the
Williamsburg area. Social life on base
at Camp Peary, ranging from picnics,
baseball games, parties, and dances,
is captured in a series of photos of
the officers, soldiers, and families.
Mr. and Mrs. Fisher’s side trips to
Norfolk, Newport News, Yorktown,
and Richmond are also represented
in the album.
In April 1944, Dr. Fisher left Camp
Peary for a new assignment at the
United States Naval Construction
Center at Camp Endicott, Rhode Island. From there he received orders
to transfer to Seattle for training to
take on the role of Senior Medical
Officer of the U.S.S. Gage, a ship that
formed part of the Attack Transport
of the Amphibious Corps, 5th Fleet.
By January 1945, the U.S.S. Gage set
sail for the South Pacific, where Dr.
Fisher and the crew witnessed the
devastation in the Philippines, participated in such maneuvers as the Okinawa landing invasion, and assisted
with various efforts in Occupied Japan, whether transporting troops,
medical supplies, or medical staff to
Group portrait of members of the Red Cross Unit at Camp Peary near Williamsburg,
Virginia, 1943. Front row, left to right: Mrs. Magee, Mrs. Ware, Mrs. Archambeault,
Ethel Fisher. Back row, left to right: Mrs. Long, Mrs. Walker, Mrs. Edgar, Mrs. Mattingly, Mrs. Fox, Mrs. Morrison, Mrs. Sargeant, Mrs. Meadenhall, Mrs. Hoover, and Mrs.
Radar.
Page 9
different Japanese cities to lend aid. Through photographs and commentary, the
second half of Dr. Fisher’s scrapbook covers all of the difficult and distressing events
he encountered during his tour in the South Pacific at the end of World War II. The
album thus offers a complete picture of what many military officials who spent time
at training bases near Williamsburg eventually faced as the war progressed and finally came to a close. Dr. Fisher returned home in late 1945 to his medical practice in
Youngstown, Ohio, noting at the close of his album “I wouldn’t have missed it for
anything, but I wouldn’t do it again.”
The scrapbook may be viewed here: James Lee and Ethel M. Fisher Family
Archives.
8
�NEW ACQUISTION
(continued)
“Social life on the base consisted of picnics, ball games, parties in the houses, and dances at the Officer’s Club.”
Page 10.
Members of the Red Cross Unit at Camp Peary near Williamsburg, Virginia rolling bandages, 1943. Front row, left to right:
Mrs. Fox, Mrs. Mattingly, Mrs. Morrison. Next table, left to right: Mrs. Edgar, Mrs. Rader, and Ethel Fisher, wife of Dr. James
Lee Fisher. In corner, Mrs. Long at the sewing machine and Mrs. Magee, and Mrs. Hoover behind her.
9
�ARBORETUM PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT
Did you know that in addition to
being a living history museum,
Colonial Williamsburg's 301-acre
campus is a Level 2 Arboretum
certified by ArbNet’s global Arboretum Accreditation Program?
The arboretum has over 100 species of trees and woody plants,
some of which are classified as
Virginia state champion and national champion trees. The Arboretum is cared for and documented by Colonial Williamsburg's
landscape department and its
dedicated volunteers.
Botanical detail from a Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana) on South England Street
behind the Nicholas-Tyler Office.
Photo courtesy of Jerry McCoy.
Recently, Media Collections at the Rockefeller Library
has begun a project to document
these amazing specimens in our
own way through the work of
library volunteer photographer
Jerry McCoy. His work captures
the location and appearance of
these plants as they currently
stand, as well as illustrating botanical details. It is a useful record of this amazing, living Colonial
Williamsburg collection – as well
as a beautiful set of nature photography. As of late summer,
McCoy’s lens has captured nearly
60 species in the arboretum, and
there’s still (literally!) a lot of
ground to cover.
If you'd like to explore the Arboretum, you can learn more about it at https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/.../
arboretum-gardens/. The website even includes an interactive map to help you locate the specimens. If you have a
smartphone equipped with Google Maps, you can bring up the arboretum map and let your GPS guide you from tree to tree.
When you get to a specimen, use your phone to scan the QR code to learn more about the plant.
10
�ARBORETUM PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT
(continued)
Leaf cluster and bud on a Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) on Nicholson Street in front of the St. George Tucker House.
Photo courtesy of Jerry McCoy.
An Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) at the Magazine guardhouse.
Photo courtesy of Jerry McCoy
11
�ARBORETUM PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT
(continued)
Cornelian Cherry Dogwood (Cornus mas) on the west side of the Bryan House.
Photo courtesy of Jerry McCoy.
Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) in the small pasture behind Wetherburn's Tavern.
Photo courtesy of Jerry McCoy
12
�DONOR APPRECIATION WEEKEND
Representatives of the many departments of Colonial Williamsburg met with donors on
the grounds of Bassett Hall.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
Donors were welcomed back to Colonial Williamsburg on September 10-11, 2021. Approximately 500 donors from the CW Burgess, CW Associates, Raleigh Tavern and W.A.R. Goodwin societies will be onsite to enjoy a variety of events designed to thank
them for their generosity and celebrate how their gifts support Colonial Williamsburg initiatives. As part of the festivities,
attendees enjoyed a Garden Party at Bassett Hall, which included lunch, entertainment, and an opportunity to engage with Foundation staff. Rockefeller Library and Historical Research staff were out in force to welcome donors, discuss their important work
and how research helps supports the Foundation. We are very grateful for the many generous donors who support our work.
Kelly Brennan and Cathy Hellier representing the Historians at Bassett Hall.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
13
�DONOR APPRECIATION WEEKEND
(continued)
Marianne Martin representing Special Collections at the Bassett Hall event.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
Donna Cooke and Sarah Nerney representing Corporate Archives at the Bassett Hall
event.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
14
�DONOR APPRECIATION WEEKEND
(continued)
Tracey Gulden and Jenna Simpson representing Media Collections at the Bassett Hall event.
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
15
�BASIMA QATTAN BEZIRGAN MEMORIAL LIBRARY ENDOWMENT
In our Spring 2019 issue, we announced a generous gift creating
the Basima Qattan Bezirgan Memorial Endowment at Rockefeller
Library. Donors Brooke England and Paul Michel knew that establishing a fund to purchase new reference and circulating
books would be a fitting tribute to their dear friend, a women's
history author and librarian whose career included serving as
Middle East Cataloger and Arabic Specialist at the University of
Chicago and as Cataloger and Bibliographer at the General Libraries of the University of Texas at Austin.
We are now pleased to share some of the first purchases made with this endowment; these and future acquisitions will
deepen our collections and enrich the work of Colonial Williamsburg’s community of scholars. Though the fund is unrestricted,
many of the titles have a connection to women’s history, contributions, and concerns. Each bears a bookplate honoring Basima
Qattan Bezirgan’s memory.
Basima Qattan Bezirgan memorial
bookplate.
Ball, Erica L., et al., editors. As If She Were Free: A Collective Biography of Women and Emancipation in the Americas. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020.
Cheek, Pamela. Heroines and Local Girls: The Transnational
Emergence of Women's Writing in the Long Eighteenth
Century. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press,
2019.
Fairfax, Edmund. The Styles of Eighteenth-Century Ballet.
Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2003.
Flanders, Judith. A Place for Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical Order. New York: Basic Books, 2020.
Holden, Vanessa M. Surviving Southampton: African American Women and Resistance in Nat Turner's Community.
Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2021.
McEnroe, Sean F. A Troubled Marriage: Indigenous Elites of
the Colonial Americas. Albuquerque: University of New
Mexico Press, 2020.
Books purchased with funds from the Basima Qattan Bezirgan
Memorial Library Endowment.
Ridley, Glynis. The Discovery of Jeanne Baret: A Story of
Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe. New York: Broadway Paperbacks, 2011.
Smith, Bonnie G. Women in World History: 1450 to the
Present. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2020.
16
�CONSERVATION CONCERNS
When institutions collect rare materials, they incur the twin obligations of caring for those materials and making them accessible to researchers. Both endeavors can be labor intensive and may require more assets to tackle the task than the institution
can bring to bear. Due to the nature of the materials housed at the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library our conservation needs far
exceed the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s capacity to treat all our endangered materials onsite.
In the past few years, nearly two hundred issues of the Virginia Gazette have been delaminated in our own paper lab
within the Museum, Preservation, and Historic Resources division. Unfortunately, many thousands of items are still awaiting
delamination including letters, deeds, wills and bound volumes. Some of the bound volumes contain hundreds of sheets of
paper making them significant conservation projects.
In the past, the library has sent some materials to outside facilities for conservation. One such item is the Humphrey Harwood
account book. Harwood was a local builder in 18th-century Williamsburg whose account book documents the work he performed at various Williamsburg sites. Harwood’s account book was sent to the Northeast Document Conservation Center for
treatment and rebinding insuring its survival and usability far into the future. The account book of James Anderson also documents work done on 18th-century buildings in Williamsburg. Anderson was the local blacksmith, and his volumes also reside in
Special Collections. We would like to send Anderson’s volumes out for conservation so they will remain here to document his
work for generations to come. If you would like to help us fund this and similar conservation projects, please contact our Director, Carl Childs cchilds@cwf.org .
Entry from the James Anderson account book showing work done for Williamsburg builder Benjamin
Powell.
17
�CONSERVATION CONCERNS
(continued)
Detail from the James Anderson account book showing work done for Williamsburg printer John Clarkson.
Detail from the James Anderson account book showing work done for Williamsburg store owner John Greenhow.
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 Donna Cooke, Marianne Martin, Doug Mayo
Sarah Nerney, Melissa Schutt, and Jenna Simpson
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
18
�
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 4, number 1, Summer 2021
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
2021-09
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Text
FALL 2021
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 4, NO. 2
FRIENDS OF JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER JR. LIBRARY
We are pleased to announce the formation of the Friends
of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. The John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Library is the research center of the Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation and advances knowledge of colonial British
America, the American Revolution, the early United States,
American decorative arts and folk art, and the Restoration
and continuing story of Colonial Williamsburg.
The new library Friends group will bring together
those with a personal commitment to strengthening the
library’s research collections and directly support the library’s mission of supporting research and scholarship.
Annual membership fees of $1,000 or more are tax deductible and will be used solely to acquire, digitize, and
conserve library research collections.
More information on this exciting new venture can
be found on the Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
page.
IN THIS ISSUE
Friends of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library:
p. 1
NIAHD Intern Julia Leney:
p. 2-3
New 360 Tours :
p. 4-5
Library Acquires New Databases:
p. 5-6
Digitization of Architectural Drawings:
p. 6-7
The Virginia Gazette for May 5, 1774, published by Clementina
Rind.
1
�INTERN SPOTLIGHT: JULIA LENEY, NIAHD INTERN
NIAHD intern Julia Leney at work inventorying architectural drawings in the Special Collections Department of the John D.
Rockefeller Jr. Library.
Along with the Rockefeller Library’s dedicated team of volunteers, college interns also play a critical role in helping to move various projects forward. Colonial Williamsburg’s partnership with the National Institute of American History and Democracy at William & Mary, known by the acronym NIAHD, enables William & Mary students to obtain hands-on museum experience working
in a variety of departments across the Foundation while providing Colonial Williamsburg with much needed extra assistance. This
fall Special Collections welcomed Julia Leney, a junior double majoring in history and French who is also pursuing a NIAHD certificate in Material Culture and Public History. Julia spent ten hours per week working with materials in the manuscript, visual resources, and architectural drawings collections while expanding her knowledge of museum and library collection management
and descriptive practices.
2
�INTERN SPOTLIGHT: JULIA LENEY, NIAHD INTERN
(continued)
A native of Annapolis, Maryland, Julia commenced her internship with some strong experience already on her resume
having worked over the summer as an Orlando Ridout Fellow through the Vernacular Architecture Forum. Under the supervision
of former Colonial Williamsburg Architectural Historian Willie Graham, Julia conducted field surveys of brick buildings around
Historic Annapolis. In addition, her student job cataloging specimens at William & Mary’s Herbarium provided her with a background in examining objects and recording details in a database.
Julia began the semester by working on a project to transcribe the Deneufville Family Papers, MS1941.2, half of which
were in French. This involved not only transcribing the original French but also translating it into English to assist researchers.
The process proved to be painstaking with several of the letters due to the differences between the modern French language
and eighteenth-century French. Even Julia’s French advisor remained stumped by several small sections of the documents that
Julia found challenging due to a combination of the handwriting and the eighteenth-century variations of the French language.
Julia persevered and managed to finish the transcription and translation of all eighteen documents comprising the collection.
The second phase of Julia’s internship involved assisting with the processing, re-housing, and preparation of preliminary
finding aids for four donated slide collections. Julia reviewed the slides and organized them into subject series, housed them in
archival sleeves and folders, and researched and wrote brief biographical sketches about the photographers and scope and content notes for the collections. Visual Resources Librarian Marianne Martin then prepared MARC catalog records for each collection and gave Julia an overview of the cataloging process. With the four collections arranged, properly housed, cataloged in the
library catalog, and preliminary finding aids ready to be encoded for publication on the website, they are very close to being
ready for research access thanks to Julia’s diligent assistance.
During her final weeks, Julia’s architectural field study background is proving to be beneficial as she works on preparing
a preliminary inventory of a series of architectural drawings of Bassett Hall that will soon be sent out for digitization. She is learning to recognize a variety of drawings ranging from landscape plot plans to measured architectural elevations, full-scale details,
and floor plans. The inventory process involves recording many different details about each drawing in a spreadsheet, identifying
the support and medium, and assessing the item’s condition. Her cataloging work at the Herbarium has enabled her to be quite
efficient at inventorying up to one hundred drawings per shift.
When asked about her favorite experience during the internship, Julia chose the process of transcribing and translating
the will of Peter Robert Deneufville. She found it contained an interesting section illustrating the moral dilemma faced by owners
of the enslaved. The will contained four paragraphs listing the conditions under which an enslaved woman, Betty, and her children, would be freed upon his death. The will included a provision for fifty pounds and lodging, plus the guarantee of freedom to
the enslaved family. Julia has found her internship to be very stimulating and is now leaning towards possibly applying to a graduate program at the University of Maryland that combines a Master’s in History with a Master’s in Library Science. Whichever
path she ultimately chooses, her enthusiasm and work ethic will enable her to make important contributions to the museum,
library, and archives profession.
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�NEW 360 TOURS OF THE ART MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
Rob Cloutier (center) and Peter Inker (right) record Ron Hurst, Vice President—Museums, Preservation, & Historic Resources, for addition to the 360 tour of ‘A Rich and Varied Culture’ gallery.
Photo by Francis Burroughs & Peter Inker.
During the Fall months we took the opportunity to develop upon the 360 tours we have already established. Using new techniques we developed in the 360 tour of the Peyton Randolph house, we incorporated film of Colonial Williamsburg’s senior curators directly into the tour of the museum and art galleries. The tour added three major exhibitions to the existing museums tour,
namely: The Art of the Quilter, To Arm against the Enemy, and A Rich and Varied Culture. This brings the number of virtual tours
of the museums and art galleries to a total of six exhibitions.
The 360 camera was set up around the exhibitions, adding thirty new locations to the existing sixteen. We also added
four new overviews of the collections given by our curators Erik Goldstein (Senior Curator of Mechanical Arts & Numismatics),
and Kim Ivey (senior curator of textiles), as well as Ron Hurst, Vice President—Museums, Preservation, & Historic Resources.
The new galleries of the museums and galleries now expand on the five virtual tours of Colonial Williamsburg. You can find them
all on the virtual tours page of our website, or by using the street view option in Google maps.
4
�NEW 360 TOURS OF THE ART MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
(continued)
Equirectangular (360°) photo of the ‘Art of the Quilter gallery’ of the type used to create the 360 tours.
Photo by Rob Cloutier.
LIBRARY ACQUIRES NEW DATABASES
Rockefeller Library staff are always eager to hear about new resources that will support our colleagues’ research projects.
When the collections below came to our attention, we knew the Foundation’s historians, curators, and interpreters would be
thrilled to gain access to the troves of primary documents they contain. Trial subscriptions confirmed this, and we’re delighted
to add these tools to our database collection. We can’t wait to see how they will be used to inform and inspire educational
experiences in the historic area, art museums, and online.
'Bray Schools' in Canada, America and the Bahamas, 1645-1900
This collection from British Online Archives contains correspondence files, minute books, and financial reports compiled by the
Associates of Dr. Bray during the period 1724-1900. The Associates was a group of English clergymen and philanthropists who
created and funded schools for Black, and to a lesser extent, Indigenous North American, children in the American colonies between 1758 and 1776. Their aim in founding these schools was not only to educate, but also to Christianize, the students. Yet
while Bray’s schools had a substantial impact, the effects of the education they provided were not always what he and his Associates intended.
The recent discovery of the eighteenth-century building that housed Williamsburg’s own Bray School is making national news, and Colonial Williamsburg has embarked on an exciting partnership with William & Mary to interpret its complex history. This collection of primary documents from the Associates will be invaluable as we seek to learn as much as possible about
5
�LIBRARY ACQUIRES NEW DATABASES
(continued)
the school and its students. Read more about the Bray School Initiative.
Colonial Caribbean
Having completed publication of its “Colonial America” database in 2020, in 2021 Adam Matthew Digital introduced a new
collection of primary records from Britain’s Colonial Office. This new resource contains files for British colonies in the Caribbean over the period 1624 – 1832. Given the interconnectedness of the eighteenth-century world, these documents will be of
great interest to our community. Topics covered include: interactions with indigenous inhabitants; the establishment of colonies; legislation, legal proceedings and court records; trade and shipping; the management of plantations and agriculture, including growing concern about absentee landlords; the slave trade and interactions with enslaved people.
Though December is a busy month at Colonial Williamsburg, we know our researchers will appreciate these holiday
gifts – and that they’ll dive in with alacrity in January!
MASS DIGITIZATION OF COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG’S ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS BEGINS
Marianne Martin, Donna Cooke and Carl Childs move the first batch of architectural drawings
from Special Collections for shipment to Backstage Library Works.
6
�MASS DIGITIZATION OF COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG’S ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS BEGINS
(continued)
On December 9, 2021, Library staff carefully packed and loaded the first batch of architectural drawings to be sent to Backstage
Library Works in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for digital imaging. This first grouping , which includes 137 pencil sketches of Historic
Area gardens by landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff and 41 architectural drawings by Restoration architects Percy, Shaw, and
Hepburn, will serve as a pilot project to determine the efficacy of scanning a collection of nearly 50,000 drawings. This project is
supported by a gift from a generous donor.
Carl Childs, Marianne Martin, Donna Cooke and the driver
from Backstage Library Works load our architectural drawings into the van.
Marianne Martin, the driver, Carl Childs and Sarah Nerney
pose happy in the knowledge that a new era has begun for
our invaluable collection of architectural drawings.
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,
and Melissa Schutt
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
7
�
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Title
A name given to the resource
John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Publisher
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Colonial Williamsbug Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2021
Title
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John D. Rockefeller Jr Library newsletter. Volume 4, number 2, Fall 2021
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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.
3
�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.
4
�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
�
Dublin Core
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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John D. Rockefeller Jr Library newsletter. Volume 4, number 3, Winter 2022
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Publisher
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
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2022
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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
�
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 4, number 4, Spring 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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Text
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
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
Dublin Core
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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.
9
�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
-
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Text
WINTER 2023
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 5, NO. 3
NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK AT THE ROCKEFELLER LIBRARY: THERE’S MORE TO THE STORY!
Libraries across the country are preparing to mark National Library
Week, a great time to celebrate all things library related! This
year’s celebration falls during the week of April 23-29 and is
themed “There’s More to the Story.”
This year’s library week theme is certainly applicable to
the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. The Rockefeller Library is the
research center of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. But beyond serving the research needs of Colonial Williamsburg staff, the
library welcomes the broader research community through its mission of advancing knowledge of colonial British America, the American Revolution, the early United States, American decorative arts
and folk art, and the Restoration and continuing story of Colonial
Williamsburg. But “The Rock” has so much more to offer!
The letter Adams received, which noted that the
organization was sorry it was “not able to utilize
your services,” is part of the Corporate Archives
Collection.
IN THIS ISSUE
National Library Week:
p. 1-5
Bray School Move:
p. 6-10
The Rock Recycles :
p. 10-11
Special Collections News:
p. 12-16
NIAHD Interns:
p. 16-19
Library Statistics:
p. 20
Researchers are familiar with our collection of specialized
circulating books and better-known resources such as our vast collection of 18th-century Virginia Gazettes and the official and personal collections of Reverend W. A. R. Goodwin but may not be as
familiar with some of our lesser-known treasures. At the Rockefeller Library there is always more to the story!
For instance, did you know that the library holds an Ansel
Adams rejection letter? It’s true, during the 1930s, the Foundation
wanted to memorialize the progress of the Restoration and decided to seek outside photographers. While Ansel Adams responded
enthusiastically to the opportunity, he ultimately wasn’t hired. The
letter Adams received noted that the organization was sorry it was
“not able to utilize your services,” though it also noted the quality
of his work.
And did you know that the library holds the photo archive
of Williamsburg's first Black city-licensed photographer? The Albert
Durant Photography Collection provides a rich and fascinating
glimpse into the African American communities in Williamsburg
1
�NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK (continued)
and surrounding areas from the 1930s to the
1960s.
The library also maintains an extensive
moving image and audio collection that includes a
vast music archive, home movies, and the Harvard
footage – a black and white video of Williamsburg
shot in 1930 before the Historic Area was fully restored. It also holds the Story of the Patriot, produced as a CW orientation film in 1957 and “the
longest-running motion picture in history.”
In addition to these incredible treasures,
the library provides staff and visiting researchers a
quiet study space, and for interpretive staff, space
to rehearse a performance. Patrons can also check
out the new book shelf, take in the latest library
exhibition, or simply meet and collaborate on a
project.
A recent New York Times article entitled
“A Love Letter to Libraries, Long Overdue” by Elisabeth Egan and Erica Ackerberg caught my attention and reminded me of the power of libraries to
be an engaging and transforming presence for both
individuals and communities. In it, they discuss the
fluid library that constantly reinvents itself to meet
community needs.
We all know that books connect us, that
language has quiet power. To see the concentration, curiosity and peace on faces lit by words is to
know — beyond a shadow of a doubt, in a time rife
Letter dated November 20, 1934 from Bela Norton, Director of Public Relations, to Kenneth Chorley, Vice President of Colonial Williamsburg Inc., expressing his support of engaging Ansel Adams'
services as photographer.
with shadows — that libraries are the beating hearts of our communities. What we borrow from them pales in comparison
to what we keep. How often we pause to appreciate their bounty is up to us.
So, as we enter 2023’s National Library Week, please take a moment to “pause to appreciate” your local library
and how you might help support these important community anchors. And, if you wish to support “The Rock,” please consider joining the Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. 100% of your Friends donation supports our efforts to acquire,
digitize, and conserve library collections.
For information on joining the Friends, please visit the Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library page.
2
�NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK (continued)
The photographer Albert Durant posing with a Century Studio Grand camera.
3
�NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK (continued)
Members of the Williamsburg Quintet L-R Leroy Stevens, Libson Gerst, Fred Epps, Archer Tucker, and Alfred Epps.
4
�NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK (continued)
Record album "Spirituals by the Williamsburg Quintet." This was a two-record collection.
5
�WILLIAMSBURG BRAY SCHOOL MOVE
Spectators watch the Bray School move past Merchants Square along Boundary Street.
Photo by Brendan Sostak.
The Williamsburg Bray School is the oldest extant building dedicated to the education of Black children in the United States. On
February 10th, it moved from the campus of the College of William & Mary to Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area (HA). Media
Collections (MC) staff and volunteers were on hand to watch and record this once in a lifetime event Volunteer photographers
Wayne Reynolds and Jerry McCoy, MC photographer Brendan Sostak, publications photographer Brian Newson, and spotters
Jenna Simpson and Tracey Gulden all worked together to visually document the building’s progress through town. The weather
was warm for February with beautiful blue skies. An estimated 500+ spectators watched the 18th-century building wind its way
carefully through the tree lined streets of downtown Williamsburg. There were lots of starts and stops as the CW landscape department paused to trim back branches so the building would pass safely under overhanging tree canopies. A large group of
school children from nearby Matthew Whaley Elementary School came bearing signs with the names of students, enslaved and
free, who attended the school. Jerry, Brendan and Brian followed the building through town on foot while Wayne followed it in
the air via his drone, capturing both still images and video footage. After the Bray School arrived at its new location, Brendan
and Brian hustled back to the office to meet midday deadlines for photo delivery to local and national media outlets. They then
returned to the HA to photograph the Williamsburg Bray School Preservation Launch Ceremony. Speakers included Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, CW President Cliff Fleet, William & Mary President Katherine A. Rowe, and City of Williamsburg Mayor
Douglas G. Pons. Maureen Elgersman Lee, Director of the William & Mary Bray School Lab, gave remarks and introduced the
recognition of Bray School students through the reading of their names. Readers were Janice Canaday, Tonia Cansler Merideth,
6
�WILLIAMSBURG BRAY SCHOOL MOVE (continued)
and Bobby Braxton, all descendant community members, and Nicole Brown of the Bray School Lab and CW. Reginald Fox, Director of Music and Educational Administrator at First Baptist Church of Williamsburg concluded the program with the singing
of “Unity.” It was a momentous and emotional day at Colonial Williamsburg. But the move was not yet complete. The Bray
School sat upon a trailer at its new home for several days as crews prepared to move it one last time. On February 14th, it did
just that. Over the course of the day, the building slowly ‘rolled’ across the site to its final home atop new foundations. Volunteer Wayne Reynolds spent the day photographing the process both on the ground and in the sky with his drone. Dozens of
visitors stopped by on foot and in cars to watch and ask questions. Coachman Adam Canaday, who is a member of the descendant community, drove a carriage of guests to see the progress. As the sun set, the move was largely complete, and the
Bray School was finally home. The accompanying images show a small glimpse of what happened during both moves. All images and video have been accessioned and cataloged into “The Source”, the Foundation’s digital asset management system
and official media archive. Images can currently be accessed on site by CW staff, volunteers, and interns. Plans are also underway to make Rockefeller Library photographic assets more discoverable by external users and partners (more information
coming soon!). And work continues at the Bray School as teams from around CW work to restore the building and see it open
for visitation and interpretation late in 2024.
Colonial Williamsburg landscape department trims branches to accommodate the Bray School.
Photo by Jerry McCoy.
7
�WILLIAMSBURG BRAY SCHOOL MOVE
(continued)
Students from Matthew Whaley Elementary School hold signs bearing the names of students
who attended the Bray School.
Aerial view of the Bray School traveling along Francis Street.
Photo by Wayne Reynolds.
8
�WILLIAMSBURG BRAY SCHOOL MOVE (continued)
The Williamsburg Bray School Preservation Launch Ceremony: Recognition of the Williamsburg Bray School students through the reading of all names. Standing, L-R: Janice
Canaday, Tonia Cansler Merideth, Maureen Elgersman Lee, Robert "Bobby" Braxton, and
Nicole Brown; seated L-R: Williamsburg Mayor Douglas G. Pons and Virginia Governor
Glenn Youngkin.
Coachman Adam Canaday, and member of the Bray School descendant community, drives a carriage of guests to the site to view progress.
Photo by Wayne Reynolds.
9
�WILLIAMSBURG BRAY SCHOOL MOVE (continued)
Aerial view of the Bray School atop its new foundation at Colonial Williamsburg.
Photo by Wayne Reynolds.
THE ROCK RECYCLES
10
�THE ROCK RECYCLES (continued)
Plastic bags, plastic packaging, plastic mailers – plastic is everywhere these days. So when Rockefeller Library volunteer Dennis
Branden shared details of a community plastic recycling project with Library Administrative Specialist Mary Ann Goode, she
quickly got library staff on board to participate. Dennis is a member of the James City Lions Club, which collects soft plastic
twice a month at the JCC Recreation Center and Colonial Town Plaza. Through an agreement with Trex, a Virginia company that
uses melted soft plastics to manufacture environmentally friendly decking and outdoor furniture, every 500 pounds of collected
plastic becomes a bench that the James City Lions donate to WJCC Public Schools.
Lion Dennis graciously agreed to ferry any plastic collected by library staff to the Lions and we have risen to the challenge – so far we have collected over 50 pounds of plastic! We are delighted that our shopping bags, bubble wrap, newspaper
sleeves (and more!) are not only staying out of landfills but helping to beautify our community. Readers local to Williamsburg
can find out more about the program, including detailed information about acceptable plastic and the collection schedule at
their website: https://www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/james_city.
In a fun and collaborative twist, Dennis alerted the Williamsburg Host Lions Club that we were collecting plastic since
they sponsor the same project and the library is located within the city limits. The Williamsburg Lions happened to have a Trex
bench that needed a good home and they generously proposed placing this bench at Rockefeller Library! On March 16, representatives from the Williamsburg Lions Club, including Lion Leo Morrisette (President), Lion Paul Kerr (Immediate Past President
and Plastic Collection Chair), Lion Pat Kerr (Secretary), Lion Lynda Kleiwerda (Vice President), and Lion Leslie Stockman, visited
the library to present the bench and place it in our picnic area. Lion Dennis Branden was also present to help mark the occasion.
We are thrilled with our new bench and with our partnership with both local Lions Clubs!
11
�SPECIAL COLLECTIONS NEWS
The new architectural drawings cart.
Photo by Brendan Shostak.
New Architectural Drawings Mobile
The Rockefeller Library is pleased to add a new vehicle to its fleet of carts used to safely transport library materials. It is a specially designed cradle cart for transporting oversized architectural drawings. The cart features a
concave upper deck that gently cradles folders of drawers just enough to allow them to be moved through
standard doorways throughout the library and will assist with transporting drawings to the lower level of the
library for pick-up by our digitization vendor, Backstage Library Works. In addition, it will be utilized to safely
transfer the oversized drawings from storage drawers to the oversized consultation table utilized for research
appointments, class visits, and processing projects. A special thank you is due to Colonial Williamsburg carpenter William Selk, who designed and fabricated the cart and Paint Foreman, Steve Daniels, who painted it.
12
�SPECIAL COLLECTIONS NEWS (continued)
Group Visits to Special Collections & Visual
Resources
Special Collections and Visual Resources welcomed a diverse array of special interest
groups to examine and discuss archival collections during the first quarter of 2023. William
& Mary students in Professor Abigail Buffington’s “People, Plants, and the Built Environment” course made a class visit in February to
examine landscape design related materials.
The students undertook class projects to examine primary source material connected
with specific gardens in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. They viewed landscape
drawings, photo albums, plant lists, and boxwood research compiled by Landscape Architect Arthur Shurcliff during the initial restoration of Williamsburg’s eighteenth century
landscape features. In addition, they learned
about eighteenth and nineteenth century
maps, town plans, and manuscripts offering
evidence of Williamsburg’s historic landscape
elements.
General Plan For Governor’s Palace : Approaches, Gardens and Park.
Williamsburg Restoration Inc.
13
A pair of librarians from the Antique
Automobile Club of America Library in Hershey, Pennsylvania requested a special visit
while in Williamsburg for the Antique Automobile Club of America’s annual conference.
They viewed a display of architectural drawings and photographs featuring antique automobiles and relating to the introduction of
automobile transportation in Williamsburg,
early automotive service stations, and planning for traffic patterns and roadways. Among
�SPECIAL COLLECTIONS NEWS (continued)
Officials for 1949 Glidden Tour posing in their automobiles in front of the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg, Virginia.
Photo by Albert Durant, 1949.
the items they examined were a group of photos taken by Albert Durant of the 1949 Glidden Tour participants in Williamsburg. Following a route from Gettysburg to Wilmington, the Glidden Tour of ninety-three antique automobiles
stopped for the nights of September 27 and 28, 1949 to visit Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. Upon
return to their library, the AACA librarians located news clippings and a tour itinerary relating to the Glidden Tour that
provide further details for the description and cataloging of the Rockefeller Library’s photos.
14
�SPECIAL COLLECTIONS NEWS (continued)
Full-scale drawings of ironwork details for a balcony on the Governor’s Palace by Perry, Shaw & Hepburn, 1932.
Finally, a group of thirty-three blacksmiths who specialize in traditional and restoration ironwork hosted by Master
Blacksmith Ken Schwarz and his staff spent a morning at the library examining architectural drawings, photographs, and
research collections relating to decorative ironwork fabricated for the restoration of Historic Area buildings and gardens.
Full scale detail drawings of the Governor’s Palace weathervane, front balcony, entrance gate, and garden gates allowed
the blacksmiths to study the features of ironwork fabricated to replicate eighteenth century techniques. Several of Singleton P. Moorehead’s architectural field notebooks from the 1930s gave the blacksmiths an opportunity to see sketches of
hardware, such as hinges, latches, finials, and shutter dogs, on historic structures throughout the mid-Atlantic region. They
also viewed the Donald Streeter Collection consisting of photographs, articles, and a book manuscript relating to research
conducted by blacksmith Donald Streeter on eighteenth-century blacksmithing for various historic ironwork restoration
projects. The unique focuses of each of these groups underscores the expansive subject matter documented in the Rockefeller Library’s collections and its appeal for a broad range of researchers beyond the museum’s borders.
15
�SPECIAL COLLECTIONS NEWS (continued)
Sketches of hinges, escutcheons, and weathervanes from various sites, as well as a molded brick and finial from the
Governor’s Palace, Sketchbook of Details, Singleton Peabody Moorehead, n.d. (pages 52-53).
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN HISTORY AND DEMOCRACY INTERNS
The Rockefeller Library is pleased to be working with four interns from William & Mary this academic year, and would like
to introduce them to the readers of the Newsletter!
Rebekah Toussaint is a PhD student in the history department with a special interest in late 19th-century women’s activism and post-Reconstruction-era black women’s issues. After she receives her degree, she plans to pursue an
academic career as a professor. In her free time, Toussaint particularly enjoys photography, and currently has a side business as a photographer. She has been with Media Collections since the beginning of the fall semester and is working on
several projects, including gathering information on the analog audio collection and digitizing original materials relating
to Colonial Williamsburg’s historic trades. She has also contributed to our photographic collection with her own documentary work in the Historic Area!
16
�NIAHD INTERNS (continued)
Rebekah Toussaint (left) and Ceniah Higgs (right) at work in the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library’s Media Collections office.
Photo by Brendan Sostak.
Ceniah Higgs is a senior in the history department, and is joining Media Collections for the spring semester. She is
particularly interested in colonial history, especially the missing stories of African Americans and of societal change. She
hopes to go on to a career in public history, making the past accessible to a wide variety of audiences, whether through
work at a nonprofit or at a museum. When not studying, Higgs also enjoys walking in nature and spending time with her
dogs, Catalyst and Creed. For her internship with the Library Higgs is currently assisting in Media Collections’ digitization
efforts, working with original materials related to the blacksmiths’ shop.
17
�NIAHD INTERNS (continued)
Garrett Goltermann is
a junior majoring in history
and minoring in studio art at
the College of William & Mary.
She is particularly interested in
colonial American history,
especially the American Revolution and the early republic.
After her time at William &
Mary, Goltermann hopes to
attend graduate school to pursue a master’s degree in museum curation and nonprofit
business management, to pursue a career in public history.
In her free time, Garrett enjoys reading, travelling, and
engaging in her side business
as a photographer. For her
internship with the Rockefeller
Library, Goltermann is currently assisting in the Special
Collections department to
transcribe and upload various
historical documents, such as
18th-century Virginia Gazettes
and correspondence including
a George Washington letter.
Garrett Goltermann is the current NIAHD intern in Special Collections working
with 17th- and 18th-century manuscripts.
18
�NIAHD INTERNS (continued)
Ava Lorusso works in Special Collections cataloging architectural drawings before they are photographed by our vendor.
Ava Lorusso is a sophomore in the history department, with a particular interest in viewing historical continuities
through an intersectional lens. With plans on pursuing a legal career, she hopes to work for museums, tying her passion for
public history to law. Outside of academia, Ava enjoys visual arts, and especially loves drawing. As a part of her internship, she
has worked with both Special Collections and Visual Resources collections. Last semester Ava employed archival databases to
transcribe and catalog original 17th-century manuscripts. Currently, she is working to analyze, watermark, and catalog the Albert Durant and Finlay Forbes Ferguson Photograph Collections for public view.
Our interns come to us through the National Institute for American History and Democracy (NIAHD) program, a partnership between William & Mary and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation for students interested in pursuing American History, Material Culture, and Public History. NIAHD offers programs for students from high school (through a pre-college summer
program) up through graduate school (offering a seven-course certificate program).
The Library team is pleased and grateful to be working with these developing scholars as they explore their futures in
the realm of museum studies and public history!
19
�STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter is a publication of Colonial Williamsburg’s John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
Vice President, Education Strategy and Civic Engagement
Mia Nagawiecki
Executive Director, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
Carl Childs
Editor
Doug Mayo
Contributors
Carl Childs, Tracey Gulden, Marianne Martin, Melissa
Schutt, and Jenna Simpson
Please visit Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library for information on how you can help support the Library and don’t forget to
like and follow us on Facebook: Rockefeller Library at CW.
To contact the library directly, please call 757-220-7249 or 757-565-8510; or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
20
�
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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Title
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John D. Rockefeller Jr Library newsletter. Volume 5, number 3, Winter 2023
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An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Publisher
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
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2023
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Text
SPRING 2023
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 5, NO. 4
RECENT VIRGINIA GAZETTE ACQUISITIONS
Recently purchased Virginia Gazettes with news concerning the
aftermath of the Boston Tea Party.
Photo by Brendan Sostak.
IN THIS ISSUE
Virginia Gazettes:
p. 1
Urgent Conservation Priorities:
p. 2
Matthew Whaley Students:
p. 3
Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra Visit:
p. 4
Hollywood Comes to Williamsburg Talk:
p. 5
Blessing of Reverence Event:
p. 6
Juneteenth Event:
p. 7-8
Special Collections recently acquired 12 issues of the Virginia Gazette
published by Purdie and Dixon, Clementina Rind, and John Pinkney in
1774. The purchase of these issues, each containing news concerning
events in the wake of the Boston Tea Party, was made possible by
the generous support of the Friends of Collections, Friends of the
John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library and anonymous donors. Following
conservation and digitization, the issues will be made available for
viewing online. There are now 40 remaining issues of the Virginia
Gazette we wish to acquire. If you would like to help purchase additional issues, please contact Carl Childs, the Abby and George O’Neill
Executive Director of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library at
cchilds@cwf.org.
1
�URGENT CONSERVATION PRIORITIES
The 18th-century account books of Williamsburg blacksmith James Anderson.
Photo by Brendan Sostak.
The Rockefeller Library needs your help to preserve James Anderson’s account books. James Anderson was a blacksmith in Williamsburg who served as public armorer before the American Revolution. During the Revolution, Anderson was appointed public smith and Captain of Artificers. His business relationship with the government necessitated his move to Richmond when the
Capitol relocated to that place. His account books document the public and private work he did in Williamsburg and Richmond
from 1778 to 1798. These volumes serve as a reminder of Williamsburg’s crucial role in the Revolution not just as a place where
political decisions were made but also where troops were raised, trained, and outfitted and where skilled and unskilled workers
built the barracks and made and repaired the tools of war used by those troops. Anderson’s books also document the goods
and services he provided to Williamsburg residents, including Governor Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Everard, John Galt, Colonel
James Innes, and William Pasteur.
To protect the books from handling, conservators in the 1950s laminated the pages of the ledgers and rebound them in
a modern binding. Current conservation staff have determined that the laminate is causing the pages to deteriorate, and we
need to reverse the lamination process, which is expensive and time consuming. Conservation estimates for delamination,
treating and rebinding of the ledgers range from $25,000 – $38,000. If you would like to aid us in our efforts to preserve James
Anderson’s account books, please contact Carl Childs the Abby and George O’Neill Executive Director of the John D. Rockefeller
Jr. Library at cchilds@cwf.org.
2
�VISIT FROM MATTHEW WHALEY STUDENTS
Janice Canaday, Supervisor of Historical Interpretation and Bray School descendant, speaking to Matthew Whaley students
in the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
On June 13, the Rockefeller Library hosted eighty-four 4th grade students and teachers from Matthew Whaley Elementary
School for a presentation on the Williamsburg Bray School with Colonial Williamsburg interpreters Adam Canaday, Janice Canaday, and Nicole Brown. Adam and Janice, descendants of Bray School students, spoke to the students and answered questions
about the school. Nicole Brown, who interprets Bray School teacher Ann Wager, engaged with the students about what they
hoped to see and experience when they visited the school upon its reconstruction and opening to the public for interpretation.
Earlier in the year, the students became directly involved in the Bray Project themselves, researching the Bray School
students and creating handwritten signs bearing their names. They joined the crowd on February 10 to watch the Bray School
move from William & Mary’s campus to its new home in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area holding up their signs and honoring the Bray School students. In collaboration with Matthew Whaley 4th grade teacher Christine Mcbee, the students donated
their signs to the Rockefeller Library to ensure they will be preserved as part of the project’s legacy. Library staff members
Tracey Gulden, Jenna Simpson, and Brendan Sostak then created both a physical and digital exhibit highlighting the signs and
the student’s unexpected but significant role in marking the importance of the Bray School move. The digital exhibit may be
found online at Telling Their Stories: The Williamsburg Bray School Student Sign Project.
3
�WILLIAMSBURG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA VISITS SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Special guests from the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra, Rockefeller Library volunteers, and staff pose by the table of
eighteenth-century music that the group viewed during their visit on May 23, 2023. Pictured are: R-L: Michael Butterman,
Music Director, violinist Jennifer Carillo; Jon Nakamatsu, pianist and guest artist; Carolyn Keurajian; President and CEO; Dennis and Eloise Branden, Colonial Williamsburg volunteers; Doug Mayo, Head of Special Collections, and Marianne Martin,
Visual Resources Librarian.
Photo by Donna Cooke.
On May 23, the Special Collections staff welcomed special guests from the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra to view eighteenth and early nineteenth century music held by the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. They included Michael Butterman, Music
Director, Jon Nakamatsu, pianist and guest artist, Jennifer Carillo, violinist, and Carolyn Keurajian, President and CEO. Colonial
Williamsburg volunteers, Dennis and Eloise Branden, who were serving as hosts for the musicians while they were in town preparing for the symphony’s concert on May 25th, organized the tour to introduce them to the extensive collection of historic
music manuscripts and printed sheet music housed in Special Collections. Among the items the group examined were an original music manuscript that belonged to Peter Pelham, first organist for Bruton Parish Church, a score for “The Beggar’s Opera,”
and instrumental parts for chamber music known to have been available in eighteenth-century Williamsburg. They also viewed
Robert Bremner’s The Harpsichord or spinnet miscellany being a gradation of proper lessons from the beginner to the tollerable
performer chiefly intended to save masters the trouble of writing for their pupils, 1763, and listened to a piece performed from
the rare edition by Joyce Lindorff, who was an invited scholar in residence at the Rockefeller Library in 2013. Lindorff recorded a
CD, Music of the Harpsichord Miscellany (2013), featuring herself playing the music on the 1758 Jacob Kirckman harpsichord
from the musical instrument collection of the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. A variety of letters, invoices, diaries, playbills, and newspaper excerpts rounded out the display and offered the group insight into the role that music played in the daily
lives of colonial Virginians.
4
�HOLLYWOOD COMES TO WILLIAMSBURG: A CENTURY OF MOVIE AND MEDIA PRODUCTIONS
Jenna Simpson, Assistant Media Collections Manager, gives a talk at the Williamsburg Regional Library.
On May 11, Jenna Simpson, Assistant Media Collections Manager, and Marianne Martin, Visual Resources Librarian,
gave an in-person version of their presentation, “Hollywood Comes to Williamsburg: A Century of Movie and Media
Productions,” to a crowd of over fifty attendees at Williamsburg Regional Library. A digital version of Hollywood
Comes to Williamsburg: A Century of Movie and Media Productions is available as is the physical exhibit by the same
name in the lobby entrance of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library through the end of the summer. The exhibit is free
and open to the public.
5
�ROCKEFELLER LIBRARY HOSTS DURANT PHOTO I.D. SESSION IN CONJUNCTION WITH BLESSING OF
REVERENCE EVENT
Marianne Martin, Visual Resources Librarian, hosts guests in Special Collections following the Blessing
of Reverence ceremony.
On May 5, in partnership with First Baptist Church and the Williamsburg DAR Chapter, the Rockefeller Library offered a special opportunity for participants in the Blessing of Reverence ceremony held at Cedar Grove Cemetery to visit the library afterwards for a reception and to assist with review and identification of individuals pictured in photos in the Albert Durant Photography Collection. The Blessing of Reverence commemoration focused upon remembering those buried in the southeast
portion of Cedar Grove Cemetery that formerly served as a segregated area for the gravesites of Black residents. Several participants found family members and school friends amongst the photos by Albert Durant that they reviewed in Special Collections. The project continues to benefit both the library and community members by leading to these important discoveries
and connections, helping fill in the blanks in the historical record.
6
�JUNETEENTH EVENT HOSTED BY JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER JR LIBRARY
During the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library’s Juneteenth program, visitors watched a slide show featuring the photography
of Albert Durant.
Photo by Brendan Sostak.
On June 19, the Rockefeller Library invited Colonial Williamsburg visitors and residents to celebrate Juneteenth through a
special event held at Bruton Heights School. Participants watched a short vodcast providing biographical and contextual
information about Albert Durant, whose collection of close to 10,000 images is preserved at the library. They then proceeded to a classroom where they could view a small display about the collection’s acquisition and significance and see a
slideshow offering highlights of the subject matter represented in the collection. After these short introductions to Mr. Durant and his photographs, participants sat down at various stations throughout the classroom to review notebooks with
copies of photos from the collection needing further identification. As a result of the event, many new names, places, and
dates can be associated with previously undocumented photographs.
7
�JUNETEENTH EVENT HOSTED BY JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER JR.
(continued)
During the Library’s Juneteenth program, visitors helped to identify photographs and
read reproductions of the old school newspaper The Brutonian.
Photo by Brendan Sostak.
The event also served as a celebration of the generous gift of the Frank K. Webb Charitable Trust to fund the conservation and digitization of over 5,000 negatives in the collection that have vinegar syndrome, a form of deterioration that causes
the base of cellulose acetate negatives to shrink and buckle, eventually rendering a negative unprintable or scannable. Chicago
Albumen Works, a specialized vendor located in Housatonic, Massachusetts, will carry out the work of preserving and digitizing
the negatives. As a result of this project, many more significant images documenting Black life in Williamsburg between the
1940s and early 1960s will be available online and will enhance projects underway to highlight the contributions of Williamsburg’s Black community during the era of segregation.
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
Please visit Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library for information on how you can help support the Library and don’t forget to
like and follow us on Facebook: Rockefeller Library at CW.
To contact the library directly, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
8
�
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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Title
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John D. Rockefeller Jr Library newsletter. Volume 5, number 4, Spring 2023
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
2023
-
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PDF Text
Text
SPRING 2023
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 6, NO. 1
RITTENHOUSE GIFT
A post-conservation image of the Virginia Gazettes shown in their new bindings.
IN THIS ISSUE
Rittenhouse Gift:
p. 1-3
Architectural Drawings Conservation:
p. 4-5
Soldier and Sailor Training Program:
p. 6-7
Colonial Williamsburg Matchbooks:
p. 7-8
Urgent Conservation Priorities:
p. 9-10
New Databases:
p. 10-11
William Rind began publishing his Virginia Gazette in 1767 and continued until his death in 1773. After Rind’s death, his wife Clementina continued publishing the paper until she died the following year.
In 1996, Colonial Williamsburg acquired seventy-five issues of the
Virginia Gazette printed by the Rinds from October 8, 1772, to December 30, 1773. Among these issues are the last printed by William
and first by Clementina. Earlier this year, these issues were sent to a
conservation lab for treatment. The previous owner of the issues
had them bound and that binding was in disrepair at the time of
acquisition. The issues within the binding were becoming brittle and
difficult to handle, though they were not causing further damage. At
1
�RITTENHOUSE GIFT
(continued)
the lab, the conservator removed the old binding,
cleaned, deacidified, and flattened each leaf. Following
that process, each leaf was encapsulated in a plastic
sleeve, and then bound in two post bindings. Upon
their return to Special Collections, the issues were
used in this summer’s Teacher Institute sessions.
During those sessions, visiting teachers learned about
the business of printing and the role of newspapers in
pre-Revolutionary America, knowledge they will share
with their students back in their classrooms. At the
conclusion of the teacher sessions, the issues were
sent offsite for digitization. These images are now
available online.
The conservation and digitization of these issues was
made possible by a generous donation from Ms. Martha Rittenhouse. The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
appreciates her generosity and the generosity of all
our donors who make it possible for us to acquire, conserve, and digitize the important historic materials in
our care so they can be shared with the world.
A pre-conservation photo showing the state of the Virginia Gazette
issues before conservation.
2
�RITTENHOUSE GIFT
(continued)
One of Clementina Rind’s first duties as printer was to inform the public of the passing of her husband, William. The announcement appears here within the thick black
border.
3
�ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS CONSERVATION
Library volunteers Scott Spence and Nancy Marley assist with cleaning soot residue off architectural drawings using a lint-free
microfiber cloth and wedges of a vulcanized rubber dry cleaning sponge.
Special Collections volunteers are hard at work assisting with the cleaning of a group of one hundred blueprints received in
January as part of a donation from the architectural firm of Perry Dean Rogers Partners of Boston. The blueprints encompass floor plans, elevations, sections, and details of various buildings in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area created by the
Williamsburg office of Perry, Shaw & Hepburn, the architects in charge of Williamsburg’s initial restoration. For many years,
the drawings remained in the firm’s Boston office in a basement storage area near a furnace. As a result, the drawings are
coated with a film of soot that must be removed before the drawings can be sent over to the Paper Conservation Lab for
flattening in a humidification chamber. Due to being rolled in tubes for many decades, quite a few of the drawings are not
responding to basic flattening treatments and will require humidification to relax them enough to flatten for storage in
drawers.
Colonial Williamsburg’s Senior Paper Conservator, Pam Young, showed staff and volunteers how to gently clean the soot off
the drawings. First, a lint free microfiber cloth is carefully applied across the verso of each drawing to remove an initial layer
of soot. Next, a small piece of vulcanized rubber sponge is gently dabbed on sections of the drawing exhibiting areas of
greater soil, such as the edges of the drawing exposed within the storage tube. The sponges quickly become saturated with
soot and often several are required to complete the cleaning of one drawing.
A more in-depth conservation project with architectural drawings is taking place in the Paper Conservation Lab under the
supervision of Young and Assistant Paper Conservator, Perrine Lesaux. They are currently preparing fourteen items from the
A. Lawrence Kocher Collection for an upcoming loan to the Palm Springs Art Museum for the exhibition Albert Frey: Innovative Modernist, to be held from January 13 to June 6, 2024. A. Lawrence Kocher served as an Advisory Architect for the
Williamsburg Restoration. In this role, he joined a group of practitioners from around the country who met
4
�ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS CONSERVATION
Colonial Williamsburg Assistant Paper Conservator, Perrine Lesaux, examining photographs and architectural drawings from the A. Lawrence Kocher Collection that will be loaned to the Palm Springs Art Museum
for the exhibit Albert Frey: Innovative Modernist.
periodically at Williamsburg to review the restoration work’s progress, develop guidelines, and share their expertise. Kocher
combined his study of colonial architecture through this consultant role with experimentation in the emerging International
Style by partnering with Albert Frey in the early 1930s to design buildings influenced by Le Corbusier’s atelier. Kocher returned
to Colonial Williamsburg in 1944 to become Architectural Records Editor, a position he held until 1954.
The Palm Springs Art Museum (PSAM) is borrowing ten architectural drawings, three photographs, and one news clipping that illustrate the collaboration between A. Lawrence Kocher and Albert Frey on such projects as the Aluminaire House,
Darien Guild Hall, the Ralph House, the Weekend House, a donut shop, and a miniature golf course. To prepare the drawings for
safe transport and exhibition at the museum, Pam and Perrine are carrying out cleaning, flattening, and mending tasks. Some of
the drawings require humidification in a chamber under a plastic dome. This relaxes the creases to give the drawings a smooth
surface for matting and framing for display. After exposure to the humidity, the drawings are individually flattened using heavy
weights. Perrine also uses thin Japanese tissue to fill in small losses on the drawings. By matching the tone and transparency of
the tissue paper, she can make these small repairs almost unnoticeable. Pam is mounting the drawings, photographs, and newspaper clipping to acid-free matboard in preparation for framing at the PSAM. The Rockefeller Library is grateful for the expertise
and support of our skilled paper conservation staff who have made these two important projects possible.
5
�COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG’S SOLDIER SAILOR TRAINING PROGRAM
Associate Archivist, Sarah Nerney, pictured, and Marianne Martin, Visual Resources Librarian, gave their presentation, “’We Shall
Carry On’”: Colonial Williamsburg’s Contribution to the War Effort, 1941-1945,” to an audience of forty-three people at the Williamsburg Regional Library on July 7, 2023. One of the main segments presented by Sarah focused upon the Soldier Sailor Training Program. She explained that in May 1942, President Chorley wrote a letter to Brigadier General Forrest Williford, then the
commanding officer at Ft. Eustis, proposing an idea that he hoped would demonstrate Colonial Williamsburg’s commitment to
making a real and valuable contribution to the war effort. Chorley proposed including in the Ft. Eustis basic training program a
one-day educational trip to Colonial Williamsburg to demonstrate to the soldiers “why we are in this war and just what we are
fighting to preserve.” This program would be a required part of basic training rather than a recreational visit. It would be constructed to show that the current fight was to preserve the general foundations of a free people which was the same fight for
what Chorley referred to as the Four Freedoms of the American Revolution: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of
the press, and freedom of assembly. And where better to reinforce these concepts, said Chorley, than in the place where these
foundations were no different in 1942 than they had been in 1776? It would be a real-world application of the vision of Rev.
Goodwin and Mr. Rockefeller “that restored Williamsburg might become the nation’s inspirational and cultural center for those
who believed that the principles for which our forefathers fought should be maintained as the central feature for real Americanism.”
6
�COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG’S SOLDIER SAILOR TRAINING PROGRAM
(continued)
By October 1943 a brochure had been produced for military visitors to take away with them as a Colonial Williamsburg souvenir. Known as the “Are You Filling Their Shoes” folder, the brochure included a map of Colonial Williamsburg with prominent Revolutionary sites from the program tour. Historical information about the Four Freedoms and the Founding Fathers
in the brochure was intended to reinforce the information military visitors learned during their on-site visits. It emphasized
the role that the current military was playing in upholding the Revolutionary ideals and was meant to be a continuing inspiration after departure from Colonial Williamsburg by literally asking: Are you filling our patriot forefathers’ shoes? Rockefeller loved the folder and told Mr. Chorley that it was “one of the finest pieces of literature the Restoration had ever put out”
and that “He and Mrs. Rockefeller were so impressed by it they were mailing copies to all their sons in service.” An online
exhibition of We Shall Carry On”: Colonial Williamsburg’s Contribution to the War Effort, 1941-1945 is also available.
COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG MATCHBOOKS
In August 2023, Corporate Archives acquired a set of twelve Colonial Williamsburg matchbooks in a green cardboard sleeve
made by the Maryland Match Company of Baltimore, Maryland. The matchbooks feature two colored illustrations of Colonial
Williamsburg exhibition buildings (and the College of William and Mary Wren Building) on the front and reverse of each book,
with a brief history of the buildings on the inside. The matches (now removed for the safety of the collections as it is a bad idea
to have combustible materials in a library!) had green match heads. The matchbooks likely date from the late 1940s or early
1950s. The Travis House is included in the illustrations and described as functioning as a public house, which indicates that it
was still at that time in position at the foot of Palace Green on Duke of Gloucester Street. Travis House restaurant closed in February 1951 when the Kings Arms Tavern opened to replace it. Correspondence in Corporate Archives from 1949-1952 between
the Reproductions program and the Maryland Match Company indicates that Colonial Williamsburg had engaged the company
to produce the matches which would then be sold in its shops. Thanks very much to Russ Cowell who had this treasure in his
possession and was willing to add it to the Corporate Archives collections as we do not have many samples of products from the
Restoration era. As we approach our centennial anniversary in 2026, it is nice to bring another piece of our history back home.
(Corporate Archives Accession 2023-051)
7
�COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG MATCHBOOKS
(continued)
Colonial Williamsburg matchbooks depicting some of the most important public buildings in the old
capital.
8
�URGENT CONSERVATION PRIORITIES : ROBERT CARTER III LETTERBOOKS
Robert Carter’s letter discussing the musical performance of Benjamin Franklin.
Robert Carter III (1728-1804) was a member of the Virginia Council and perhaps the wealthiest Virginian of his day. He attended
the grammar school at the College of William and Mary before going to London to study law. Upon his return to Virginia, he
moved into Nomony (sometimes Nomini) Hall in Westmoreland County. Carter married Frances Tasker of Annapolis, Maryland
in 1754. In 1761, they moved their young family to a house near the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg. Carter recorded details
of his life in Williamsburg in the three letter books he kept during his years in the colonial capital. The letter books commence
with Carter’s move to his Williamsburg home on Palace Green in 1761. Early letters provide dimensions of the home’s interior
and document how Carter decorated and furnished his residence. Further letters reveal Carter’s love of music and musical instruments. In one such letter, Carter relates how impressed local musician Peter Pelham was with Benjamin Franklin’s performance upon the glass armonica in New York. Pelham’s description intrigued Carter so that he ordered an armonica from London for his Williamsburg home. Other letters document the wide range of goods Carter consumed, the management of his plantations and personal and family matters.
9
�URGENT CONSERVATION PRIORITIES : ROBERT CARTER III LETTERBOOKS
(continued)
Colonial Williamsburg acquired Carter’s letter books in 1957. Earlier this year a vendor imaged the volumes and Special Collections staff and volunteers transcribed them. The images and transcriptions are now freely accessible online. Special Collections
would like to thank Catherine Freemon for her assistance in transcribing these volumes.
To protect the pages from handling, conservators laminated the pages of the volumes and rebound them in a modern binding.
Current conservation staff have determined that the laminate poses a serious risk of loss to the pages of the letter books and
needs to be reversed. Reversing the lamination process is expensive and time consuming. The estimates for delamination,
treating and rebinding of the three volumes is approximately $30,000. If you would like to aid us in our efforts to preserve Robert Carter’s letter books, please contact Carl Childs Abby and George O’Neill Executive Director of the John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Library.
Colonial Williamsburg has opened Robert Carter’s home for tours. If you would like to see Robert Carter’s Williamsburg home,
you may make a reservation to do so.
NEW DATABASES FOR FALL 2023
Rockefeller Library is delighted to announce the acquisition of three new primary source databases that are highly relevant to
the Colonial Williamsburg’s research priorities. These resources will expand our scholarly horizons and help our historians, researchers, and interpreters uncover and tell new stories, that “the future may learn from the past:”
Indigenous Peoples of North America
Presenting content sourced from both American and Canadian institutions, this collection will enhance research and increase
understanding of the historical experiences, cultural traditions and innovations, and political status of Indigenous peoples in the
United States and Canada. The material included in this archive has received direct-from-source permission to digitize newspapers from various tribes and organizations and features Indigenous language materials, including dictionaries, religious texts,
and primers. This resource will support the work of Colonial Williamsburg’s American Indian Initiative and allow all our researchers to explore the impact of invasion and colonization, and the intersection of Indigenous and European histories and
systems of knowledge.
10
�NEW DATABASES FOR FALL 2023
(continued)
Slavery And Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive
Part II, Slave Trade in the Atlantic World
The documents in this collection chart the inception of slavery in Africa and its rise as perpetuated on both sides of the Atlantic
Ocean, placing particular emphasis on the Caribbean, Latin America, and United States. This resource was developed by an international editorial board with scholars specializing in North American, European, African, and Latin American/Caribbean aspects of the slave trade.
Part III, The Institution of Slavery
This collection explores, in vivid detail, the inner workings of slavery from 1492 to 1888. Through legal documents, plantation
records, first-person accounts, newspapers, government records, and other primary sources, it reveals how enslaved people
struggled against the institution. These rare works explore slavery as a legal and labor system, the relationship between slavery
and religion, freed slaves, the Shong Massacre, the Demerara insurrection, and many other aspects and events.
Together these modules will enable Colonial Williamsburg’s historians to conduct comparative research on slavery on a broader
scale, both trmporally and geographically.
Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Nichols Newspapers Collection
This resource provides access to the newspapers, periodicals, pamphlets, and broadsheets that form the Nichols newspaper
collection held at the Bodleian library in Oxford, UK. All 296 volumes of bound material, covering the period 1672-1737, are included. The collection charts the history of the development of the press in England and provides invaluable insight into seventeenth and eighteenth century England. It also contains many references to Virginia!
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
Marianne Martin, Doug Mayo, Sarah Nerney, and Melissa
Schutt
Please visit Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library for information on how you can help support the Library and don’t forget to
like and follow us on Facebook: Rockefeller Library at CW.
To contact the library directly, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
11
�
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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Title
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John D. Rockefeller Jr Library newsletter. Volume 6, number 1, Summer 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Publisher
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
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2023
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FALL 2023
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 6, NO. 2
NEW LIBRARY EXHIBIT
The Rockefeller Library is pleased to announce the
opening of its new exhibition, “Wish You Were Here’: Three Centuries of Travel to Williamsburg” on
January 12, 2024. Curated by the exhibition committee, consisting of Donna Cooke, Doug Mayo, Marianne Martin, Sarah Nerney, and Jenna Simpson,
the exhibit traces the evolution of Williamsburg
from a colonial capital into an historic landmark.
Two chapters in Williamsburg’s history have been
pivotal in transforming the town into a destination
for travelers – the period when it served as the colonial capital of Virginia and the commencement of its
restoration in the late 1920s. During the eighteenth
century, many travelers passed through Williamsburg due to its role as the capital of colonial Virginia
and the center of government, education, and business for the colony. They came to attend sessions of
the courts and the General Assembly, to shop for
goods and re-stock supplies at Market Days, and to
enjoy such entertainments as fairs, plays, musical
IN THIS ISSUE
New Library Exhibit:
p. 1-2
Media Collections Attends AMIA Conference: p. 3
Introductory poster for the Rockefeller Library’s latest exhibit.
1
Home Movie Collection Presented :
p. 4
Architects Visit:
p. 5
Virginia Gazette Acquisitions:
p. 6-7
Library Welcomes New Staff:
p. 8-10
Volunteers Transcribe Newspapers:
p. 11-12
�NEW LIBRARY EXHIBIT
(continued)
concerts, and sporting events. After the move of the capital of Virginia to Richmond in 1780, the stream of travelers subsided,
and the town experienced an economic decline and did not have as many of the cultural attractions as its eighteenth-century
counterpart. Nevertheless, Williamsburg did host a few prominent guests, such as the Marquis de Lafayette during his return
visit to the United States in 1824.
The celebrations of America’s centennial in 1876 and of the Yorktown centennial in 1881, along with the construction
of the C&O railroad on the peninsula, helped reignite interest in Williamsburg’s historic heritage. During the late nineteenthcentury, the tourist industry slowly began to grow, and Williamsburg’s business owners sought to promote the town’s historic
associations to get train passengers to consider stopping for a day trip or overnight stay. At the same time, the town’s preservation-minded citizens joined groups such as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities to save surviving structures, such as the Powder Magazine, and to excavate and commemorate the remains of others, such as the Capitol. The Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition of 1907 offered an opportunity to draw attention to these and other historic sites in Williamsburg to passengers who stopped in town along their way to Norfolk. 1907 also marked the completion of an initial restoration
of Bruton Parish Church overseen by the Rev. W.A.R. Goodwin, who returned to Williamsburg in the early 1920s to take a position at the College of William & Mary. His passion for Williamsburg’s historic past as Virginia’s colonial capital led him to launch
a campaign to raise funds for the acquisition and restoration of additional structures in Williamsburg. He found a dedicated
benefactor in John D. Rockefeller Jr., who initially agreed to work as a silent partner with Goodwin in 1926 and later, in November 1927, agreed to fund a large-scale restoration of the town’s overall historic district. Five years later, in the early 1930s, restored and reconstructed exhibition buildings began opening to the public launching a new era for Williamsburg as a place to
immerse Americans in an authentic, carefully restored recreation of Virginia’s colonial capital.
A variety of objects held by Special Collections, Corporate Archives, Visual Resources, and Media Collections, illustrate
the story of Williamsburg’s rebirth as an important destination for travelers. Four exhibition cases focus upon the themes of
Pre-Restoration Williamsburg, Transportation, Accommodations, and Community Remembrances. A few highlights of items on
exhibit include an original edition of Lafayette’s account of his return visit to America in 1824, late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century souvenir guidebooks and postcards, early photos, postcards, brochures and flyers for Colonial Williamsburg’s
hotels, drawings of concepts for handling transport of tourists in and around Williamsburg, and a series of scrapbooks and
letters chronicling tourists’ experiences at Colonial Williamsburg from the 1930s to the 1980s. Five exhibit panels examine the
topics of Williamsburg’s tourist homes and wartime lodging, the Green Book and the Black tourist’s experience, Williamsburg
restaurants, Colonial Williamsburg taverns and dining rooms, and Colonial Williamsburg recreational activities. A monitor in the
exhibit space allows guests to view segments from several home movies taken by tourists to Colonial Williamsburg that have
been acquired by Media Collections staff for addition to its moving footage archives. They offer a fascinating glimpse into the
experiences of visitors in 1949, 1957, and the 1960s and complement the items on display by bringing to life the exhibition
buildings, streets, and gardens that visitors encountered during these formative decades in Colonial Williamsburg’s development.
“Wish You Were Here’: Three Centuries of Travel to Williamsburg” is free and open to the public during library hours
from Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm, through December 2024. Within the next few months, an online version will be launched
that will include additional content beyond what could be fit into the exhibition space.
2
�MEDIA COLLECTIONS ATTENDS AMIA CONFERENCE
In November, Media Collections’ Jenna
Simpson represented the Rockefeller
Library at the annual conference of the
Association of Moving Image Archivists
(AMIA) in Tulsa. The trip was made possible by a grant facilitated by GBH
(Boston Public Media) and PB Core and
was centered around attendance at a 2day workshop on the PB Core metadata
standard.
PB Core – the “PB” stands for
“public broadcasting” – is a system for
cataloging audiovisual materials, taking
into account the special characteristics
of time-based media. Therefore, it involves fields not used in other library or
visual archiving catalogues: things such
as frame rate, data rate, media format,
and broadcast information. While
attending the workshop, Jenna learned
about this system and got hands-on
experience using the PB Core cataloging
tool. Jenna and the rest of the Media
Collections team look forward to putting
this new knowledge to use as they work
to digitize and catalogue the many audio and video files in our collections
here at Colonial Williamsburg.
Jenna Simpson at the AMIA conference in Tulsa.
While at the conference, Jenna was also able to attend talks on many other subjects of interest, including the development of the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, the work of the Audiovisual Media Preservation Initiative at the Smithsonian, legal questions around online library “virtual reading rooms,” and the challenges faced by other institutions as they work to
preserve and catalogue their audiovisual collections. In addition, she appreciated the opportunity to visit the Greenwood Rising
museum in Tulsa, as well as to make personal connections with other archivists stewarding home movie collections – a type of
audiovisual resource which the Rockefeller Library is just beginning to collect.
3
�HOME MOVIE COLLECTION PRESENTED
Tracey Gulden gives a presentation at the Williamsburg Regional Library.
On October 11, Tracey Gulden and Jenna Simpson of the Rockefeller Library’s Media Collections department gave a talk at the
Williamsburg Regional Library about a new initiative to collect home movies. The Library is particularly interested in collecting
films that show what the visitor experience was like in the mid-20th century. This is a period from which we have many photographs and some educational films, but very little “informal” motion picture footage. Home movies provide valuable information
because they are personal expressions of what an individual tourist found interesting and noteworthy, and they often capture
the small daily moments which would otherwise be lost to time. Our early collecting has already revealed footage of several
such noteworthy (in hindsight) scenes, such as cars and carriage rides sharing the road.
In their presentation, clips from several films dating from the 1940s through the 1960s were shown, and tips were
offered for those interested in cataloging and preserving their own home movie collections. The talk will be presented again at
the Hennage Auditorium (in the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg) on March 25 at 1pm.
If you have home movies that you think would be of interest to the Rockefeller Library, please reach out to Tracey Gulden at tgulden@cwf.org.
4
�MCWB ARCHITECTS EXAMINE ARCHITECTURAL HANDBOOKS
Former Colonial Williamsburg architectural historians Jeffrey Klee, center, and Mark R. Wenger, far left, brought their
team from the Williamsburg office of MCWB Architects to Special Collections to examine a variety of rare books relating
to architecture on October 26, 2023.
The Rockefeller Library was pleased to welcome former Colonial Williamsburg architectural historians Mark R. Wenger and
Jeffrey Klee, and staff members of the Williamsburg office of MCWB Architects, to Special Collections on October 26, 2023.
The group examined and discussed a selection of rare books to learn about the role architectural handbooks played in the
design of exterior and interior features of eighteenth-century buildings. The Rockefeller Library is fortunate to hold a collection of architectural handbooks assembled by A. Lawrence Kocher, a distinguished architect who contributed his expertise to
Colonial Williamsburg in two separate decades and helped to guide both the initial restoration effort and the post-World War
II expansion.
Architectural handbooks became common after 1700 and combined text concerning contemporary design practices
of the period with many illustrated plates offering ideas for exterior facades, floor plans, and exterior and interior details.
Some of these handbooks served as practical “how-to” manuals, such as William Pain’s The Practical House Carpenter, or,
Youth’s Instructor, 1796. Others served the purpose of providing potential clients with design prototypes to choose from,
such as Batty Langley’s The City and Country Builder’s and Workman’s Treasury of Designs, 1740. Others focused upon the
design and construction of specific architectural details, such as John Crunden’s Chimney-piece Makers Daily Assistant, 1766.
Evidence that builders and designers in Virginia owned and consulted such handbooks can be found in the Virginia Gazette,
where advertisements list specific architectural books available for sale by merchants.
5
�VIRGINIA GAZETTE ACQUISITIONS
One of the 134 issues of the Virginia Gazette acquired by the John D. Rockefeller Library since 2018.
This issue was printed by John Pinkney on December
8, 1774.
The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library is pleased to announce that it has completed the purchase of 134 issues of the Virginia Gazette which first came to our attention in 2018. We would like to thank the donors whose generous contributions over the last
six years made this possible. We also extend our thanks to the seller for allowing us the time to acquire the funds necessary to
complete this transaction. The Gazettes acquired from these recent purchases were printed in 1774-1775 by all the printers
active in Williamsburg and Norfolk during those years. They increase our ability to share the story of the Williamsburg and the
American Revolution through primary sources.
With these recent purchases, the Rockefeller Library now owns almost six hundred issues of the Virginia Gazette printed in the eighteenth century. The oldest of these issues was printed by Williamsburg’s second printer, William Hunter, on January 10, 1751. Only the third and fourth pages of the issue remain, and they have suffered significant loss. Colonial Williamsburg
made its first purchase of a Virginia Gazette from a resident of Alexandria, Virginia in 1928. That issue from November 3, 1768,
and over fifty other issues are currently out for digitization. They should be available online this April.
With these most recent acquisitions, the Rockefeller Library holds original copies of approximately 25% of all the Virginia Gazettes printed in the eighteenth century. So, while we celebrate these most recent additions to our collection, we continue to be on the lookout for more issues to add to our growing collection.
6
�VIRGINIA GAZETTE ACQUISITIONS
(continued)
The first newspaper acquired by Colonial Williamsburg was this issue acquired
nearly one hundred years ago.
7
�ROCKEFELLER LIBRARY WELCOMES NEW STAFF
Rockefeller Library is delighted to welcome its new Reference & Outreach Librarian, Emily Petermann.
After double-majoring in History and Anthropology at Kansas State University, Emily earned
a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Simmons University in Boston. Before joining the
team at the Rockefeller, she was a Library Assistant II at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Her
academic background, experience with historical research using primary sources, and commitment to
making history accessible to all make her a wonderful addition to our team.
Her focus at “the Rock” will be assisting library users with their research, leading library
tours and outreach events, and providing training sessions on library resources.
8
�ROCKEFELLER LIBRARY WELCOMES NEW STAFF
(continued)
The Rockefeller Library is pleased to welcome its new Records Management Program Manager, Brenda Grow.
She has a B.A. in Business Administration and over 35 years of records management experience. Before joining the
team at the Rockefeller, she was the Records Manager at James City County.
Her new role at “the Rock” will be developing records management training, consulting on records-keeping best
practices, and overseeing the operation of our records center.
9
�ROCKEFELLER LIBRARY WELCOMES NEW STAFF.
(continued)
The Rockefeller Library is happy to introduce its new Associate Archivist, Rivi Feinsilber.
Rivi received her B.A. from Washington College with a major in History and minor in Anthropology. From there
she earned her M.A. in History at Virigina Commonwealth University (VCU), followed by a Master's in Library and Information Science with a concentration in Archives Management from Simmons University. Before joining the team at the
Rockefeller, she was an Assistant Archivist at The Mary Baker Eddy Library. Her academic research work includes Jewish
colonial religious history, with an emphasis in the British North American colonies.
Rivi will use her research and archival skills to process collections and help with research requests.
10
�VOLUNTEERS TRANSCRIBE NEWSPAPERS
Rockefeller Library volunteers do a lot of work behind the scenes to make materials more accessible to researchers. In Special
Collections, volunteers are busy transcribing 18th century issues of the Virginia Gazette to make them keyword searchable. We
greatly appreciate the time and energy they dedicate to this important work. Two of our volunteer transcribers do a lot more
than just work on the Virginia Gazette project as you will see from their brief introductions below.
Special Collections volunteer Helene Kriner.
Helene Kriner graduated from Bowling Green State University with a BA and MA in American Studies. Her major areas of focus
were eighteenth century history and literature. Given those interests, it should come as no surprise that she moved to Williamsburg from Cincinnati, Ohio, to be closer to eighteenth century historical sites. Since her move, Helene has been one of
the Rockefeller Library’s most dedicated volunteers. In addition to her work transcribing newspapers, Helene assists with interlibrary loan, shelving, inventorying, book repair, photograph identification, audio visual collection research, transcribing
Colonial Williamsburg stage and musical performances, and indexing files.
11
�VOLUNTEERS TRANSCRIBE NEWSPAPERS
(continued)
Special Collections volunteer Jack Baer.
After a thirty-two plus year career with the Federal Government, Jack Baer moved to Williamsburg in the summer of 2010 and
immediately signed up to volunteer with Colonial Williamsburg. There, he trained to give tours of Wetherburn’s Tavern and the
Thomas Everard House. Jack served in this capacity for ten years and his goal quickly became to have young children on his tours
that he was able to interest in colonial history. After ten years Jack began to search for another volunteer experience and began
working in the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library transcribing Virginia Gazettes. He says that the transcription project not only feeds
his interest in finding out what goes on in day-to-day life in eighteenth century Williamsburg, but also gives him pleasure, knowing that he is enabling historians and those interested in colonial history to access the pages of 18th century Virginia Gazettes
online. Jack has also been helping the Rockefeller Library staff inventory and document the audio-visual collection.
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
Tracey Gulden, Marianne Martin, Doug Mayo, Sarah Ner
ney, Jenna Simpson
Please visit Friends of John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library for information on how you can help support the Library and don’t forget to
like and follow us on Facebook: Rockefeller Library at CW.
12
�
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 6, number 2, Fall 2023
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
2023
-
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52eb0c656dc7ff3908071d0e581a5f64
PDF Text
Text
SUMMER 2018
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 1, NO. 1
Welcome to the inaugural issue of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter. The newsletter seeks to build a sense of community among those who care for, contribute to, and use the unique historical resources in our collection. The newsletter will
feature recent acquisitions and highlight exhibitions, publications, websites, and educational programming related to the Library’s collections.
CORPORATE ARCHIVES WELCOMES ITS FIRST RESEARCHER AT
THE ROCK
On May 30, Corporate Archives staff welcomed their first researcher since moving the collection to the John D. Rockefeller
Jr. Library. Katherine Ainslie, Stewardship Writer with Colonial
Williamsburg’s Development team, visited the new reading
room location to review the “Boxwood Book,” a 1920s-era volume produced by then-landscape designer Arthur Shurcliff. The
book documents Shurcliff’s design plans for the boxwood plants
that were purchased from locations throughout the Southeast
United States. The book contains plans, photographs, and descriptions of the plants — both in their native setting and for
their planned planting locations within the Historic Area.
The Corporate Archives relocation from the Goodwin
Building in June was made possible by a $227,914 Museums for
America-Collections Stewardship grant from The Institute of
Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and support from a generous private donor. The project provided for the purchase and
installation of high-density compact shelving, development of a
box management system, and the move of the corporate archives collection and staff offices to the Library.
The Corporate Archives, which serves as the Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation's corporate memory, was created in
1945 to document the administrative, business, and legal history of the Restoration and the Foundation.
“Thanks to IMLS funding and the support of our donor,
we were able to move the corporate archives to an environment at the Library much more suitable for long-term records
Archivist Donna Cooke and Katherine Ainslie (Development) examine the
Boxwood book.
preservation and the move will also vastly improve our ability
to provide quality reference services,” said Library Director
Carl Childs. “We are enormously grateful for IMLS and donor
support for this exciting and worthwhile project.”
Inside this issue:
Archives moves to the Library
p. 1-2
Everard House Exhibit
p. 1-2
Research Notes
p. 3
Volunteer Milestone
p. 3-4
The Electronic Front
p. 4
EVERARD HOUSE EXHIBIT
“Celebrating Three Hundred Years at the Everard House,” an
exhibit to accompany the observance of the three hundredth anniversary of the Thomas Everard House, opened
recently at the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. Visitors and
Colonial Williamsburg staff can learn more about the
house’s history, residents, architectural restoration, and educational programs via a variety of objects from the Library’s
collections, including manuscripts, corporate documents,
photographs, and drawings. (continued on page 2)
�EVERARD HOUSE EXHIBIT (continued)
Selected museum objects complement
the archival treasures and illustrate the
important role played by architectural
preservation and investigation in maintaining and interpreting the Everard site.
Highlights include original letters written
by Thomas Everard, letters, postcards,
and photos relating to later residents,
brochures and photos from the official
opening in 1952, and notebooks, drawings, and even paint and dendrochronological samples documenting the house’s
restoration.
The cover and title of the “Boxwood Book.”
Items documenting the Everard House in the period before it was restored to its 18th-century appearance.
Image by Wayne Reynolds.
-2-
�RESEARCH NOTES
Nicole Brown is a Colonial Williamsburg interpreter who portrays 18th-century Williamsburg resident Ann Wager. Her portrayal is thoroughly
grounded in the research she conducts at the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. Below she discusses her portrayal and the role the Library plays
in her research.
Working as an interpreter requires dedicated time to research and compile information.
This is especially true as a character interpreter,
where it is my privilege to portray Ann Wager as
part of the Nation Builder Unit. It is absolutely
necessary that I have the most reliable resources
and tools available to research Mrs. Wager in order to make her come alive; this has been made
possible only through the research collections of
the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
When I began my research, Ann Wager’s
life and work were a jumble of limited facts and
possible theories. However, Rockefeller Library
staff have enabled me to tackle the perceived historical limitations surrounding this individual. The
plethora of books that have enabled me to study
the Associates of Dr. Bray, the last major institution Mrs. Wager worked for in her life, have been
critical in uncovering her perceptions on education, religion, and slavery.
Character interpreter Nicole Brown portrays Nation Builder Ann Wager on the breezeway of the
Robert Carter House, March 1, 2018.
A FOND FAREWELL (continued)
Many of these books, such as John Van Horne’s seminal work
Religious Philanthropy and Colonial Slavery, are currently out of print
and would not be readily available to me without the Rockefeller Library. Similarly, the research files held in the Library’s Lektriever system
is carefully catalogued with specific material on individuals who lived in
Williamsburg by my predecessors at the Foundation. This system has
made it infinitely easier to quickly find material on individuals such as
Ann Wager.
stacks maintenance assistant. Next she moved to
Technical Services, where she helped Technical
Services Librarian Mary Haskell to put jackets and
spine labels on books.
When the Library and its collections moved
to the Bruton Heights complex in 1997, Joann transitioned to working with George Yetter and Gail
Greve in Special Collections, where she logged
many hours of data entry work with the architectural drawings and Virginia Gazette index. Finally,
after a short period working with Inge Flester in
library administration, Joann began working on box
and folder lists, box labels, and other typing and
data entry tasks for the Visual Resources Collection. Between 2005 and 2018, Joann has completed many significant projects, including production
of 367 box labels for a large collection of vintage
prints relating to the initial restoration work at Williamsburg from the late 1920s-1930s.
The library’s electronic subscriptions to key eighteenth century
databases should also not be overlooked. While it took me several
months to cross-reference international sources, I have finally compiled
a list of every single book that was used at the Williamsburg Bray
School in 1760. This would simply have been impossible without our
Library’s subscription to the Eighteenth Century Collections Online
(ECCO). Our compilation of local court and parish records has also been
invaluable in discovering more about Ann’s life prior to her work at the
Williamsburg Bray School.
I could go on for pages about all the resources I use at the Rockefeller Library, but this essay would then become a tome when I merely
wish to write a few paragraphs. Simply put, I will always be appreciative
for the time, care, and effort of our library staff. Without their work and
dedication, I could not portray Ann Wager or accomplish any successful
interpretive work at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. It is a blessing and a privilege to have colleagues at the Library who make my work
come alive.
A dedicated and loyal supporter of Colonial
Williamsburg, Joann also shared her talents at the
Visitor’s Center as a volunteer at the “May I Help
You?” desk, where she worked a weekly shift between 1988 and 1992. She even occasionally contributed her time as a volunteer on call. Joann and
her husband, Bob, have kindly made donations to
support the purchase of archival supplies and conservation treatments for objects in Special Collections. They both believe in the educational mission
of the Library and have seen firsthand the impact it
has had upon museum staff and the general public
over the years. When asked whether she would
encourage others to volunteer at the library, she
replies “Give it a try. If I hadn’t enjoyed it, I wouldn’t have stayed so long.”
A FOND FAREWELL
Rockefeller Library volunteer Joann Baker (see photo on page 4)
has left the Library after thirty-two years of dedicated service. In those
years, she contributed to every aspect of the library’s operations. Recently, she reached a significant milestone surpassing 6,000 hours of
volunteer work for Colonial Williamsburg. As one of the first group of
volunteers selected to work at the newly consolidated Foundation Library at the Boundary Street Office Building in January 1986, Joann initially worked for Public Services Librarian Susan Berg as a shelver and
-3-
�Joann Baker receiving her 30 year pin from Colonial Williamsburg President Mitchell Reiss in 2016.
As more libraries and archives digitize their collections, online access to
primary sources gives researchers the next-best thing to viewing these
materials in person. The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library maintains many
subscriptions to digital collections that focus on the colonial and Revolutionary periods, providing Colonial Williamsburg’s historians and interpreters with instant access to 18th century books and newspapers;
papers of the country’s Founders; legislative and executive documents
of the newly-formed government; and a variety of primary sources related to special topics such as the slave trade and plantation life.
Recently, the Foundation funded the addition of an exciting
new database to the Library’s collection. Covering the period 16061822, Colonial America consists of 1,450 volumes of British Colonial
Office files held at the National Archives in London. This trove of largely manuscript material includes letters, court records, diaries, maps
and building plans, military documents, petitions, shipping lists, and
more – all illuminating the political, economic, military, cultural and
social life of the period. Like the Library’s other electronic resources,
Colonial America is available at any computer connected to the
CWF network through a link on the library’s website.
Colonial America contains numerous items relating to
18th-century Williamsburg including a letter from Sally (Cary)
Fairfax in Yorkshire to her sister, Anne (Cary) Nicholas in Williamsburg, dated September 9, 1775. The letter reads in part:
“Yr pathetick description of Yr town, and my Brother Nicholas,
and three of Yr Sons bearing Arms, is to Me descriptive of all the
horrors of the approaching War; God of His mercy protect and
deliver them. I hope it is not Treason to Pray for my Friends; the
last Weeks Papers contain’d a Proclamation declaring it treason
to aid, abet, or corrispond with the Rebellious Americans, so you
see what I venture when I write to you.”
Retrieved 7/20/18 from Colonial America, Module 3: The
American Revolution Volume CO 5/40 Part I (Secretary of State:
Intercepted letters to and from American colonists, 1773-1776).
The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter is a publication of Colonial Williamsburg’s John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
Executive Directors, Education, Research and Historic Interpretation
Peter Seibert and Beth Kelly
Director, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
Carl Childs
Editor
Doug Mayo
Contributors
Carl Childs, Marianne Martin, Melissa Schutt, Nicole Brown
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org .
-4-
�
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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Title
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library newsletter, volume 1, no. 1
-
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Text
FALL 2018
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 1, NO. 2
LIBRARIES COLLABORATE ON LOCAL HISTORY
On October 29th Visual Resources Librarian Marianne Martin and Collections Manager Tracey Gulden presented a joint
lecture at the Williamsburg Regional Library (WRL) on the
visual evolution of Colonial Williamsburg’s Merchants
Square. The pair used photographs, architectural drawings
and other objects from Rockefeller Library collections to
illustrate the hour long talk. Rockefeller Library volunteer
and WRL adult services reference librarian Becky Michaels
developed the idea for the collaboration after assisting Marianne with the early black and white photographs in visual
resources. Over 268 people attended the standing room only
event and both libraries are extremely pleased with the
attendance and interest generated in the local community.
Could similar public events be coming soon? Perhaps. Until
plans are finalized, Marianne and Tracey will be presenting
their program again at 4:00 p.m., December 5th in the Lane
Auditorium at Bruton Heights School as part of Colonial Williamsburg’s monthly volunteer enrichment series. Arrive
early to get a good seat – or you might have to stand!
IN THIS ISSUE:
Local history talk
p. 1
Goodwin Society program
p. 2
Town and Gown Partnership
p. 3
Archives Fair
p. 4
Simcoe Exhibit
p. 5
Macomber Project
p. 5-6
Saving Our History
p. 7-9
New Display Case
p. 9
Volunteer Photographers
p. 10
Marianne Martin and Tracey Gulden take center stage at the
Williamsburg Regional Library.
�W.A.R. GOODWIN SOCIETY PROGRAMMING
Colonial Williamsburg architectural historian, Jeff Klee, shares architectural drawings from the library’s collection with members of the Goodwin Society during their visit to the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
Image by Wayne Reynolds
The Rockefeller Library welcomed members of the W.A.R. Goodwin Society for an afternoon of presentations and tours on Friday
November 11. Visitors were treated to a variety of presentations on research resources from library staff and subject area specialists, in addition to seeing a vast array of treasures from the library’s Corporate Archives, Media Collections and Special Collections.
Nation Builders Nicole Brown (Ann Wager) and Joseph Feaster (Gowan Pamphlet) discussed the vital role the library
plays in making their characters come alive. Senior Paper Conservator Pam Young discussed the process and challenges faced in
conserving library materials for use by future generations. Attendees also received an overview of the Foundation’s oral history
program, which comprises over 150 formal transcripts related to the history and programs of Colonial Williamsburg.
On display were such items as a rare William Stone 1823 engraving of the Declaration of Independence from the Pat and
Jerry Epstein American History Document Collection and the December 7, 1926 “David’s Father” telegram from Mr. John D. Rockefeller Jr. authorizing the purchase of the Ludwell-Paradise House that marked the beginning of the Restoration. Visitors also
learned more about the Visual Resources and Architectural Drawing collections, which include the original drawings of the firm of
Perry, Shaw and Hepburn, the architectural firm selected by Rev. W.A.R. Goodwin and John D. Rockefeller Jr., to carry out the
restoration of Colonial Williamsburg.
2
�TOWN AND GOWN PARTNERSHIP
What’s better than access to a world-class library with collections tailored to your research interests? A partnership that provides
access to two more excellent library collections! Continuing a tradition of “town and gown” cooperation, Rockefeller Library partners with Swem Library and the Wolf Law Library at William and Mary to form the Williamsburg Research Library Consortium.
The participating libraries share an online catalog, so that when researchers look for materials through our website (http://
research.history.org/library), they will also find books held by William & Mary. A “request” function allows Foundation staff to
have these materials conveniently delivered to Rockefeller Library. In turn, William & Mary students and faculty may (and often
do!) request materials from our specialized collection. A distinctive van staffed by friendly William & Mary student workers
makes the rounds between libraries several times a week, ensuring that researchers never have to wait long to get their hands
on the books they are yearning for. A win-win for students of Early American history and culture at both institutions!
The William & Mary van and student workers on the Rockefeller Library leg of their deliveries.
3
�Donna Cooke (left) and Marianne Martin (right) at the Archives Fair held at the Virginia Commonwealth University.
LIBRARY STAFF PARTICIPATES IN ARCHIVES FAIR
Associate Archivist Donna Cooke and Visual Resources Librarian Marianne Martin represented the Rockefeller Library at an Archives Fair held at Virginia Commonwealth University on October 5th. Organized in conjunction with the statewide celebration of
Archives Month, the event highlighted libraries and archives in the region, including the Library of Virginia, Virginia Historical
Society, William & Mary, University of Richmond, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Norfolk Southern, Randolph-Macon University, and Colonial Williamsburg. Each institution set up a table with
displays and hand-outs to encourage students and faculty to learn more about their unique holdings and research services.
The event attracted approximately one hundred twenty-five students and faculty members, including former Colonial
Williamsburg staff member Ywone Edwards-Ingram, Assistant Professor in the Department of Focused Inquiry, who brought her
class to tour the Archives Fair to learn more about archival research. Edwards-Ingram’s daughter, now a student at VCU, shared
her recollections of spending hours absorbed in reading books in the Rockefeller Library’s Janice McCoy Collection for Youth
while waiting for her mother to finish work.
The Rockefeller Library’s table included an opportunity for participants to enter a raffle for two free tickets to Colonial
Williamsburg and proved to be quite popular with students. This year’s Archives Month theme, “Archival Oddities,” inspired a
very popular “remix” activity table where students could create artwork based upon copies of archival materials featured in the
Archives Month poster. Participation in the highly successful Archives Fair will hopefully bring more Richmond area students to
the Rockefeller Library in the near future.
4
�JOHN GRAVES SIMCOE EXHIBIT
“The Final Campaign: John Graves Simcoe
and the Queen’s Rangers in Virginia,” an
exhibit of materials from Special Collections will open in January at the John D.
Rockefeller Jr. Library. The materials consist of maps, plans and illustrations related to Simcoe’s account of his experience
as commander of the Queen’s Rangers
during the American Revolution. The illustrations show battles not typically depicted in books about the war, such as
the destruction of Virginia’s navy on the
James River, the engagement at Spencer’s plantation just outside of Williamsburg, and the loss of American military
stores at Point of Fork. Also included in
the exhibit are original uniform buttons
from soldiers of the Queen’s Rangers and
a watercolor illustration of one of the
unit’s riflemen executed by Captain
James Murray.
MACOMBER PAPERS PROJECT
Thanks to many hours of assistance
from volunteer Carol Kozek and summer intern Anthony Freeman, the Walter M. Macomber drawings, correspondence and photographs are finally
cleaned, processed, and ready for research use.
Drawing showing the destruction of Virginia’s navy at Osborne’s on the James River.
Received as a gift in 2000, the collection encompasses architectural drawings, textual records, and photographs which
document a large span of the career of Walter M. Macomber, who was appointed in 1928 by architects Perry, Shaw, and Hepburn of Boston to serve as resident architect at their Williamsburg office. During his seven years in Williamsburg, Macomber
oversaw the reconstruction of the Capitol and the Governor’s Palace, as well as the restoration of the Wren Building. He later
moved to Washington, D.C. and restored national landmarks such as Patrick Henry’s Birthplace and Ford’s Theater. He then
accepted a position as resident architect at Mount Vernon, where he stayed for three decades, and at Stratford Hall, where he
worked for another decade as an architectural consultant.
5
�MACOMBER PAPERS PROJECT
(continued)
Preparing the collection for research use
involved many steps and several years of effort on
the part of Special Collections staff members. Since
it had been stored for years by family members in an
outbuilding, the drawings were fairly dirty, with layers of dust, insect debris, and even patches of mold
and mildew. Paper Conservator Pam Young recommended that each drawing, sheet of correspondence, and photograph be carefully and thoroughly
cleaned before being organized. Colonial Williamsburg’s Conservation Department kindly allowed librarian Marianne Martin and volunteer Carol Kozek
to spend three hours per week in the Preventative
Conservation Lab slowly cleaning each individual
item in the collection. The process involved using
special dusting brushes to gently sweep dirt off the
surfaces, a vulcanized rubber sponge to carefully rub
off stains, and a Miele vacuum with variable suction
control and a HEPA filter to remove heavy dirt and
insect debris gently brushed towards the nozzle.
Cleaned items were then placed in acid-free folders
and boxes to await arrangement and description.
Conservation intern Sophie Barbisan offered valuable tips, removed more stubborn stains, and performed several small repairs during the process.
After six months, Marianne and Carol celebrated the
cleaning of the final drawing and prepared the collection for its next step.
Anthony Freeman, a graduate of Hampton
University who served as the Rockefeller Library’s
2018 summer intern, eagerly took on the task of
sorting and foldering the cleaned drawings and documents. He divided the materials by architectural
project and then sorted them by drawing or document type. He divided the materials by architectural
project and then sorted them by drawing or document type. After placing them in acid-free folders
and boxes, Anthony began the lengthy task of creating a container list for the collection. He also wrote
Special Collections volunteer, Carol Kozek, cleaning an architectural
drawing from the Macomber collection
a biographical sketch about Walter Macomber for the collection
guide which will eventually be accessible via the Virginia Heritage
site at vaheritage.org. A final step involved creation of the finding aid
and catalog record by Marianne Martin. Anthony, Marianne, and
Carol derived a great deal of satisfaction from placing the processed
collection on shelves in the Special Collections vault and envisioning
how the part they played in the project would contribute to future
research and study of the architects who undertook Williamsburg’s
restoration.
6
�SAVING OUR HISTORY
Over the last 90 years, the Library and
Archives of Colonial Williamsburg have
been collecting rare books, manuscripts, newspapers, architectural
drawings, photographs and ephemera,
which tell the story of Williamsburg
and its restoration. These materials
are invaluable to our staff and outside
researchers who work to make that
story known. Many of these items
require conservation to insure their
long-term survival and future availability for researchers, exhibition and our
programming needs.
We can’t do this alone!
There is simply too much
material in need of conservation to do
the work onsite. Therefore, we are
working with outside conservators to
assess our conservation needs, develop priorities and get cost estimates for
the care of our materials. The Saving
Our History program allows you to be
part of our efforts by adopting individual items in need of conservation or
through donations to our general conservation fund in any amount. We will
acknowledge your adoption of an item
with a note in the catalog record and
in any publication or exhibition labels.
For more information about
the program, please contact Carl
Childs, Abby and George O’Neill Director of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, at 757-220-7248 or
cchilds@cwf.org .
Corporate Archives has a collection of approximately 24 guest registers dating
from the 1930s through the 1950s primarily for the Governor’s Palace but also
for the Court House Museum, Raleigh Tavern and Travis House Restaurant that
need conservation. Some of them were signed by well-known people including
Clark Gable, Walt Disney and Frank Lloyd Wright.
7
�SAVING OUR HISTORY
(continued)
A page from the ledger of 18th-century Williamsburg blacksmith James Anderson. The ledger is endangered by the iron gall ink
and in need of conservation.
Image by Wayne Reynolds
The Restoration began buying boxwoods in the 1920s from private homes in Virginia and other states in the Southeast for use
in landscaping the Historic Area. They often arrived on flatbed rail cars and landscape designer Arthur Shurcliff [Shurtleff] created a “Boxwood Book” with plans, photographs and descriptions of the boxwoods – both in their native setting and for
planned planting locations within the Historic Area.
8
�SAVING OUR HISTORY
(continued)
Detail of a commission from the Robinson family papers. The papers, of this prominent 18th-century Virginia family, consist of
two scrapbooks. Many original documents have been glued in and are in need of conservation.
Image by Wayne Reynolds
NEW LIBRARY DISPLAY CASE
New display! The library has added a new display
area with seasonally-changing exhibits particularly
highlighting materials from our photographic and
media collections, Special Collections, and Colonial Williamsburg publications. Our inaugural exhibit
had a Halloween and harvest theme, including
photos from Haunting on DoG Street, creepy
crawlers and strutting turkeys from 17th and 18thcentury natural histories, and a variety of ghost
stories and recipe books. You'll find related materials atop the case available for checkout! Come
by today and see our new display! It can be found
to the left of the circulation desk near the reference area.
9
�ROCKEFELLER LIBRARY VOLUNTEER PHOTOGRAPHERS
The Rockefeller Library is proud to have two very talented volunteer photographers working with us: Wayne Reynolds and Jerry
McCoy. They help document the Library's collection, historic area programming, and everything else in between! While it's difficult to choose just one image from their excellent body of work, we'll continue to highlight their images in upcoming newsletter
editions.
Blacksmith Carl Hirner at work in his shop in the maintenance area.
Image by Jerry McCoy
The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter is a publication of Colonial Williamsburg’s John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
Executive Director Education, Research and Historic Interpretation
Beth Kelly
Director, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library
Carl Childs
Editor
Doug Mayo
Contributors
Carl Childs, Donna Cooke, Tracey Gulden, Marianne
Martin, Doug Mayo, Melissa Schutt
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org .
10
�
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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Title
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library newsletter, volume 1, no. 2
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WINTER 2019
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 1, NO. 3
WOMEN OF THE RESTORATION
Many people are familiar with the contributions of men
such as architects Perry, Shaw & Hepburn and landscape
architect Arthur Shurcliff to Colonial Williamsburg’s inception. Fewer know that women also played an important role in the effort to restore Williamsburg to its
eighteenth-century appearance. While their contributions are not necessarily well known today, their often
behind-the-scenes work, was critical to the success of
the Restoration and its development as a visitor destination. This article highlights one key female contributor
to Williamsburg’s successful beginning. Additional features will follow in subsequent newsletter issues.
Elizabeth Hayes
Everyone has heard the adage that “behind every great
man is a great woman.” Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin is known
as the “father of Colonial Williamsburg”—it was his
dream that convinced John D. Rockefeller Jr. to fund the
restoration of the town to its colonial glory. But by his
side for all of his time with the Restoration was his personal secretary Elizabeth Hayes helping him to realize
IN THIS ISSUE
Women of the Restoration:
p. 1-2
Through the Lens:
p. 3-5
John Norton & Sons papers online
p. 5-6
Education Resource Library
p. 7
2018 By the Numbers
p. 8
Elizabeth Hayes, circa 1930.
1
�WOMEN OF THE RESTORATION
(continued)
Historical Notes and Tentative Suggestions Relative to the Restoration of Colonial Williamsburg Capital of Colonial Virginia by
W.A.R. Goodwin, March 1927
the dream. From the crafting of the famous binder of building photographs and histories (today known as the Hayes Notebook)
used to convince Mr. Rockefeller to fund the Williamsburg project, to the research of various historical topics, to the management of Dr. Goodwin’s voluminous correspondence related to the early business of the Restoration, Elizabeth Hayes was responsible for executing it all. Additionally, Hayes created two of the most important documents in the Foundation’s archives.
The first is the typescript with the amazing title The Background and Beginnings of the Restoration of Colonial Williamsburg,
Virginia Compiled from Dr. Goodwin’s Files and From her Contemporaneous diary notes; by Elizabeth Hayes, Secretary to Dr.
Goodwin. Written in 1933, it is still the authoritative account of the earliest years of the Restoration, covering the years 19271928. The second document is the oral history she completed in 1957 titled A Memory Sketch of Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin in which
she chronicled her early years with Goodwin, information about his family life, and her pre-Restoration time in Williamsburg
with observations about the college, the town, Bruton Parish Church, and the people that she knew there. Hayes’s history
paints a delightful portrait of a people and a town in transition. As you stroll through Colonial Williamsburg today, take a moment to think of Elizabeth Hayes and how her work touched every aspect of the Restoration’s early years.
2
�THROUGH THE LENS: WILLIAMSBURG IN BLACK AND WHITE, 1870-1935
The period between 1870 and 1935 led to the creation of a core group of historical black and white photographs now
housed at the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library that continues to be studied and carefully preserved for future generations of scholars. A variety of town residents, architects, contractors, and professionals all contributed photos to this archive as they sought to
assist with both the practical and promotional aspects of developing Williamsburg’s historic district. The Williamsburg preserved
in black and white is one that spans the town’s evolution from the quiet backwater community of the post-Civil War era to its
birth as a busy tourist destination and monument to one of the first large-scale historic preservation efforts in the country. With
each decade of change, a portion of the town known and loved by residents disappeared forever. Fortunately, the cameras of
many different individuals captured lost architecture, businesses, streetscapes, and activities in photographs that now comprise
a valuable and fascinating archive of the past – a Williamsburg that only exists in black and white.
Architects and townspeople used photography to document the appearance of streets and buildings in Williamsburg
prior to its restoration. These images were intended to serve as an historical record of the town before physical changes were
made to architecture, layout, and gardens. A number of individuals assisted with this photographic effort. Elizabeth Coleman,
Earl Gregg Swem, and Clyde Holmes, three Williamsburg town residents, played important roles in helping to amass visual documentation of streets and buildings between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Williamsburg office of Perry, Shaw &
Hepburn acquired their collections to aid research in the late 1920s.
Frank Nivison working in his photo studio, circa 1930 .
3
�The Bathurst-Peachy House being moved across Palace Green, Williamsburg, Virginia, circa 1930. In the background, the old
Williamsburg High School is shown prior to its demolition. Photo by Susan Higginson Nash .
THROUGH THE LENS
(continued)
The architectural team also included a number of staff members who utilized photography as part of their methodology
for studying a site. Construction contractors Webster Todd and J.A.O. Brown compiled a collection of over eight hundred images
of each building along Duke of Gloucester, Nicholson, and Francis streets prior to any restoration work taking place. Their photos
now comprise a priceless archive of the many civic, business, religious, and residential structures that had to be either torn down
or moved because they did not date to the eighteenth-century.
Establishing precedents for each and every detail was of fundamental importance to Rockefeller and his architects and
provided additional opportunities for photography to aid restoration efforts in a significant way. Williamsburg Restoration staff,
including landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff, interior designer Susan Higginson Nash, and architectural draftsman John Barrows,
traveled throughout the mid-Atlantic states and abroad looking for eighteenth-century buildings and gardens that might serve as
models for the structures to be reconstructed in Williamsburg. During their research, they amassed a large group of images of
these architectural precedents.
Professional photographers employed on a contract basis to document each stage of work at sites where buildings were
under reconstruction or restoration created a highly detailed visual record of the archaeological, architectural, and landscape
features as they took shape. Thomas Layton, a Richmond based photographer, took some of the earliest images of archaeological investigations and restoration work at sites between1929-1930. He was followed by Frank Nivision, a photographer from
4
�THROUGH THE LENS
(continued)
Massachusetts who spent five years in Williamsburg photographing each phase of progress at building sites. With over 7,000
prints and negatives, the Nivison collection is the largest compilation of restoration era images and encompasses every aspect of
the meticulous work undertaken with each building restored or reconstructed. Nivison’s progress photos were supplemented by
those taken by contractors Todd & Brown Inc. and by various staff members, such as Shurcliff and Nash, who continued taking
images of projects in process in addition to their more formal duties with landscape and interior design, respectively.
Once the initial phase of restoration work was completed, Colonial Williamsburg staff realized they needed to supplement record photography with aesthetically pleasing photos to attract visitors to the new historic site. Several photographers,
including Ansel Adams, Samuel Gottscho, Wendell MacRae, and F.S. Lincoln, applied for the job of creating a photographic
portfolio of Williamsburg buildings and gardens. F.S. Lincoln was ultimately awarded the position in 1935 due to contacts with
magazine editors in New York City. Many of Lincoln’s photos appeared in the December 1935 and November 1936 issues of The
Architectural Record. During the same period, Frank Nivison continued to photograph for Colonial Williamsburg on a contract
basis, recording such events as the dedication of Duke of Gloucester Street by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as the
opening of individual exhibition buildings. By 1935, promotional photography had become an integral component of the photographic history of the restoration.
Interested in learning more? Selected photos, along with information about the photographers and their collections,
can be viewed on the Rockefeller Library’s Omeka site: rocklib.omeka.net/Browse Collections.
JOHN NORTON & SONS PAPERS ONLINE
Special Collections is currently digitizing and transcribing the
papers of John Norton & Sons, merchants of London, England
and Virginia. Containing just under two thousand three hundred letters and documents, the John Norton & Sons papers is
one of the largest collections of 18th-century manuscripts at
Colonial Williamsburg. While Norton & Sons was engaged in
the tobacco trade, the content of the letters cover much more
than the shipping and sale of tobacco. They are also a great
source of information on the politics of the time as well as
natural history, material culture and social life. The correspondence of many prominent Williamsburg residents including Governor Botetourt, George Wythe, Robert Carter Nicholas, John and Peyton Randolph, John Page, Jr. and Thomas
Everard comprises a large proportion of the materials. The
letters of local tradespeople, professionals and merchants
such as James Craig, James Carter, John Carter and Catherine
Rathell form part of the collection. There are also many letters
from women outside Williamsburg such as those of Martha
Goosley of Yorktown and Rebecca Chamberlayne of New Kent
County. The collection includes the largest accumulation of
correspondence written by or about women in Special Collections.
Trade card of Daniel Moore, gun maker of London, England.
5
�JOHN NORTON & SONS PAPERS ONLINE
(continued)
Bill of lading for eight hogsheads of Benjamin Powell’s tobacco shipped from York River to London aboard the Neptune.
About one third
of the items were transcribed and published in
the various printings of
Frances Norton Mason’s
John Norton & Sons: merchants of London and Virginia. Most of those items
and many more have now
been transcribed by Special Collection’s volunteers
Barbara Femenella and
Margaret Gunn. Of those,
about five hundred are
currently available online.
As the rest are scanned
and cataloged, they too
will be posted online. The
collection may be viewed
here: https://
rocklibnorton.omeka.net/ .
Verso of the Moore trading card recording the purchase of a gun, powder horn and packing
case.
6
�EDUCATION RESOURCE LIBRARY OFFERS VIDEOS AND OTHER TOOLS ONLINE
Not every student can come to Colonial Williamsburg, so let’s bring Colonial Williamsburg and its educational expertise to
them! That was the philosophy when the “Electronic Field Trip” program was instituted in 1995. For over 20 years, the Foundation created educational video programs which were televised live at schools across the nation. Many addressed topics in colonial history, including government, commerce, slavery, and women’s lives. The program eventually expanded to include other
related historical subjects (such as the War of 1812, the Civil War clash of the “Ironclad” ships in Hampton Roads, and the injustices of the Jim Crow era) and to address math and science education through a historical lens. While designed for students
in grades 4-8, these materials have been successfully used in other grade levels, and are of interest even to the general viewer.
While these programs are no longer being broadcast live, they remain a wonderful resource for students and educators – and they are now available for free, right in the comfort of your own home! Just go to the online Education Resource
Library, currently at resourcelibrary.history.org. To access the materials, users need to create a free account and password.
Once logged in, you will find all sixty (!) of the electronic field trips ready to be explored. You can watch the video segments
online, view related teacher guides, try specially-themed educational activities, and more! The resources can be browsed by
title, or sorted by historical era, subject, or theme.
The Electronic Field Trip program (later known as
HERO Live) was associated with both the
Colonial Williamsburg Productions
Department and the
Teacher Institute. Its
resources have been
enjoyed by thousands, and many of
the videos earned
such high accolades
as regional Emmy
awards and film festival recognition.
Check them out today!
Landing page of the Colonial Williamsburg Resource Library
7
�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
Sarah Nerney, Jenna Simpson, Marianne
Martin, Melissa Schutt, Doug Mayo
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org .
8
�
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library newsletter, volume 1, no. 3
-
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Text
SPRING 2019
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 1, NO. 4
THE THRILL OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT
Did you know that one of the duties the Rockefeller Library is
charged with is maintaining a records management program
for Colonial Williamsburg - from the President’s Office to Hotels, to Finance to the Historic Area and everything in between? Records management provides for the efficient management of paper and electronic records throughout their
entire life cycle from creation to final disposition. The Library
creates records retention schedules for every department in
collaboration with the department itself, General Counsel
and Internal Audit to ensure compliance with legal responsibilities. The schedules identify the types of records a department creates, govern how long those records need to be
kept, and provide for their proper disposition.
The Library manages an off-site Records Center to
store temporary records until their retention period has been
met. Those retention periods can vary anywhere from two to
twenty years based on the pertinent retention schedule.
IN THIS ISSUE
The Thrill of Records Management:
p. 1-3
Winter Training:
p. 4
New to View:
p. 5-6
Recent Gifts:
p. 6
Fellowship Update:
p. 7-8
Bassett Hall Installation:
p. 9-10
Research Notes:
p. 11
New Databases:
p. 12
A view down one of the aisles at the Records Center.
1
�THRILL OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT
(continued)
Donna Cooke and Sarah Nerney from the Rockefeller Library working with Joel Voron, Senior Integrated Pest Management
Technician, to ready the monitoring equipment for records just placed in the freezer.
Currently, the Records Center houses over 6,000 boxes from departments across Colonial Williamsburg. With the assistance of
a wonderful team of movers, the department picks up records from all around the Foundation three times a year, either for
permanent retention in the Archives, for temporary storage at the Records Center or for immediate disposal. If a department
needs to access files from records stored at the Records Center, we will pull the required files for them.
After records have met their retention requirement and an approved disposal certificate is received, they are destroyed by confidential shredding and pulping. Eligible records are disposed of two times a year by a local disposal company
that picks up the records, takes them back to their warehouse and shreds them using a room-size shredder.
Some of the most interesting places we have discovered records have been in attics, basements, stables, dairies, laundries, smokehouses, the old bus garage and even in bathtubs in former hotel guest rooms. Storage space for records in the
Historic Area is very tight so records are often kept wherever room can be found. Due to the wide range of buildings we have
to visit, it is always an adventure when records are picked up. Often, accessibility to those storage spaces is challenging to say
the least.
Archives is currently conducting an experiment in partnership with the Collections, Conservation and Museums Division using freezers located in the old commissary building to treat archival records that may have been exposed to insect infestation. The process involves freezing the records for several weeks to ensure that any pests are killed before transport to the
Library or Records Center buildings.
2
�THRILL OF RECORDS MANAGEMENT
(continued)
Mover George Banks moving records from a small attic.
3
�Kelly Brennan Arehart works with staff during winter training, 2019.
Photograph by Wayne Reynolds
WINTER TRAINING
Winter training 2019 was a big success this year thanks to innovative teaching techniques and new approaches to historical content. Over a period of 8 weeks, close to 350 Education Research and Historic Interpretation staff went through the training – one
of the largest groups in winter training’s history.
The historians paired with the new training department and the 3 day training sessions covered everything from guest
satisfaction statistics to a cross-colony comparison of slavery in the 18th-century. The hospitality and guest service training on
day one had never been provided to the frontline staff before and encouraged them to think about guests’ needs in a new way.
The historical content encouraged staff to think beyond what they already know and build meaningful connections to
other topics, other places, and other time periods. In a summer 2018 survey, the ERHI staff said that they wanted to learn more
about working with primary and secondary sources, women’s history, and the history of slavery.
Day 2 was devoted to reading sources and women’s history and day 3 was devoted to the history of slavery. The historians structured the two days to meet the needs of the staff and encouraged them to engage with the information in new ways.
They devised engaging activities to strengthen the critical thinking skills needed when reading primary and secondary sources,
created an activity to familiarize the staff with Williamsburg women and their work, and presented new information on slavery in
the 19th-century and slavery in different parts of the British Empire.
The most significant change to training was the intense peer-driven discussions moderated by the historians. In these
sessions, staff and interpretive veterans talked to each other about the difficulties of interpreting women’s history and slavery,
respectively. They shared tools and techniques for better interpretations, for maintaining dignity and the dignity of colleagues in
difficult situations, and for creating the mutual respect so critical to good frontline interpretation.
4
�NEW TO VIEW
Photograph by Wayne Reynolds
Our volunteer photographers are, as always, hard at work documenting what happens at Colonial Williamsburg. Without their
efforts our visual record would be greatly diminished. Recently, Wayne Reynolds shot some of the first images of Valiant, the
first foal born at Colonial Williamsburg in sixteen years. You may see some of those images on the Colonial Williamsburg Facebook page. Jerry McCoy shot beautiful images of the Afternoon Tea at the Williamsburg Inn, which are featured on the resort
website. Staff and volunteers may view these images and thousands more in the Foundation’s asset management system
affectionately known as “The Source.”
5
�NEW TO VIEW
(continued)
Photograph by Jerry McCoy
RECENT GIFTS TO THE JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER JR. LIBRARY
The Rockefeller Library is pleased to announce two recent gifts that will further our mission. Brooke England and Paul Michel
have created an endowment that will provide for the purchase of new reference and circulating books to strengthen the collection. The endowment honors Basima Qattan Bezirgan, a long-time librarian who served as a Middle East Cataloger and Arabic
Specialist at the University of Chicago and a Cataloger and Bibliographer at the General Libraries at the University of Texas at
Austin. The gift honors the memory of Bezirgan and her lifelong commitment to libraries and learning.
The Gladys and Franklin Clark Foundation recently awarded the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library $125,000 to support the
purchase of rare books and manuscripts for its Special Collections and for conservation of materials from the Library’s Special
Collections and Corporate Archives collections. Included in the conservation needs are key documents related to the history of
Colonial Williamsburg and the Restoration of Williamsburg. The Rockefeller Library also received a $50,000 gift from the Clark
Foundation in late 2018 to support the purchase and installation of high-density archival shelving to store its Corporate Archives
collection. The Clarks, long-time supporters of libraries, have funded many initiatives at Williamsburg-area libraries.
The Library is very grateful for the continued support of our donors that help us continue supporting the research
needs of Colonial Williamsburg staff and patrons.
6
�COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP SERIES UPDATE
2018 was an eventful year for two of our more
unusual fellowships. The year began with a
visit from two fellows who took up our NEH
funded fellowship in 3D Visualization. The Fellowship aims to explore innovative ways in
which 3D visualization technologies such as
Augmented reality and Virtual reality can enhance our understanding of Early American
history or a closely related field. The 2018 winners were Lauren Massari and Shayne Brandon from the University of Virginia’s Institute
for Advanced Technology in the Humanities
(IATH). Lauren and Shayne worked on a ‘Then
and Now’ 360° panoramic exploration of the
Douglass Theatre site. The experience was
premiered to the public at May’s IT Expo, to a
very positive reception. Next steps are to load
the experience in CW’s Explorer App, allowing
guests to see what the site looked like in the
exact place it was located in the Historic Area.
If you don’t know where that is, then it was on
the NW corner of the Gunsmith lot, to the
south-east of the Capitol.
In March we had a visit from our EXARC fellow Dr. John Seidel. John is the Director
at the Center for Environment & Society, and
the Lammot du Pont Copeland Associate Professor of Anthropology and Environmental
Studies at Washington College, Maryland. The
EXARC Fellowship is intended to advance the
research and scholarship through a partnership between EXARC, the international organization of Archaeological Open-Air Museums
(AOAM), and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. John developed a multi-faceted project to pursue artifact analysis and structured
experiments with Colonial Williamsburg
Trades. John looked at the results of metal-
John Seidel maps the deposition of metal debris in the Anderson Blacksmith Shop and Public Armoury.
working practices by our Trades personnel, especially metalworking waste
and debris. He then used this as evidence to interpret results he was seeing
in his archaeological excavations at the 1778-9 Continental artillery encampment at Pluckermin, New Jersey.
7
�FELLOWSHIP UPDATE
(continued)
Lauren Massari and Peter Inker demonstrate the 1772 Douglas Theatre ‘Then and Now’ to milliner Shifrah Harris.
Warren Billings, Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus at the University of New Orleans was selected as the 2018
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation - Jack Miller Center Fellow. Billings’ research, entitled “Just laws for the happy guiding and
governing of the people: Statute Law in Colonial Virginia” probed why and how the Virginia General Assembly undertook seven
revisions of the statutes in force between 1632 and 1748. He approached the task from the standpoint that these revisals represent fairly precise snapshots of the social, political, economic, and legal imperatives that gave rise to them. They are suggestive
of the degree to which the assemblymen grew in sophistication and understanding as lawgivers, and they are windows into how
Virginia statutes were often hybrids that borrowed freely from English law or were cut from entirely whole cloth.
Dusty Dye, a doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland, was the recipient of the 2018 Robert M. & Annetta J.
Coffelt and Robert M. Coffelt Jr. Fellow. The Coffelt Fellowship is awarded to scholars working on topics related to the American
Revolution, Early Republic, or ideas and philosophies of America's founding fathers. Dye’s research, entitled “A Decent External
Sorrow: Death, Mourning, and the American Revolution” focused on the ways that inhabitants of British North America deliberately crafted their funereal culture not only to provide personal comfort but also to make public statements about how they
understood themselves and their place in the world. In planning funerals and observing periods of mourning, the American colonists expressed ideas about myriad subjects ranging from highly intimate matters of religious conviction and personal affection
to broader issues regarding moral virtue, proper social relationships, and cultural identity.
8
�BASSETT HALL INSTALLATION HIGHLIGHTS ROCKEFELLER’S INVOLVEMENT WITH THE RESTORATION
Interpretive installation in Bassett Hall dining room
Reproductions of materials from Corporate Archives and Special Collections are part of a new installation in the Dining Room
and Parlor of Bassett Hall. Library staff met with curatorial staff to help them identify architectural drawings, photographs, and
documents that John D. Rockefeller Jr. reviewed and discussed with Restoration staff. Among the items examined were the Singleton P. Moorehead Streetscapes, a report and accompanying Map of Williamsburg, Virginia. Prepared to Accompany Report of
Proposed Ultimate Restoration of Williamsburg by A.E. Kendrew, February 20, 1939, and pre-restoration photographs relating to
the George Wythe and Peyton Randolph Houses. All of these items relate to a period during the late 1930s when a team of architects drafted plans to fill in the gaps with reconstruction or restoration of structures not included in the initial group completed in the early 1930s. Known as “Phase II” in Colonial Williamsburg’s evolution, the period launched an expansion of plans for
future projects at sites such as the Wythe and Randolph Houses, many of which became reality after the end of World War II.
Singleton P. Moorehead, an architect who joined the Restoration team in 1928 and became part of the architectural
office in 1934, and A.E. Kendrew, Foundation Architect, proved to be pivotal in moving Colonial Williamsburg forward with the
Phase II transition. Together they collaborated to prepare a report and accompanying map and architectural drawings at the
request of President Kenneth Chorley “…to indicate the extent of restoration work which might be done within certain areas to
completely restore Williamsburg to its eighteenth-century state.” Kendrew’s colored key map depicted the Historic Area divided
into numbered blocks with structures within each block given a unique identification number. Singleton P. Moorehead’s collection of streetscapes, created in 1939, are watercolor, crayon, and pencil sketches with elevations of blocks throughout the
9
�BASSETT HALL INSTALLATION
(continued)
Historic Area where reconstruction or restoration work was in progress or could potentially be commenced. Both the map and
the streetscapes use a system of color-coding to identify four different types of properties under discussion. Blue denoted a
property that had already been restored or reconstructed but required additional work while green marked sites not currently
owned by the Restoration at which work might take place in the future. Red identified sites owned by the Restoration at which
proposed work could take place and black designated properties in which families continued to reside after signing life tenancy
agreements. Moorehead purposely designed the street elevations to be small and easily portable to allow Mr. Rockefeller to
ride about Williamsburg in his limousine comparing the streetscapes against extant structures in each block. Moorehead explained “He didn’t have to stand around with the wind blowing huge blueprints…He just had these simple little renderings…He
bought the proposition, and then the fun really started.”
According to Amanda Keller, Associate Curator, Historic Interiors and Household Accessories, “…we decided to forgo
the normal installation of showing the dining room for a meal and try a new scene depicting Mr. Rockefeller working on the restoration of Williamsburg at the table.” The dining table is covered with an informal display of Mr. Rockefeller’s books relating to
Virginia architecture, along with reproductions of a selection of the streetscapes, photographs, and Kendrew’s map and report
cover, looking as though Mr. Rockefeller just stepped away from conducting a detailed study of the materials. Keller also explains “In the Morning Room, we show Abby meeting to discuss the restoration with local Williamsburg ladies for tea and
coffee.” Reproductions of several of the Moorehead streetscapes are shown on the sofa and side table as if Mrs. Rockefeller was
preparing to review new developments with restoration work over petit fours with Williamsburg women. Keller summed up the
goal of the installation as “…to communicate how involved Mr. and Mrs. Rockefeller were with the Restoration and how they
worked with the local community to win them over and get everyone excited about the new changes to Williamsburg.”
Interpretive installation in Bassett Hall morning room
10
�RESEARCH NOTES
Phillip Emanuel is a PhD candidate at the College of William and Mary. His dissertation, ‘The diligent man becomes necessary’:
Performing knowledge of the Atlantic World, 1650-1713 will make extensive use of the Blathwayt Papers in Special Collections,
John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
From Phillip Emanuel
William Blathwayt (1649-1717) was one of the chief administrators of late-Stuart Britain, and therefore produced a lot
of paperwork. As one of the major figures of my dissertation, Blathwayt’s papers, household, material culture, and books are of
great use in discussing how imperial administrators in the English Atlantic in the late seventeenth century constructed their
authority through performances of knowledge and social status. It is a wonderful benefit of studying at William & Mary that I
am able to spend so much time in the Rockefeller Library. Thus far I have found a great deal of interesting material, from a Connecticut man captured by Algerian pirates and freed by Blathwayt’s efforts, to gifts of wood from Virginian governors which are
still part of his house, to a dispute between Francis Nicholson and another member of the College council during a meeting in
1694 which almost ended in a duel. I have much work to do in other archives, but the Colonial Williamsburg Blathwayt Papers
are an excellent foundation as I get further into my PhD.
William Phips letter to William Blathwayt, February 21, 1692/3 concerning those imprisoned upon “Suspicon of witchcraft …”
11
�NEW DATABASES EXPAND ACCESS TO PRIMARY SOURCES AND SCHOLARSHIP
In response to requests and enthusiastic feedback from Colonial Williamsburg staff, the Rockefeller Library is pleased to announce the addition of two new databases to its collection of electronic resources:
Early English Books Online contains digital facsimile page images of virtually every work printed in England, Ireland,
Scotland, Wales and British North America and works in English printed elsewhere from 1473-1700. From the first book printed
in English by William Caxton, through the age of Spenser and Shakespeare and the tumult of the English Civil War, this incomparable collection contains more than 130,000 titles and more than 17 million scanned pages.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: The Humanities & Social Sciences Collection is a comprehensive collection of
dissertations and theses in the humanities and social sciences. The database includes bibliographic citations for nearly 2.5 million works (with about 1.25 million of these available in full text) and adds approximately 100,000 new works annually. Content
is updated weekly and robust search capabilities include 24 indexed and searchable fields as well as search-ability for the entire
text of full-text dissertations.
The library is thrilled to support the ongoing research of Colonial Williamsburg’s historians, interpreters, tradespeople,
curators, conservators, and archaeologists by increasing access to both early modern primary sources and contemporary scholarship. Both new databases are available at any computer connected to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation network through
the “subscription databases” page on the library’s website: https://research.history.org/library/materials/databases/ or directly
at: https://search.proquest.com/?accountid=57798 or https://eebo.chadwyck.com .
If you’ve used the resources available in these or other databases to inform your interpretation or expand your
knowledge, we’d love to hear your research story!
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
Kelly Brennan Arehart, Carl Childs, Donna Cooke, Phillip
Emanuel, Tracey Gulden, Peter Inker, Amanda Keller, Sarah
Nerney, Marianne Martin, Melissa Schutt
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
12
�
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
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Title
A name given to the resource
John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library newsletter, volume 1, no. 4
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Text
SUMMER 2019
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 2, NO. 1
NEW BIRD’S EYE VIEWS
IN THIS ISSUE
New Bird’s Eye Views:
p. 1-2
Media Collections Online:
p. 3
Virginia Gazettes:
p. 4
Guest Register:
p. 5-6
Teacher Institute:
p. 6
Governor’s Palace Exhibit:
p. 7
Women of the Restoration:
p. 8
Scrapbooks:
p. 9-11
Music Available Online:
p. 11
Story of a Patriot Lecture:
p. 12
Colonial Williamsburg Publications:
p. 12
A view of the Governor’s Palace captured by library volunteer
Wayne Reynolds using his drone.
The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library is pleased to announce that it can
now provide bird’s eye views of the Historic Area! Beginning in
May, Wayne Reynolds, one of two official library volunteer photographers, offered to photograph the Historic Area using his drone.
Wayne and media collections manager, Tracey Gulden, worked
with Karen Stone and Burke Humphrey in the Security and Safety
department to ensure drone operations complied with established
regulations to safeguard buildings, employees, Historic Area residents, and the public.
Wayne’s drone is a DJI Mavic 2 Pro with a Hasselblad camera which uses a one-inch sensor. It’s an amazing piece of technology! Not only does it take beautiful photographs, but it is also able to
1
�NEW BIRD’S EYE VIEWS
(continued)
sense obstacles in front of or behind it making it nearly impossible to hit a person, building or object it may approach.
Wayne officially registered his drone with the FAA and became an FAA-certified drone pilot. On June 10th, Wayne, Burke
and Tracey met at the back of the Governor’s Palace site and commenced photography. Though rain threatened, we were
able to proceed, and after approximately 30 minutes of flight time Wayne was able to capture images of the rear of the
Palace and surrounding gardens at heights of 40-100 feet above ground. The drone’s maiden voyage for the Library was a
huge success! We have 18 glorious shots of the Palace, gardens, and maze with a beautiful (rain-free!) sky. All the images
are housed in the Rockefeller Library’s digital asset management system affectionately known as The Source. Select few
images are also offered in the Rockefeller Library’s newest database: Media Collections Online or MCO (see related article).
We are working on photographing the Capitol and Market Square in the months ahead and will include those images in The
Source, MCO, and future newsletters. As always, many thanks to Wayne Reynolds for lending both his technology and expertise to this project. Thanks also to our colleagues in Safety and Security for helping us to literally get off the ground!
Wayne Randolph readying his drone for flight.
Burke Humphrey watches as the drone begins its mission.
2
�MEDIA COLLECTIONS ONLINE
Homepage for Media Collections Online
The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library is pleased to announce the launch of its’ new online database, Media Collections Online, or,
MCO. MCO currently contains over 850 images of the official photography of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation with new
images added daily. Images include beautiful photographs of the Historic Area depicting interior and exterior views of our buildings, animals, carriages, gardens, street scenes, portraits of interpreters, the historic trades, and the fife and drum corps. Objects
from the collections of the Rockefeller Library are also represented. These include images of objects from Corporate Archives
Collections, Special Collections, Media Collections and Visual Resources. MCO also includes images of objects from the Collections, Conservation and Museums Division. Among these are images of decorative and folk-art pieces, architectural and archaeological objects and items from conservation. The covers from Trend & Tradition as well as images from the magazine’s photo essays are stored in MCO.
The images are divided into fourteen categories or subject headings, such as, “Historic Trades” and “Gardens”. There are
three rotating themed galleries which focus on a topic, such as, “40 Years of African American Interpretation.” Users may search
by keyword or phrase across the entire database. To access this wealth of photography, sign up for a free account at: https://
images.history.org/ . Registered users may download a free low-resolution watermarked jpeg or purchase a hi-resolution nonwatermarked tiff image. In both cases, these digital downloads are for non-commercial personal use or educational/study use
only. Researchers wishing to license material for other uses should visit the library’s website at: https://research.history.org/
library/visit/visual-resources/reproductions/ .
All proceeds from the sale of our assets go to support the maintenance and preservation of the collections at the Rockefeller Library. So, look and see what you can discover! With new images added every day you never know what you might find!
3
�OLD NEWS IS NEW TO US
Title from the first issue of the Virginia gazette, or, Norfolk intelligencer published in Norfolk, Virginia, June 9, 1774 by William Duncan and Company.
The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library has recently acquired nineteen
issues of the Virginia Gazette to add to its collection of 18thcentury newspapers. The issues, all printed in the years 1774 and
1775, were published in Williamsburg and Norfolk. Two of the
Norfolk issues were printed by William Duncan and Company,
including the first issue printed there on June 9, 1774. The other
Norfolk issue was printed by John H. Holt five months before his
press was seized by Virginia’s last royal governor, Lord Dunmore.
The sixteen issues from Williamsburg were printed by Purdie and
Dixon, Clementina Rind and John Pinkney. The issues include
much of the social, commercial and political news of the day
including the growing rift between Great Britain and her mainland North American colonies following the Boston Tea Party of
December 6, 1773. Advertisements typically filled a page or
more of the Gazettes (regular issues were typically four pages
while the supplements or postscripts were two pages in length)
and were a major source of revenue for the printers. Advertisements from Williamsburg tradespeople including George LaFong,
James Craig, Catherine Rathell and others fill the pages. Several
issues from this acquisition are not currently available through
our website and we hope to have them imaged and searchable
shortly.
Special Collections holds over four hundred issues of the
Virginia gazettes published in Norfolk and Williamsburg during
the 18th-century and is always looking to add to this collection.
Currently, we are working with a vendor to acquire more issues
of the Virginia gazettes to add to our collection and increase our
knowledge of Williamsburg and America’s 18th-century past. If
you would like to help us in this endeavor, please email Carl
Childs, Abby and George O’Neill Director of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, at cchilds@cwf.org .
We wish to thank The Gladys and Franklin Clark Foundation for funding this latest acquisition of nineteen issues of the
Virginia gazette.
An advertisement for Williamsburg printer Clementina Rind
in her Virginia gazette of May 5, 1774. Rind took on the
role of printer of the Virginia gazette and public printer
following the death of her husband William.
4
�GUEST REGISTER FROM “REVEALING THE PRICELESS …”
Guest register from the exhibit “Revealing the Priceless …” now residing in the Corporate Archives section of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
A recent accession to Corporate Archives of note: the first guest register from “Revealing the Priceless: 40 Years of African
American Interpretation” currently on exhibit at the Raleigh Tavern through the end of February 2020. The exhibit chronicles the
development of CW’s African American programming and its attempts over the years to tell the story of Williamsburg’s colonial
enslaved population. Dating from the exhibit opening in February 2019 through July of the same year, some exhibit visitors chose
to simply write in the date of their visit with their names and maybe their places of origin, while others commented how the exhibit had moved them, touched them, or made them think. Excerpted below are some guest comments that illustrate the educational and emotional power of this exhibit.
I am here experiencing what my blood relatives lived. Surely my family owned slaves. Learning about the lives of the
enslaved is IMPORTANT. Thank you.
Have always respected and enjoyed programs and interpreters in the AAIP Dept. Odd to learn how limited their presence was when I first visited in 1971. Thank you for what’s now being done!
In today’s day and age, educational opportunities like these are important. I thank Colonial Williamsburg for providing
this.
5
�GUEST REGISTER
(continued)
Thank you for sharing these important stories. As a white woman, I can change my language from “slave” to “enslaved”
to respect the identities of those from the past. Thanks for educating me on this slight change in language that makes a huge
difference.
Even as an employee who researches and interprets 18th c. history in general on a daily basis, this exhibit impacted me
beyond what I expected. These people who I interpret and learn about have been turned from an educational experience to
living, breathing, emotional histories. I intend to share this experience with as many guests and coworkers as I can.
In 1992 I visited for the first time. I was 17 and had recently read Roots. We went on a tour with an “enslaved woman”
who sat and talked about what her life would’ve been like. It was such a powerful experience. The following year I started university in CA. I registered for US history classes and courses in African American studies. I earned a degree in US history and
AfAm studies with an emphasis on 19th century American slavery. As a Caucasian woman, people often ask how I ended up on
that track and I tell them about my visit in 1992.
The painful memories, the genuine history, showing the culture, the times, the values, the hardships, should inform us
in the present. We must learn. Ignorance leads us to wrong conclusions. We cannot change the past. We can only improve the
present and work toward a better future.
This exhibit is only the beginning of telling the story of my people. As a relative of the Clarendon County, SC children in
Brown v. Board of Education, I know too well the stories of hurt, pain, bravery, joy, survival—thriving! Let’s ALL continue to tell
the TRUE STORY!
I am inspired. I can’t wait to bring this fire and passion back to my classroom.
This was/is an exceptional way to honor our past and present African American/black/brown history in VA. Make it permanent. And now, what’s next?
TEACHER INSTITUTE VISITS SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
This summer, Special Collections hosted
sixteen groups of teachers attending Colonial Williamsburg’s Teacher Institute. The
three hundred plus teachers came to Williamsburg from several states and participated in one of several programs. In addition to
the general program, one presentation focused on the American Revolution while
there were two sessions each for the programs focusing on women, African Americans and technology. Materials from the
rare book, newspaper and manuscript collections were used to introduce primary
source materials and explore topics within
various session themes.
Items from the rare book collection being shown to teachers during
the summer Teacher Institute program at the Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation.
6
�GOVERNOR’S PALACE EXHIBIT
The Rockefeller Library will
open a new exhibit in September to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the opening of
the Governor’s Palace in April
1934. Titled ‘An Elegant
Seat’: Building and ReBuilding the Governor’s Palace, the exhibit is a collaborative effort between library
and museum collections staff.
It will feature four cases focusing upon the themes of
colonial governors, archaeology, architecture, and the reconstruction and opening.
Items on display will include
Thomas Jefferson’s letter to
the Board of Trade re moving
the capital to Richmond, an
excavated silver spoon fabricated by James Geddy, early
architectural designs for the
Palace, photos of the schools
and businesses on the site
prior to its reconstruction,
and a guest register signed by
Winston Churchill and General Eisenhower during their
1946 visit. In addition, a
slideshow on the exhibit monitor will rotate through a series of historical photos showing the demolition of Williamsburg High School with
the Governor’s Palace rising
behind it. The exhibit will be
on display for six months
through April 2020 and is free
and open to the public during
library hours Monday – Friday
from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Title poster for the forthcoming exhibition on the Governor’s Palace.
7
�WOMEN OF THE RESTORATION
(continued from the Winter 2019 issue)
Mary Frances Goodwin
When the Restoration was being considered in
various offices across Williamsburg in the late
1920s, some of the most important questions as
yet had no answers. A great deal of historical research was needed to support the Restoration’s
reconstruction of the buildings of the colonial
town. Hired by the Research Department in 1928
thanks to her knowledge of Virginia history and
previous research experience, Mary Goodwin was
dispatched to England in 1929 for a year to try to
solve some of the questions plaguing the Restoration’s architects. The biggest question of all concerned what the Governor’s Palace and the Capitol
actually looked like. Goodwin visited many libraries
and archives, but it was at Oxford University’s Bodleian Library that she struck gold. Chasing a mysterious reference from a British manuscript guide,
there in the Rawlinson Collection she discovered a
Lantern slide featuring a photograph of an engraving made from
the Bodleian plate.
10 x 13 ½ inch copperplate engraved with the only known eighteenth-century drawings of the three buildings of the College of
William & Mary’s Historic Campus, the Governor’s Palace, and
the Capitol. Goodwin sent her cousin Dr. Goodwin a telegram
announcing its discovery, timing its arrival for Christmas Day
since she knew what value this news would be to the Restoration project. Mary Goodwin worked for the Restoration for only
five years, but during that time gathered a vast amount of research material that was used for years by the historians and
architects of the Restoration. Most importantly, she found and
identified the copperplate that Dr. Goodwin considered the
“greatest find in American Research.”
Telegram from Mary Goodwin to W.A.R. Goodwin about
the discovery of the Bodleian plate, December 21, 1929 .
8
�BEARING WITNESS: SCRAPBOOKS & TRAVEL ALBUMS
REFLECT WILLIAMSBURG’S GROWTH AS A TOURIST DESTINATION
Today most visitors to Colonial
Williamsburg commemorate their
experiences instantaneously with
photos and comments posted to
social media as they tour the Historic Area. Some may create digital
or traditional photo albums to
share with family and friends as a
more lasting and fixed way to recall their visits. The creation of
memory books has surged in popularity as a result of the September 11, 2001 tragedy, as well as
more recent national and world
events.
A century ago, scrapbooks and travel albums were also
in vogue and the period from the
1890s-1930s witnessed a rise in
the production of many such personal mementoes. The Rockefeller
Library holds a number of examples ranging from anonymous albums of pre-restoration photos, to
scrapbooks compiled by families
who lived in Williamsburg’s historic homes, to those documenting
the early impressions of tourists
between the 1930s-1950s. A recent donation received last year
reveals one tourist’s love affair
with Colonial Williamsburg over
the course of much of her adult
life in the form of nine meticulously compiled travel albums.
Scrapbooks first became
popular in the Victorian era as a
place to collect and preserve
cards, magazine articles, labels,
Two photo albums from the Elizabeth Cullinane Photograph Collection.
autographs, and colorful prints. After the introduction of the Brownie camera in 1900,
the photographic medium became more affordable for the average American and allowed photographs to act as a personal diary of activities. Around this same time, Williamsburg’s residents began working through organizations such as the APVA to rally
efforts to preserve some of the town’s eighteenth-century structures and associated
history.
9
�BEARING WITNESS …
(continued)
Group of photo albums and scrapbooks held by Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr.
Library. Top: Mr. and Mrs. Henry Schenker Travel Album, 1957, Middle, left to right: Julia
Champion Armistead Photo Album, 1905, and Frederick Hooker Ball Photo Album, 18981911, accession Bottom, left to right: Adaline M. Humphreys Travel Album, 1938, and
page from Crawford Family Photo Album, 1916.
Photo by Wayne Reynolds.
10
Turn-of-the-century
albums in the collection reveal
local resident’s experimentation
with photos and notations to
record their responses to Williamsburg’s historic past. In the
Crawford family album, sites like
Wetherburn’s Tavern are captioned with such notes about its
familial ties as “From the windows of which ‘Mary Cary’
watched Washington ride
through town. Her cousins lived
in house at the time.” Julia
Champion Armistead’s scrapbook of photos and notes compiled in 1905 reflects initial
efforts towards preservation of
sites important to Williamsburg’s
history. The newly erected APVA
monument on the site of the
Capitol is shown surrounded by
the excavated foundations
capped with cement. Champion
also notes the historic associations of other structures, such as
the Peyton Randolph House’s
role in Lafayette’s 1824 visit to
America. Frederick Hooker Ball,
whose family resided in the Peyton Randolph House in the early
20th-century, compiled another
small album that captures life in
Williamsburg at the turn of the
century. It includes photos of
businesses, such as Person’s Garage, landmarks, such as the Old
Debtor’s Prison, and events,
such as a Washington’s Birthday
celebration in front of Public
School. No.1.
�BEARING WITNESS ...
(continued)
During the first decade of Colonial Williamsburg’s existence in the 1930s, visitors could purchase a combination ticket
to tour a small group of exhibition buildings. The Rockefeller Library holds several albums capturing the early tourist experience.
One of the most entertaining is that created by Adaline Humphreys, who traveled to Williamsburg with her sister, Maude, in
1938 and wrote a lengthy travelogue about her “glorious trip” to accompany travel photos. She describes reaching Williamsburg
in the evening and finding it “…most orderly and quiet, most citizens having long since closed their shutters and snuffed their
candles.” The following day, after touring “…various points of beauty and eminence…” the two dined at the Travis House restaurant, where they noted “The excellence of the Fruit Shrub…has not been equaled in any part of the country.”
The post-World War II expansion of Colonial Williamsburg is reflected in the scrapbook of Mr. and Mrs. Schenker. A
New York couple who traveled to Williamsburg for their wedding and honeymoon, the Schenkers compiled an album encompassing everything from hotel mementoes to ticket stubs, pamphlets, and postcards. Even the album itself is one they purchased at a Colonial Williamsburg trade shop. The contents document many of the additions to Colonial Williamsburg in the
1950s including the Motor House, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, Brush-Everard House, King’s Arms Tavern, and
Campbell’s Tavern.
The Elizabeth Cullinane Photo Album Collection is a testament to one individual’s fascination for Colonial Williamsburg
over the course of many decades. After an initial visit in the 1950s, Mrs. Cullinane, a Virginia resident, continued to make regular
trips to Williamsburg and began assembling albums to document her favorite features. Several of the albums consist of pages
with photos and accompanying brochure text that document the appearance of each structure up and down Duke of Gloucester
Street, Nicholson Street and Francis Street. Others focus upon seasonal activities and demonstrations at trade shops. Together,
the nine albums offer an in-depth glimpse into details of the Historic Area between the 1950s and 1990s, street-by-street and
building-by-building. Her daughter, Susan Lee noted, “It was truly remarkable what she accomplished with a Kodak pocket camera and a manual typewriter.”
MUSIC COLLECTIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE
Did you know that Colonial Williamsburg’s musical recordings
are accessible in digital format, right from the comfort of your
home? Just go to store.cdbaby.com and search for “Colonial
Williamsburg.” There are currently eighteen albums available,
with a wide range of styles from fifes and drums to Christmas
music to African American songs – and much more. You can
listen to samples of the music for free, or purchase tracks (or
entire albums) for download to your computer.
These offerings have just been expanded with the
addition of a brand-new album of colonial music from the
Foundation’s own ensemble, The Waterman Family! In their
new collection “Welcome Here Again,” the Waterman Family
have put together fifteen tracks of folk music with Scottish,
Irish, French, African, and English influences. The songs are all
played with a variety of colonial instruments and techniques.
Visit https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/thewatermanfamily to
check it out! Visitors can also hear the Waterman Family in
person at performances throughout the historic area.
11
�WILLIAMSBURG: THE STORY OF A PATRIOT
Williamsburg: the story of a patriot will be shown at the Williamsburg Regional Library Theatre on Monday, September 9.
Following the viewing of the forty-five minute film, Dr. Jenna
Simpson will discuss the creation of the film and the efforts
undertaken to preserve it. The program runs from 7:00-8:00 .
Please contact the Williamsburg Regional Library for more
information.
Dr. Jenna Simpson is the Assistant Collections Manager in Media Collections of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The film was
the subject of Dr. Simpson’s master’s thesis: Screening the
Revolution: Williamsburg, the story of a patriot as historic
artifact, history film, and hegemonic struggle which is available at the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG PUBLICATIONS ONLINE
The John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library has created a new website to make certain Colonial Williamsburg Foundation publications
available online. Currently the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter and the Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter are available
for viewing. We look forward to announcing the addition of more content to the site as it becomes available. To access the website, go to: https://cwfpublications.omeka.net/ - .
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
Donna Cooke, Tracey Gulden, Marianne Martin, Doug
Mayo, Sarah Nerney and Jenna Simpson
To learn how you can help or for assistance, 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
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library newsletter, volume 2, no. 1
-
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PDF Text
Text
FALL 2019
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 2, NO. 2
FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY
It was our pleasure in November to recognize Cathy
Hellier for her service to the Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation over the past 40 years.
Cathy began at Colonial Williamsburg as a costumed interpreter in 1978 and moved to Historical Research in 1979 to work on the York County Records Project, as well as working as an evening dance interpreter.
Cathy “apprenticed” in several research positions until
becoming an Historian in 1996, the position she holds
today. Currently she is writing her doctoral dissertation
in American Studies at the College of William and Mary
on enslaved male domestics in Virginia (1619-1800).
She has two MAs, one in American Studies, the other in
Museum Education.
IN THIS ISSUE
Fortieth Anniversary:
p. 1-2
Women of the Restoration:
p. 2-3
Story of a Patriot:
p. 4
Theater Drawings Donation:
p. 5-6
Volunteer of the Quarter:
p. 6
Professional Development:
p. 7-9
Did you know?:
p. 10-11
Lantern Slides:
p. 11-12
Wayne Hill:
p. 14-16
Conservation Corner:
p. 17-19
Homeschoolers:
p. 20
Historian Cathy Hellier receives her 40-year service award from Director of Historical Research Peter Inker.
1
�FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY
(continued)
In her time at Colonial Williamsburg Cathy has written many papers and articles, as well as featuring prominently in Colonial Williamsburg’s publications Eighteenth-Century English as a Second Language and the “Choosing Revolution” chapter of Becoming Americans. She has given numerous presentations, trained classes, and served on many committees, the latest of which
was as chair of the Professional Development Grants committee. Hellier stated “…I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed.”
We look forward to benefiting from many more years of Cathy’s experience.
WOMEN OF THE RESTORATION
(continued from the Summer 2019 issue)
Susan Higginson Nash
The lone female figure in photographs of the Restoration’s architectural team, Susan Higginson Nash was a
standout for more than just her stylish hats. Nash was
hired by the Restoration architects’ office of Perry,
Shaw & Hepburn to oversee the decoration of the
interiors of the earliest exhibition buildings. Not a
trained interior designer, Nash relied on her
knowledge of Southern architecture, her art background, her social connections to the women residents of Virginia’s colonial plantations, and her devotion to historical research to produce the building
interiors that thrilled early visitors to Colonial Williamsburg. Nash assembled appropriate period furniture and furnishings, paint colors, and fabrics for the
restored buildings and in doing so created a market
for what became known as the “Williamsburg style”
in the interior decorating world. Her work could be
seen in the first incarnations of major exhibition buildings including the Raleigh Tavern, the Capitol, and the
Governor’s Palace in addition to the Williamsburg Inn.
Her methodology for establishing authenticity in paint
color lead not only to the development of historic
paint analysis as part of the architectural preservation
field, but to the development of a line of paints that
could be purchased by the public who wished to replicate the Williamsburg look in their own homes.
Nash’s work with the Restoration ceased in 1940 as a
curatorial staff was formed to manage the building
interiors. Many of the buildings she decorated today
Susan Higginson Nash relaxing on Chesapeake Bay Ferry, VA,
1930s.
2
�WOMEN OF THE RESTORATION
(continued)
Susan Nash with workers at the Governor's Palace gate; lion and unicorn figures not yet in place. Photo circa 1933.
look very different due
to additional historical
research and changes
in interpretive focus,
but her original
presentations brought
to life the buildings of
the Restoration for the
early visiting public and
laid a firm groundwork
for the Colonial Revival
interiors look as well as
the fields of historic
interiors and historic
preservation. As Dr.
Goodwin wrote her in
1935, Nash had managed to “….clothe in
beauty the naked
dream that was born in
my thought…”
A page of swatches relating to Susan Nash's Williamsburg Inn Design Scheme, ca. 1937
3
�“EVER THE BEST” – THE CREATION AND RESTORATION OF WILLIAMSBURG: THE STORY OF A PATRIOT
On Wednesday, December 18, Jenna Simpson, Media Collections Assistant in Media Collections of the John D. Rockefeller
Jr. Library will give a presentation for Colonial Williamsburg volunteers on the creation, reception, and restoration of the
classic film Williamsburg: The Story of a Patriot.
In 1956, Colonial Williamsburg brought together the best of Hollywood production teams, professional historical
expertise, and cutting-edge technology to create a landmark in cinema history. Over the years, generations of visitors have
enjoyed this immersive introduction to Williamsburg and its history, and the film itself has become an important and fascinating part of the Williamsburg Restoration story. Attendees at the talk will enjoy watching the film, hear inside stories
about the making of the movie, and learn about how it has been used and restored throughout the years.
This program will be repeated for the general public in the theater at the Williamsburg Regional Library on March
23, 2020 at 2pm.
Jenna Simpson at the Williamsburg Regional Library discusses Williamsburg: The Story of a Patriot.
4
�CHARLES E. BUSH THEATRICAL DRAWINGS
The Rockefeller Library recently received a donation of forty-one drawings and three posters relating to the work of Dr. Charles
Eugene Bush, a Thomas Nelson Community College professor who assisted with set and costume design and technical direction
for the Company of Colonial Performers at Colonial Williamsburg in the 1980s and 1990s. Bush also created scenic backdrops, set
pieces, and stage plans for several other theatrical groups in Williamsburg, such as the Virginia Company of Colonial Comedians
and the Colonial Williamsburg Theatrical Living History program. The drawings also encompass Bush’s design for the open-air Fair
Booth Theatre and set renovations for the Williamsburg Lodge Auditorium. Productions documented include “Williamsburg in
Black and White,” “Thomas and Sally, or the Sailor’s Return” and “Lethe.” Dr. Bush passed away on July 10, 2019 and is remembered fondly for his roles building scenic designs and acting for the series of eighteenth-century plays performed at the Williamsburg Lodge Auditorium. His newly acquired collection highlights this important era in the 1980s and 1990s when audiences could
experience theatrical performances enjoyed by Williamsburg’s eighteenth-century residents.
Elevations and plans for Colonial Williamsburg’s open-air theater.
5
�THEATRICAL DRAWINGS
(continued)
VOLUNTEER OF THE QUARTER
Rockefeller Library and Museum Collections volunteer, Carol Kozek, middle, received the Volunteer of the Quarter Award from
Nealla Champagne, Volunteer Program Coordinator, on November 13, 2019. Carol was nominated by Jeff Klee, left, and Marianne Martin, right, who both supervise her work on projects relating to the Foundation’s architectural and visual collections.
6
�2019 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT AWARDEE PRESENTATIONS
Nation Builder Daniel Cross presents “In Washington’s Footsteps” at the James Anderson House.
Thursday 11th July
Daniel Cross, Nation Builder portraying Young Washington, made a presentation on two Professional Development Grants: “In
Washington’s Footsteps” – A research trip to and Horseback Refresher Lessons.
Daniel had visited sites associated with George Washington’s role in the French and Indian war to help him with his presentation of
Young Washington. The sites included locations Fort Loudon in Winchester, VA. Fort Cumberland in Cumberland, MD. Locations of
Fort Ashby and Fort Edwards in WV. Fort Necessity National Battlefield, PA. Braddock’s Battlefield Museum, PA. Heinz and Fort Pitt
Museum, Pittsburg PA.
7
�2019 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT AWARDEE PRESENTATIONS
(continued)
Actor Interpreter Horace Smith’s presentation on the National Black Theatre Festival at the James Anderson House.
Thursday 21st November
Actor Interpreter Horace Smith give a presentation on the National Black Theatre Festival, hosted by the North Carolina Black
Repertory Company in Winston-Salem, NC. He attended this festival from July 29th to August 3, 2019 as part of his Professional
Development Grant. Horace pointed to the Festival as an opportunity to access networks in the theater community, and as a
way of engaging with new theatrical performances that highlight the African American community.
8
�2019 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT AWARDEE PRESENTATIONS
(continued)
Theatrical Performer Chris Hartman’s presentation on two National Association for Interpretation Webinars in the Palace East
Advance Building.
Wednesday 20th November
Theatrical Performer Chris Hartman gave a presentation on two National Association for Interpretation (NAI) Webinars that he
participated in earlier this year, as part of a Professional Development Grant. The topics were: “Culturally Sensitive Interpretation” and “From First Moments to Life-long Career.” Those who attended were invited to take part in the high points of the
training and to discuss possible uses for the information he gleaned from the Webinars. Potential was identified for future
grants that could include many more employees taking part in these webinars.
9
�DID YOU KNOW?
In honor of Williamsburg’s first Christmas tree, paper chains and candles adorn a tree in front of a fireplace in the St. George
Tucker House. Date unknown.
The first Christmas tree in Williamsburg, Virginia seems to have been in 1842. That year a young German student called Minnegerode, exiled from Germany for taking part in a political uprising, came to the College of William & Mary as a member of
the faculty. He lived with the family of Judge Beverley Tucker professor of Law at the college, and endeared himself to the
young children of the Judge by his fairy tales and games. At Christmas he asked to be allowed to erect a Christmas tree for the
young Tuckers such as had always stood on Christmas Eve in his German home. He and the children made a fête of going into
the woods for the little pine which was put up in the Judge’s study and decorated with candles cut into short pieces, with gilded nuts, apples and ornaments of colored paper. Sweets and little cakes were also hung on the tree. There were no other gifts
for the children and their playmates who were invited, but songs were sung and games played around the tree. The ceremony
so pleased the family that they continued to keep it as an annual custom even after their young German professor had left Williamsburg. Minnegerode entered the ministry of the Episcopal Church, was the Rector of old St. Paul’s in Richmond, Virginia
and was President Davis’ chaplain during the Civil War.
10
�DID YOU KNOW?
(continued)
Transcript of facts written out by Mrs. George Coleman attached to letter from S. P. Moorehead to R. T. Wood dated December
10, 1945 about the first Christmas tree at the Tucker House.
11
�LANTERN SLIDES
Savoyard, Johann Jakob & J.P. Haid, Germany, circa 1760. Colonial Williamsburg Collections. Gift of The Old Print Shop.
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth-centuries,
lantern slide presentations provided an important form of
educational entertainment with a combination of projected
images, narrative, and even musical accompaniment. The
format evolved from magic lanterns, introduced in the seventeenth-century and becoming a popular pastime in the
eighteenth-century. Families gathered together for evening
viewings as depicted in this print from Colonial Williamsburg’s museum collection. Hand-painted slides were projected in devices lit by oil lamps or candles and provided an
early form of a picture show.
Advances in technology and the introduction of
photography led to the invention of lantern slides in 1848.
Costumed Interpreters Outside the William Finnie
House, 1935.
12
�LANTERN SLIDES
(continued)
Costumed Interpreter Seated Outside the Prentis Barber Shop, circa late 1930s. Peter Hornbeck Lantern Slide
Collection.
A precursor of 35mm slides, lantern slides are large format positive transparencies, usually 3.25 x 4 inches, sandwiched between two pieces of glass. Many are hand-colored. A projector allowed the slides to be viewed on a wall or screen. Instead of
automatically advancing from one slide to the next, the lantern slides had to be manually placed into a slot on the projector.
Between 1848 and1870, oil lamps served as the light source for lantern slide projectors. By the 1890s, the carbon arc lamp
offered a better lighting method. The introduction of electricity in the twentieth-century allowed the projection of lantern slides
to become common in schools and universities. Lantern slides became obsolete in the 1950s when the Kodachrome three-color
process brought about the introduction of 35mm slides.
The Rockefeller Library holds eight collections of lantern slides. They served as an important early twentieth-century
medium that allowed audiences to armchair travel to unique locations, among them Colonial Williamsburg. Architect Singleton
Peabody Moorehead and landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff assembled four of the collections in order to give illustrated lectures about the methodology used to undertake the extensive architectural preservation and reconstruction projects at Williamsburg. Their presentations served as a popular way of publicizing the groundbreaking work taking place in Williamsburg in
the late 1920s and 1930s. Two other collections are examples of mass-produced souvenir lantern slide sets relating to Colonial
Williamsburg used for visual instruction in public schools and universities. Finally, the Peter Hornbeck and Paul Wilstach lantern
slide collections document lectures put together by professors interested in teaching students about the discoveries taking
place in Williamsburg and the architecture of the surrounding Tidewater region. Images featured on the slides range from those
taken by professional photographers, such as F.S. Lincoln, to amateur photos by townspeople, and historical images collected
by the architectural team to help them understand pre-restoration Williamsburg.
Want to preview some early visual surveys of Colonial Williamsburg? Two lantern slide collections are available for
browsing on the Rockefeller Library’s Omeka site: https://rocklib.omeka.net/collections/show/21and https://
rocklib.omeka.net/collections/show/18
13
�“AN ENDLESS SOURCE OF INSPIRATION” : AN INTERVIEW WITH WAYNE HILL
Meet Wayne Hill: he’s been performing on the baroque violin for Colonial Williamsburg since 1992. In addition to regular live performances, Wayne has
composed music for many of our Electronic Field Trips, music used in the Art
Museums, and even pieces for Halloween programming. He’s also a big fan of
the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library! This fall I had the opportunity to speak with
him about his experiences here, and how important the library is to his work.
When asked his favorite thing about “the Rock,” Wayne’s answer was
simple: “when I’m there I get in the zone.” He expressed his appreciation for
the study areas and cubicles available at the library, and noted that before
every recording session he can be found there, working through his stacks of
rough drafts. “It’s a good space to get meaningful things done,” he emphasized.
Wayne considers the library’s collection of musical scores “an endless
source of inspiration and essential tool in learning appropriate music for what
we do here.” He’s spent countless hours on research at the library, as well as
listening to recordings from the collections. Wayne explains that most of the
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
The Waterman Family performs at Chowning’s Tavern. Left to right: Wayne Hill, Alyssa Elkins, Stephen Christoff, and Patrick
Rooney.
Photo by Wayne Reynolds
14
�“AN ENDLESS SOURCE OF INSPIRATION” : AN INTERVIEW WITH WAYNE HILL
(continued)
material on the new Waterman Family recording came from
sources researched at the Rockefeller Library, through his own
efforts and those of his fellow musicians in the ensemble: Stephen Christoff, Alyssa Elkins, and Patrick Rooney. Rooney is also
building on research done at the Rockefeller in developing a
new Christmas program, “Round About Our Hearth,” Wayne
reports.
Research at the library has uncovered so many
“nuggets” of interesting and useful information that have informed Wayne’s development as a musician and living history
professional. He pointed out how often one area of research
can lead to another: his interest in musical history, for instance,
has intersected with military history as he found lots of crossover between musicians and composers who were involved in
the military. (Wayne found the Rockefeller’s sources on the
Anglo-Dutch naval wars particularly useful in this regard.)
“Everything comes together, with surprising connections.”
Doing this research helps Wayne to develop a principle
that is at the heart of his musicianship: historically informed
performance practices. For Wayne, that entails using the proper
instruments for the time, including the use of gut strings. It also
means doing deep reading in the period and in musical practices. (When I met him, he was toting the library’s copy of Dance
and its Music in America by Kate Van Winkle Keller, filled with
bookmarks noting interesting passages from his recent reading.
He also recommended Beyond the Chin Rest by Stanley Ritchie.)
Wayne has built upon many years of personal study on
the baroque violin, and credits his predecessors in the music
program – particularly Kevin Buschee, Tom Marshall, and Annie
Loud – with passing down a wealth of information and best
practices. “In my view, one of the best ways to learn music of
this period is by osmosis, by listening,” Wayne says – listening
to other musicians at Colonial Williamsburg, immersing himself
in recordings at the library (“I’ve checked out a million!”), and
watching YouTube videos (Wayne particularly recommends
searching for videos of baroque violinist Monica Huggett.)
15
Wayne’s love of early music was nurtured from a young
age, and started with his grandmother, who he describes as
“a fantastic classical pianist.” The music “really just clicked”
with him, and he came to have “an overdeveloped love of
Bach.” He went on to learn the violin under Ron Marshall,
and worked as a balladeer and contract musician with Colonial Williamsburg before becoming a full-time part of the
ensemble. Even as a part-time employee, Wayne notes, he
loved visiting the Rockefeller Library on his own time, and
considers having paid hours to do research an amazing
benefit of full-time work.
When asked if he had any advice for employees
who have not visited the library or do not come here often,
he urged them to visit: “In my view, that first step leads to
so many positive things. If someone is not inclined to come
over here: there’s an entire universe of positive job-related
benefits and personal benefits; it opens so many doors.”
He also had lots of praise for the staff, who “are always
helpful and eagerly assist in opening the many useful gates
there to virtually anything I’ve ever needed or wanted to
know regarding the music making I’ve been a part of here .
. . I’ve always had really positive interactions.”
Pointing to a blackboard by the library desk,
Wayne read out a quote written by fellow employee Nicole
Brown about her own appreciation of the library: “By educating myself on America’s past and present, I can inspire
our guests to think about their future.” He then showed me
a photo on his phone: Wayne has posted that sign in his
own work area! “That’s Colonial Williamsburg at its best,”
he says, as in his view the quote pulls together three vital
elements: Colonial Williamsburg, the people enthusiastic
about being here, and “the library as a center of gravity
because this is where all the history and information is. . .
Without the history there’s no point. The buildings are
great, but how do you know how they were without the
history and archaeology? [The library is] such a meaningful
place.”
�“AN ENDLESS SOURCE OF INSPIRATION” : AN INTERVIEW WITH WAYNE HILL
(continued)
Wayne’s mentors include Keven Bushee (far left), Tom Marshall (seated), and Annie Loud (far right), pictured in this ensemble
photo from the 1993 Colonial Williamsburg recording “A Delightful Recreation: The Music of Thomas Jefferson.”
Photo by Tom Green
If you don’t run into Wayne doing research in the Rockefeller Library, you can visit him in the historic area or listen to his music
online. Wayne is a member of Colonial Williamsburg’s Waterman Family music ensemble, which has recently released a new
album, “Welcome Here Again” (available for purchase and streaming from iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, etc.). If you would like to
hear him perform live, the Waterman Family will be presenting “Christmas in the Valley” on December 18 and December 25 at
the Hennage Auditorium, as well as various programs at the Raleigh Tavern throughout the season. The ensemble also regularly
plays during the lunch hour at Chowning’s Tavern. Wayne is excited to be working on developing new daytime programs, and
looks forward to recording a Christmas album with The Waterman Family later in 2020.
16
�CONSERVATION CORNER: THE ROBINSON FAMILY PAPERS
Illustration of Hewick Plantation, home of the Robinson family in Middlesex County, Virginia.
Recently, staff from the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library met with consultants from the Northeast Document Conservation Center
to discuss options for conserving materials within the Library’s collections. During that process, it was determined that providing
conservation treatment for the Robinson family papers should be a high priority. The papers are those of Christopher Robinson,
who came to Virginia from England about 1668, and his descendants. Among those descendants was Christopher Robinson Iv
who took the side of the crown during the American Revolution, joining the Queen’s Rangers shortly before the siege of Yorktown. This Christopher Robinson left the United States for Canada after the Revolution.
The collection consists of 17th-20th century manuscripts, sketches and photographs as well as copies of original letters and documents. The items are bound into two oversize volumes which are both failing. Among other issues, the bindings and ink are damaging the materials. The volumes need to be disbound to prevent further damage and to enable the treatment of the individual
leaves and items within the collection. The treatment will allow us to preserve the items for future generations and make it possible for us to image and exhibit them for educational purposes. If you would like to aid us in our efforts to preserve the Robinson
family papers or any other items in our collections, please contact Carl Childs Executive Director, Research and Education and
Abby and George O’Neill Director of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
17
�CONSERVATION CORNER: THE ROBINSON FAMILY PAPERS
(continued)
The two bound volumes containing the Robinson family papers.
18
�CONSERVATION CORNER: THE ROBINSON FAMILY PAPERS
(continued)
Plat of land in James City County, Virginia with compass rose, dated 1684.
Commission appointing Christopher Robinson IV ensign in the Queen’s Rangers. The commission is signed by British General Sir
Henry Clinton and dated June 26, 1781.
19
�HOMESCHOOLERS VISIT SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Homeschoolers have been coming to Colonial Williamsburg for some years now, but
2019 marks the first time formal presentations have been held for them at the John
D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. In two consecutive weeks in September, six groups of
homeschoolers visited the Library’s Special
Collections to view materials from the
visual, manuscript and rare book collections. Among the students who visited was
Kaitlin Smith (pictured at left) who wrote:
“I REALLY loved that class! It was so cool
to see documents from a couple hundred
years ago, and all the pictures and plans
from during the restoration. I would definitely take that class again, and recommend it to everyone! “ We look forward to
seeing Kaitlin and other students during
our future sessions.
For information on programming
for homeschoolers, visit our website.
Kaitlin Smith with Marianne Martin, Visual Resources Librarian, John D.
Rockefeller Jr. Library.
Photo courtesy of Mrs. Smith (Kaitlin’s mother).
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
Donna Cooke, Peter Inker, Marianne Martin, Doug
Mayo, Sarah Nerney and Jenna Simpson
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
20
�
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Title
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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Title
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library newsletter, volume 2, no. 2
-
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PDF Text
Text
WINTER 2020
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 2, NO. 3
WOMEN OF THE RESTORATION
(continued from Fall 2019 issue)
Louise Fisher moved to Williamsburg in 1930 when her
husband accepted a professorship at the College of William & Mary--arriving, so she said, with one truckload of
furniture and two truckloads of flowers. Long an avid gardener, she became involved with flower arranging for
Colonial Williamsburg when she became a hostess for the
Raleigh Tavern, the first exhibition building opened in
1932. Fisher began providing flower arrangements for the
Raleigh in order to give it a homey feel for visitors. By
1942, the job of arranging was sufficiently onerous, due
to the number of open exhibition buildings, that Fisher
became the first employee solely responsible for flower
arrangement. As a result of her insistence on authenticity
IN THIS ISSUE
Women of the Restoration:
p. 1-2
Library volunteer Team:
p. 3
CW Publications Online:
p. 4
Changes for Felicity:
p. 5
Microfilm room:
p. 6-7
Rockefeller Library on Facebook:
p. 7
Bird’s eye view of the Capitol:
p. 8-9
New Photograph Acquisition:
p. 10-11
Statistically Speaking:
p. 12
Professional Development Grants:
p. 13
Colonial Williamsburg floral manager Louise Fisher gathers coxcomb,
c. 1950 .
1
�WOMEN OF THE RESTORATION
(continued)
Mrs. Fisher and others at an "Autographing party" for "An Eighteenth-Century Garland." February 10, 1951.
based on extensive research into eighteenth-century English and colonial gardening and flower arranging, Fisher developed what
became popularly known as a Colonial Williamsburg style of flower arrangement. She used only flowers that could be identified in
historical documents and prints or grew wild in the Williamsburg area. She arranged them only in authentic containers (delft flower bricks, the famous fingered posy holders, etc.) purchased both by her and by restoration interior designers. She relied on a looser, less formal style of flower arrangement than was dominating the floral world of the time. During the colder months of the
year, she used flowers that she had dried over the previous months. At Christmas, she created natural decorations by using fruit
and flowers inspired by old prints and the work of the Italian sculptor Della Robbia. She lectured widely to groups across the United States and in 1951 published a career-summarizing book titled An Eighteenth-Century Garland: The Flower and Fruit Arrangements of Colonial Williamsburg. Fisher’s greatest contribution to the Restoration was to aid in the spread of the Colonial Williamsburg look to the American public as interest in the Colonial Revival exploded in interior decorating and gardening culture. In the
Colonial Williamsburg of today, her influence can still be seen in the live and dried fruit and flower arrangements that so beautifully decorate the town at Christmas time as well as in the funny fingered posy holders still available for purchase in Colonial Williamsburg’s stores.
2
�VOLUNTEER TEAM CELEBRATES SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS
Front desk volunteers who assist with the black and white photograph collection box/folder list project hold up a sign indicating
the total number of lists completed as of February 2020. Pictured are, left to right: Wayne Smith, Loretta Fetsko, Marcia Long,
Nancy Marley, Becky Michaels, Hope Yelich, Dennis Branden, and Debbie Gurcsik.
Since 2017, a dedicated team of volunteers who fill shifts at the Rockefeller Library’s front desk, along with several more volunteers in Special Collections, have worked diligently on a massive project to complete box and folder inventories for the library’s
analog black and white photograph collection. The images encompass museum and library objects and exhibits, archaeological
artifacts and excavations, architecture and architectural fragments, costumed interpretation and Historic Area programs, special
events, distinguished visitors, and Colonial Williamsburg personnel. They range in date from the late 19th-century through the
early 1990s and fill five hundred twenty-one boxes housed in an archival storage area on the library’s top floor.
Each volunteer is assigned a box and prepares a detailed item level inventory list of the contents of each folder within
the box. The lists are then copied into a database record and the database allows a staff member to search across multiple box
inventories to locate all relevant photos on a topic. Printed lists within the folders also aid staff when looking through boxes and
will eventually allow for easy digitization of portions of the collection, as they can be taken to the cold storage vault housed in
Media Collections and used to guide retrieval of corresponding negatives. A future goal may also be to convert the lists to Encoded Archival Description (EAD) format and post them on the Virginia Heritage site with other finding aids for the library’s collections.
Each month the volunteer team completes an average of two to three boxes and an average of ninety-five folder lists. At
the library’s Twelfth Night Party, held to recognize volunteer contributions, they proudly celebrated the achievement of completing, as a team, a total of 2,447 box lists since beginning in 2017. The project is a testament to the progress that can be made
with volunteer manpower and the Rockefeller Library truly appreciates their dedication and diligence.
3
�COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG FOUNDATION PUBLICATIONS ONLINE
The library has started a project to digitize and make available online a variety of internal publications created by Colonial Williamsburg staff over the years. We have chosen to prioritize those that will be of the greatest research use to employees, namely
the Becoming Americans interpretive series and the Colonial Williamsburg Interpreter and its associated publications created to
answer questions for front line interpretive staff. Others chosen thus far are newsletters that contain a good deal of historical and/
or departmental information that are interesting to both employees and fans of Colonial Williamsburg. Some of the newsletters
seem to have been widely circulated both within and without Colonial Williamsburg (for example, AAIP’s newsletter Broken
Chains). Others like The Drummer’s Assistant are quite rare; in fact library staff had to borrow hard copies of the publication from
the Fife and Drum departmental library— they own the only set that could be located.
As you browse the collections, you will notice that the library did not always have a full set of the newsletters that were
published. We welcome the donation of any issues that fill in gaps in our holdings; alternatively, we would be happy to borrow any
in your possession to scan and return to you.
Digitizing publications will be an ongoing project and additional publications will be added to the site as time allows.
Please explore these digitized publications at your leisure at the following link: https://cwfpublications.omeka.net/
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation publications now available online.
4
�CHANGES FOR FELICITY
Over the past few months many have seen me
behind the circulation desk and have asked, “What
are you doing back there?” Well, I’ve moved! I
started my journey as a server at Shield’s Tavern
back in 2010. In 2016, I moved into a full-time
American Indian Interpreter position. Now I find
myself, in school, and at home within the echoing
halls of the Rockefeller Library as a Library and
Archival Assistant.
“What is that? What do you do?” I’ll
spare you my job description and simply say that I
help the librarians, archivists, and digital media
staff with many time-consuming projects. Some
days you’ll find me in the cold box filing negatives
and slides. Other days you may see me processing
a book binding order. Another day may be spent
digitizing records for use by staff across the foundation. The tasks vary and the learning is endless.
I have recently received conservation and
preservation training from Museums, Preservation, and Historic Resources colleagues Pam Young
and Petrina Copes as our Rare Book collection is in
need of protection. Our rare books will soon find
themselves safe and snug within custom made
enclosures. There are only a few hundred to make
so this project may take a while.
I am also thankful to continue to have the
opportunity to work with colleagues in the Historic
Area. Carol Couture recently brought in a donation
of Native American children’s books. This donation
has matured from a small donation to a larger donation to a reassessment of some of the children’s
books within our Janice McCoy Memorial Collection for Youth. Carol’s many years of teaching experience and knowledge are an invaluable addition to this project. Thank you, Carol!
When I am not learning on the job, I’m
studying at home. I am currently enrolled in classes through the Colonial Williamsburg and Thomas
Nelson Community College partnership. I hope to
end my schooling
Felicity Meza-Luna, in the Paper Conservation Lab, at work on a document from the Corporate Archives.
journey with my Master’s in Library and Information Science. While I
spend my days assisting the staff here, they are also helping me learn in
the process. That’s what libraries are all about, learning.
So next time you see me behind the circulation desk, or zooming
about in general, feel free to ask me for help. If I can’t help, someone else
can and we’ll get to learn and help each other.
5
�MICROFILM ROOM
Marianne Martin, Visual Resources Librarian, assists Amy Watson, Publications and Production Editor, in the operation
of a digital microfilm reader.
Visitors to the Library will notice that our microfilm research room has been newly remodeled and outfitted with two state-ofthe-art digital microfilm scanners. The purchase of the units was made possible by a very generous donor and have allowed outdated microfilm units to be replaced.
Microfilm can be a daunting task for even the most experienced researcher. These powerful new tools make viewing
microfilm a much easier process, allowing researchers to sharpen, resize, enlarge, and crop digital images on the fly. The units
also help streamline the browsing and saving processes. The system’s software allows images to be enhanced, making previously problematic images much more legible. Once created, images can be saved in various formats and sent to multiple locations
including, email, OneDrive, Dropbox, or USB. If needed, images can also be sent to a nearby network printer.
The library maintains a rich and varied microfilm collection for the benefit of staff and visiting researchers. While most
of this collection can be accessed through our online catalog (https://research.history.org/library/), some of the microfilm holdings have yet to be cataloged. Researchers are encouraged to contact the Library at 757-565-8510 or 757-220-7249 or email
rocklibrary@cwf.org for additional information.
6
�MICROFILM ROOM
(continued)
Our much improved microfilm room gets more use than this image implies.
ROCKEFELLER LIBRARY and HISTORICAL RESEARCH ON FACEBOOK
The Rockefeller Library and Historical Research was recently added as a group on the official Colonial Williamsburg Facebook
page. We are so excited to have a social media presence again! Our weekly posts will feature content from the Library’s varied
collections including recent acquisitions, exhibitions announcements and highlights, research resources and opportunities, and
educational programming related to the Library’s collections. We will also post about research from the Historical Research department in their subject specialty areas of Virginia in the American Revolution, slavery and unfree labor, women’s history, gender and sexual diversity in the 18th century (LGBTQAI+), waiting men, digital history, 18th century law, and etiquette and deportment. There will also be recurring features like “Image of the Week” and “Rockefeller Recommendations.” Want to be a member? Just go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/RockefellerLibrary or go to the official Colonial Williamsburg FB page and look
for us under the ‘groups’ tab and ask to join our group. We’ll see you online!
7
�BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE CAPITOL
Drone photography of the Capitol’s south façade captured by library volunteer Wayne Reynolds.
Last June you may remember that Library volunteer photographer Wayne Reynolds photographed aerial views of the Governor’s
Palace with his drone. The resulting images were rich in blue sky and green vegetation. What a difference roughly half a year
makes! This past January Wayne and I set out with his drone to photograph the Capitol and surrounding grounds. As we all
know, weather in January is quite different than the weather in June – especially in Virginia. If there is no snow then there is definitely rain. Lots of rain. We shot the Capitol the day after a cold winter rain had soaked the area. While you can see how wet it is
– the winter weather also removed all the leaves from the trees providing us with an unobstructed view of the building itself.
Not only were we able to clearly capture all angles of the Capitol but also views west down Duke of Gloucester Street and aerial
views of the William Finnie House and surrounding buildings on Francis Street. Wayne also managed to nab a selfie of us with
Burke Humphries from the Security and Safety department. Burke is always with us on drone shoots to ensure the safety of
guests, employees and buildings while the drone is flying. We’re planning on reshooting the Capitol when the leaves begin to
bud so we can compare winter with spring. Until then, however, we’ll still keep Wayne’s drone busy to provide us with even
more bird’s eye views of the Historic Area.
8
�BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE CAPITOL
(continued)
Drone photography of buildings along Francis Street, including Bassett Hall by library volunteer Wayne Reynolds.
The drone team: Burke Humphries, Wayne Reynolds, Tracey Gulden.
Photograph by Wayne Reynolds.
9
�NEW ACQUISITION: Q. WILSON HODGES PRE-RESTORATION PHOTO COLLECTION
View looking west down Duke of Gloucester Street from the site of the Capitol, Williamsburg, Virginia, circa 1904-1905.
The Visual Resources Collection, located within Special Collections, received a donation of twenty pre-restoration -era photographs of Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown thanks to the generosity of Susan Hodges Hilliard. Dating to circa 1904-1905
and possibly taken by or collected by Q. Wilson Hodges, a family member who attended the College of William & Mary and resided at the Theta Delta Chi fraternity house.
Among the photos documenting historic structures in Williamsburg are the Powder Magazine, the George Wythe House,
Bruton Parish Church, the Wren Building, the Brafferton Building, and the President’s House. A view looking west down Duke of
Gloucester Street from the Capitol site shows the exposed foundations of the structure as excavated by the Association for the
Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) after their acquisition of the property in 1897. The monument erected in 1904 to commemorate members of the House of Burgesses who formed associations against the importation of British goods is visible at the
center of the photo.
10
�Q. WILSON HODGES PRE-RESTORATION PHOTO COLLECTION
(continued)
Another intriguing photograph captures the crenellated brick building next to the Thomas Everard House that served as a law
office. It was torn down in the early 1950s when restoration work progressed to the Everard property. Located on the north side
of the Everard House on Palace Green, the small outbuilding resembling a castle became a distinctive landmark when Misses
Estelle and Cora Smith opened the house to boarders in the early twentieth century. The collection also includes images of the
ruins of the church tower and Ambler House on Jamestown Island and Grace Episcopal Church and the Moore House in Yorktown.
The Rockefeller Library is always interested in obtaining photographs, slides, postcards, drawings, and albums relating to Williamsburg to augment its internal visual archives. Please contact us at specoll@cwf.org if you would like to discuss a possible
donation.
Thomas Everard Office, Williamsburg, Virginia, circa 1904-1905.
11
�STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
12
�2019 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANT AWARDEES
Christopher Hartman, Theatrical Performer
Amber Staker, Business Analyst
Presented an interpretation at the National Gathering for the
Coalition of Historical Trekkers.
Subscription to Data Reporting Enhancement and Visualization learning resource.
Aubrey Moog, Apprentice Weaver
John Welch, Apprentice Shoemaker
One-Week Weaving Intensive at Marshfield School of Weaving.
Research Trip to New England Shoe Collections.
Hunter Cridlin, Apprentice Masonry Trades
Tyler Wilson, Foodways Apprentice
18th Century Architecture of Annapolis and the Eastern Shore
with all four Brickmakers.
Attendance at 2019 SEALHFAM Conference Historic Arkansas
Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Bryan Austin, Nation Builder James Madison
Rebecca Starkins, Apprentice Milliner and Mantua-Maker
Writing and storytelling workshops .
Clothing research trip in four northeastern museum collections.
Michael Romero, Orientation/Sites Interpreter
Online Celestial Navigation Course and Certification.
Mary Carter, Nation Builder Aggy of Turkey Island
Attendance at the Association of African American Museums
(AAAM) annual conference in Jackson, MS.
Daniel Cross, Nation Builder young George Washington
Horseback Refresher Lessons, and tour of sites of George
Washington’s Fort Necessity and Braddock Campaigns of 1754
and 1755.
Elyse Bennett, Groups Interpreter
Attendance at 2019 SEALHFAM Conference Historic Arkansas
Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Amber Staker, Business Analyst
Subscription to Data Reporting Enhancement and Visualization
learning resource.
Katherine Tolson, Orientation Interpreter
Introduction to Woodcuts Class at the Virginia Museum of
Fine Arts by Dennis Winston.
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, Tracey Gulden, Peter Inker, Marianne Martin,
Felicity Meza-Luna, Sarah Nerney and Melissa Schutt
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
13
�
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library Newsletter
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John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library newsletter, volume 2, no. 3
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
-
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PDF Text
Text
FALL 2020
NEWSLETTER
VOL. 3, NO. 2
ARCHIVES AND RECORDS DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES 75 YEARS
Lester Cappon, the first director of Colonial Williamsburg's Department of Archives and Records, December 13, 1951.
John Radditz, photographer.
IN THIS ISSUE
Archives and Records Department
Celebrates 75:
p. 1-4
Aerial Perspectives on Wartime Williamsburg: p. 5-9
James Craig Letter:
p. 10
Tracey Gulden Awarded Gonzales Grant:
p. 11
Digital Corner:
p. 11-14
In November, the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Archives
and Records celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding. In
the late 1930s, Colonial Williamsburg President Kenneth Chorley
initiated the first steps in creating an archives of the Restoration
when he requested that engineering firm Todd & Brown, landscape architect Arthur Shurcliff, and architectural firm Perry,
Shaw, and Hepburn turn over their Restoration records. In 1939
Chorley observed, “The more I see of Williamsburg the more I am
impressed with its permanence and the more I realize that many,
1
�ARCHIVES AND RECORDS DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES 75 YEARS
(continued)
Archives and Records collection storage area in the basement of the Goodwin Office Building, 1948.
Thomas L. Williams, photographer.
many generations after we are all gone it is going to continue to have its effect on this country. Also, the more I see of it the
more I am impressed with the value of preserving the archives of the Restoration … Therefore, I am very anxious to begin to
build up permanent archives for the restoration.” A consultant from the National Archives conducted a survey of Restoration
records in 1940 and proposed the establishment of a formal archives. The Archives Department was organized under Lester J.
Cappon on November 1, 1945, to establish a centralized method for managing corporate records.
A Committee on Disposal of Records was appointed on January 28, 1947 to support the Archives Department by creating records retention schedules and help manage the growing number of records. The department’s name changed to Archives and Records on June 1, 1953.
2
�ARCHIVES AND RECORDS DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES 75 YEARS
(continued)
The new Archives Storage Space at the Rockefeller Library, 2018.
Photograph courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
The department operates two records facilities, one for archival records storage at the Rockefeller Library and a
records center for non-permanent records at Packets Court. In 2018, the department moved from the Goodwin Office Building,
where it had been located since 1945, to the Rockefeller Library.
Over the years, the Archives and Records function has been assigned under various entities, but its core mission has
remained – to assist Colonial Williamsburg offices in effectively managing records and ensuring that important permanent records are preserved indefinitely. The department’s archival collections provide insight into the Foundation’s history and provide
current employees with informational resources that help them perform their jobs more efficiently. Today, the department is
part of the Rockefeller Library and the Education, Research, and Historical Interpretation Division.
We are grateful for the foresight of the Foundation’s early leadership in recognizing the importance of preserving its
corporate history and look forward to using its many assets to help Colonial Williamsburg celebrate its 100th anniversary in
2026.
3
�ARCHIVES AND RECORDS DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES 75 YEARS
(continued)
Library director Carl Childs stands near the entrance to Archives & Special Collections at the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library.
December 4, 2019
Photo courtesy of Wayne Reynolds.
4
�AERIAL PERSPECTIVES ON WARTIME WILLIAMSBURG
Robert Lowell Warner with aerial camera.
Courtesy of Brent Warner.
Today’s Rockefeller Library volunteer photographer, Wayne Reynolds, is capturing aerial footage of Williamsburg via a camera
attached to a drone. His simulations of flying over Williamsburg add a new perspective to a large archive of aerial photography
dating back to the 1920s. Military aircraft from Langley Field captured some of the earliest bird’s-eye views as they documented
the terrain for defensive purposes and strategic planning. Some of their aerial images became part of the visual archive the Williamsburg office of architects Perry, Shaw and Hepburn began assembling to aid their study of the town prior to making any
changes. Today these photos enhance understanding of the restoration process by showing the many structures that had to be
moved or demolished to bring the Historic Area back to its eighteenth-century appearance. In some instances, they may offer
the best visual documentation of how different buildings stood in relation to each other in late 1920s Williamsburg.
A long-ago training exercise by a service member has preserved some unique aerial photos of Williamsburg’s Historic
Area as it appeared during its next phase of development during World War II. Received as a donation from the Warner family,
the series of images taken by Robert Lowell Warner, a United States Navy photographer, document Colonial Williamsburg’s wartime mission of providing educational field trips as part of basic training for soldiers from Fort Eustis and Camp Peary, as well as
providing a place for recreation and relaxation to rejuvenate servicemen and their families from other surrounding bases, such a
Naval Station Norfolk. The U.S. Navy Photographic Squadron conducted aerial surveys over the Hampton Roads region to allow
its crew to hone its skills working with the special cameras and taking photographs wearing a safety harness out an open door of
the aircraft. Aerial photographers played a critical role in wartime military operations. They carefully documented terrain from
above to aid in planning for defensive and offensive actions. In coordination with photo lithographic units that could rapidly develop and print images, the photographers aided military strategists in quickly planning for aerial maneuvers.
5
�AERIAL PERSPECTIVES ON WARTIME WILLIAMSBURG
(continued)
Robert Lowell Warner, a professional
photographer from Charleston, West Virginia,
enlisted in the United States Naval Reserves on
March 10, 1944 and served until January 3,
1946, when he was honorably discharged with
the rank of Photographer’s Mate, Second Class.
As an employee of the Photographic Squadron
Two at Naval Air Station Norfolk, Warner
learned to operate special large format cameras
used to create aerial photographs for mapping
purposes. The photos taken during training exercises in turn provided images that other soldiers could use to practice interpreting images
to calculate the sizes of structures and other
features at ground level, an important tool for
planning military strategy in combat zones. A
series of aerial photos could also be used to
generate very precise maps useful in both wartime and peacetime.
Warner and his wife took advantage of
the recreational opportunities for servicemen
and their families at Colonial Williamsburg
when taking leave from the Naval Air Station
Norfolk. The family holds a 1941 Colonial Williamsburg guidebook and admission tickets for
the Raleigh Tavern and the Ludwell-Paradise
House dating to 1945. A record of their visits is
also preserved in a series of photographs Warner took while touring the Historic Area, including a still life of cooking implements in a fireplace, the Governor’s Palace maze, and various
street scenes and exterior building views. They
clearly benefitted from the opportunity to rest
and recharge offered by the military furlough at
Williamsburg and later brought their children
back for an educational museum visit. After his
discharge, Warner moved back to Charleston,
West Virginia and continued his career as a photographer, eventually becoming the chief photographer of the Union Carbide South Charleston Technical Center’s photo lab.
Robert Lowell Warner taking aerial photo from Beechcraft SNB plane,
U.S. Navy Photographic Squadron Two.
Courtesy of Brent Warner.
Shot in early color transparency format, the donated set of eight
aerial photos offer sharp, detail-oriented perspectives on various regions
of the Historic Area in 1945, some of which are quite different in appearance today. In the first example, an aerial view looking towards the east
ends of Duke of Gloucester and Francis Streets, Waller Street is shown in
an undeveloped state with the Kelly House standing on the site of Christiana Campbell’s Tavern. It was later demolished in the 1950s to allow for
reconstruction of the tavern which opened in May 1956. Capitol Landing
Road, visible in the upper left, includes a few houses still standing today,
such as the one housing the Governor’s Trace Bed & Breakfast.
A second aerial focusing upon the Palace Green area includes a
military bus parked in front of the Governor’s Palace where servicemen
disembarked for an educational visit. In 1944 and 1945, many convalescent soldiers from area military hospitals toured Colonial Williamsburg as
the Soldier Sailor Training Program scaled back and the Historic Area became a significant component of rehabilitation efforts. It also offers a
view of the area at the rear of the Governor’s Palace gardens near the
6
�AERIAL PERSPECTIVES ON WARTIME WILLIAMSBURG
(continued)
Aerial view of Palace Green area with a military bus parked in front of the Governor’s Palace, including Blocks 21, 30-2, 20,
29, 34, and 35.
Media Collections.
the C&O railroad tracks where townspeople planted and maintained Victory Gardens.
Another example, a view of the Capitol site looking towards Block 17, housing the Raleigh Tavern, and Blocks 27 and 28
along east Nicholson Street, is significant for its visual documentation of an entire neighborhood now disappeared that once
served Williamsburg’s hospitality employees and African American community during the era of segregation. Today the area
encompasses Colonial Williamsburg’s Franklin Street administrative buildings, bus operations, archaeological collections building, millwork shop, laundry, commissary, and warehouse. Two churches, Mount Ararat Baptist Church, on Franklin Street, and
Union Baptist Church, on Botetourt Street, served the spiritual needs of residents. Along Raleigh Lane, extending off of Nicholson Street near the Public Gaol, stood the Odd Fellows Hall, also known as the Morninglight Lodge, the Hillside Café/Wallace
and Cook’s Beer Garden restaurant, and the Thomas Confectionary, all of which provided venues for social and philanthropic
7
�AERIAL PERSPECTIVES ON WARTIME WILLIAMSBURG
(continued)
Aerial view of Capitol site and Block 8 looking NW towards Blocks 17 and 27, with African American neighborhood, Samaritan
Odd Fellows Hall, employee housing known as “White City.”
Media Collections.
activities during the era of segregation. The Toby Scott restaurant and store across Botetourt Street from Mount Ararat Baptist
Church gave neighbors another place to shop and congregate.
As part of its effort to attract and retain well-trained hotel and restaurant workers from larger cities to work at hospitality
properties, Colonial Williamsburg constructed a row of six white clapboard houses along East Scotland Street in the 1930s. They
offered comfortable and up-to-date homes with a living room, full kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, and screened porches. Known
as “White City” due to the painted white clapboard siding used on all six dwellings, they became the residences of chefs, bellmen,
dining room captains, chauffeurs, and housekeepers for the Williamsburg Inn and Lodge. A large white clapboard dormitory building visible on the site of today’s Franklin Street Office Building provided additional lodging for single employees during a period
when wartime housing pressures pushed Williamsburg to convert all useable spaces into extra accommodations. Today’s only
remainder of this once vibrant neighborhood is Mount Ararat Baptist Church which still stands on Franklin Street next to the
Franklin Street Office Building.
8
�AERIAL PERSPECTIVES ON WARTIME WILLIAMSBURG
(continued)
While the original intent of Robert Lowell Warner’s
aerial photography is long past, the Rockefeller Library
is pleased to add digital copies and corresponding
inkjet prints to its photo archives, where they will
serve a new purpose as an important record of Williamsburg from a bird’s-eye perspective during the
1940s. The aerial views are a significant legacy of the
wartime years donated by the Warner family in honor
of their father and of the 75th anniversary of the end
of World War II. They tell the story of one of the many
thousands of soldiers who passed through wartime
Williamsburg and upon whom the Historic Area left a
lasting impression through the viewfinder of his camera.
Aerial view of East ends of Duke of Gloucester and Francis Streets
with Capitol Landing Road visible in the upper left .
Media Collections
Group photo of Robert Lowell Warner with members of his training team and the Beechcraft SNB aircraft, U.S. Navy Photographic Squadron Two.
Courtesy of Brent Warner.
9
�JAMES CRAIG LETTER
A letter written by 18th-century Williamsburg silversmith,
James Craig, was recently acquired by Special Collections of
the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library. It is quite rare to acquire a
manuscript so closely associated with a site and person we
interpret. This purchase could not have been accomplished
without the generous support of our donors, Michelle Urberg
and Sam and Linda Boyte.
“We are pleased to support the Foundation's acquisition of this document. It is a remarkable primary source for
helping understand 18th century business practices" said donor Linda Boyte. In the letter dated May 23, 1768, Craig
offered items for sale which he had recently received from
London. On April 7, 1768, Craig ran an advertisement in the
Virginia Gazette announcing the arrival of a shipment from
London aboard the Matty. The advertisement listed many of
the items subsequently offered in the letter.
Craig first appeared in the Virginia Gazette when he
advertised himself as a “Jeweller from London” with a shop on
Francis Street in the issue dated September 25, 1746. Although
he spent several decades in Williamsburg, there are very few
items in Special Collections associated with him. One exception
is a reference to Craig in the account book of James Anderson,
blacksmith of Williamsburg, Virginia. Additionally, Special Collections holds two letters and a valuation written by Craig
which form part of the John Norton & Sons papers.
Donor Michelle Urberg also recognizes the important
additional step of transcribing the letter. “As a metadata professional, I know the time and attention to detail it takes to
create the transcription of the letter. By doing so, the Rockefeller Library has also provided more information about this letter
that can be used in other platforms and databases. The letter
penned by James Craig can be analyzed for example, by scholars studying language in letters from the colonial period or the
silversmiths who worked in the colonies. Every piece of shareable data like this letter helps to bring alive history in new ways
and enriches primary source study.”
The recently acquired letter and transcription may be
viewed here: James Craig letter.
James Craig letter to an unidentified recipient, 1761 May 23.
10
�TRACEY GULDEN AWARDED GONZALES GRANT
Tracey Gulden, the Library’s Manager of Media Collections,
was recently awarded a Mary and Donald Gonzales Field Experience Grant from Colonial Williamsburg. The Gonzales grant
offers continuing education opportunities directly related to an
employee’s job and that support the educational mission of
Colonial Williamsburg.
Gulden, the Library’s first recipient of the prestigious
award, will use grant funds to earn a Digital Asset Management (DAM) Certificate from Rutgers University, an online program offered by Rutgers’ Division of Continuing Studies. It emphasizes current theories in digital asset management,
metadata, workflow, best practices, and integration of DAM
systems.
The grant will support Gulden’s work managing the
Foundation’s media collections through the current DAM system, known as The Source. The Source is the media archive for
Colonial Williamsburg and houses well over 400,000 master
digital assets accessible to any employee of Colonial Williamsburg. Gulden also stewards Media Collections Online (https://
images.history.org/), a public-facing website that promotes the
sale of images, music, and video materials and supports the
educational mission of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
and the preservation and maintenance of these invaluable
assets.
Tracey Gulden, Manager of Media Collections.
DIGITAL CORNER
Digital Primary Source Collections Support Key Research & Interpretation Areas
The Rockefeller Library has long promoted digital access to our collections important to our staff and external researchers. The
need for remote access has been greatly magnified during our recent COVID closures, highlighting the importance of ready access to our digital subscription databases and the need for “scan on demand” services.
While digitization of Library collections has been ongoing for many years, the Library recently partnered with Backstage
Library Works (https://www.bslw.com/) and The Media Preserve/Preservation Technologies (https://ptlp.com/en/) to digitize
collections and make them available through our website.
By partnering with two leaders in the field of digital preservation and metadata, the Library is able to leverage the generosity of our donors by digitizing important collections, including the John Norton & Sons Papers, along with various 18thcentury account books, and a variety of important records from our corporate archives.
As you will read below, our commitment to providing ready access to critical research collections takes many forms.
11
�DIGITAL CORNER
(continued)
Digital Primary Source Collections Support Key Research
& Interpretation Areas
The spring 2020 shutdown provided one silver lining: a rare
abundance of research time for many of Colonial Williamsburg’s front-line historic interpreters and tradespeople.
Rockefeller Library negotiated with online vendors to allow
staff to login to electronic resources from home and arranged
for trial access to resources not owned by the Foundation.
Positive feedback on those trials spurred the acquisition of
three new digital primary source collections, which will support deeper research into the history of gender and sexuality;
military history of the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War; and the experience of enslaved laborers in southern
industrial enterprises.
Defining Gender (Adam Matthew Digital)
In this resource a wide variety of documents from British archives – from commonplace books and diaries to receipts and
government papers – illuminate “the study and analysis of
gender, leisure, and consumer culture.” Items are arranged
thematically, facilitating browsing of related content; a
“popular searches” option that provides search term suggestions is also available. The advanced search feature enables
researchers to narrow in on a particular timeframe, or on
material from a particular library/archive. This database will
support the important work of CW’s Gender and Sexual Diversity Committee.
Caricature of a Man Midwife as a split figure, left side female,
right side male. From Man-midwifery dissected; or, the obstetric family-instructor. [Illustration]. Wellcome Library.
L0018481. Available through: Adam Matthew, Marlborough.
Defining Gender.
Slavery in Antebellum Southern Industries (ProQuest)
Incorporating records from Duke University, University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), University of Virginia, and
Virginia Museum of History & Culture, this collection focuses
on the industrial uses of enslaved labor. Company records,
correspondence, and documents pertaining to the purchase,
hire, medical care, and provisioning of enslaved laborers all
provide extraordinary insight into the experience of enslaved
individuals in enterprises such as mining, iron manufacturing,
brickmaking, lumbering, tobacco manufacturing, and heavy
construction.
Revolutionary War and Early America: Collections from the
Massachusetts Historical Society (ProQuest)
This exciting collection of newly digitized material
from the nation’s oldest historical society includes Revere
Family Papers, 1746-1964; Hancock Family Papers, 17281830; Elbridge Gerry Papers, 1744-1895; Pre-Revolutionary
Diaries, 1635-1774; French and Indian War Orderly Books;
and Revolutionary War Orderly Books. These documents will
inform research and programming across the foundation:
staff from Military Programs, Historic Trades, and Museums,
Preservation and Historic Resources were all enthusiastic
about adding it to our holdings.
All these new resources help Colonial Williamsburg
expand its understanding of life in the eighteenth century
and fulfill its mission to tell the inspiring and complex American story.
12
�DIGITAL CORNER
(continued)
Visual Resources Expands Its Online Offerings
While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges and changes for library operations, one silver lining of the situation
has been new initiatives by Special Collections staff to digitize and mount online portions of its holdings. Six new visual collections have been added in 2020.
The largest, the Todd and Brown Inc. Photograph Collection, encompasses over seven hundred black and white photographs taken by Todd and Brown Inc., an engineering firm which served as general contractor to carry out plans for the restoration and reconstruction of buildings in Williamsburg’s historic area and Merchants Square. They commenced work in 1928,
maintaining offices in Williamsburg and at their headquarters in New York City. The Todd and Brown Inc. Photograph Collection
serves as a record of the systematic examination of the town and extensive planning that occurred before the contractors began
their assignment to demolish or move buildings not dating to the colonial era. Each photograph they took served a documentary
purpose of recording a colonial structure, modern dwelling, business, church, municipal building, or outbuilding as it appeared
prior to any work proceeding at a site.
Another larger collection in the process of being added is the John A. Barrows Photograph Collection. Barrows arrived
in Williamsburg in 1928 to begin a position as an architectural draftsman at the Williamsburg office of Boston architects Perry,
Shaw & Hepburn. Since the reconstruction of such buildings as the Governor’s Palace required some educated guesswork on the
part of the architectural team, they invested quite a bit of time in studying extant architectural precedents in the mid-Atlantic
region to determine certain details. John Barrows accompanied the team on many such expeditions and quite a few of his photographs record architectural details of structures they examined to aid them in accurately reconstructing such elements as
staircases, interior paneling, and cornices. Two other photo collections compiled by members of the architectural team, Finlay
Forbes Ferguson Jr. and the Rev. Donald MacDonald Millar, provide additional images of restoration projects underway in Williamsburg’s Historic Area, as well as architectural design precedents at historic sites in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and
South Carolina. A small group of photos collected by and possibly taken by William & Mary student Q. Wilson Hodges in the early twentieth century offers a glimpse into pre-restoration Williamsburg. Dating to circa 1904-1905, they document the state of
various eighteenth-century buildings still extant, such as the Powder Magazine, George Wythe House, and Bruton Parish Church.
Finally, the J. Floyd Yewell Architectural Renderings Collection offers a colorful glimpse into the planning process for
Colonial Williamsburg’s expansion in the 1950s. An architect who excelled in the production of architectural watercolor renderings, J. Floyd Yewell played an important role in designing the New Information Center, Motor House, and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center. His series of perspective views of three major projects underway at Colonial Williamsburg in the mid1950s reflect the museum’s efforts to enhance the tourist experience and develop facilities to accommodate a higher volume of
visitors.
Please visit the visual materials Omeka site to browse through these and other collections.
13
�DIGITAL CORNER
(continued)
Special Collections Online Presence Continues To Grow
As noted above, Special Collections staff have been working to make our collections available online throughout this year of
social distancing and remote working. In addition to visual materials, we have published several manuscript collections to our
website and continue the work of making large collections, such as the John Norton & Sons papers, available for researchers.
Over the past few years, Special Collections has acquired several issues of the Virginia Gazette which are now available
online. These include fifteen issues printed in Norfolk during the years 1774 and 1775. While there is often overlap between
what is reported in the Williamsburg and Norfolk issues of the Virginia Gazette there is much material in the Norfolk issues
which are not to be found in the Williamsburg ones. Therefore, the availability of these issues greatly benefits our researchers.
One of the largest manuscript collections held by Special Collection is the John Norton & Sons papers. This collection is
a wealth of information for those studying the history, trade, and material culture of 18th-century Virginia. It consists of letters,
bills, accounts, and other materials created or received by the mercantile firm of John Norton & Sons. John Norton was a London merchant involved in the tobacco trade. His sons maintained the Virginia side of his business from Yorktown and later from
Williamsburg and Winchester. The firm’s voluminous records consist of over two thousand items and contain correspondence
from roughly four hundred recipients. In addition to the correspondence from Virginia planters seeking goods in exchange for
their crops there is a voluminous amount of correspondence from the tradespeople who provided those goods as well as personal correspondence from family and friends. Notable Virginians represented in the collection include Williamsburg residents
George Wythe, Robert Carter Nicholas and Thomas Everard. Female correspondents are well represented in the collection
which includes several letters from Williamsburg milliner, Catherine Rathell, Frances Everard Horrocks, and many others. The
collection has been digitized and the work of making it available online is ongoing. We hope to have it fully available sometime
next year. It may be viewed here: John Norton & Sons papers.
The papers of Scottish tobacco factor Charles Steuart are also available online. These papers relate to Steuart’s efforts
to aid a Spanish party which was violently assaulted in Virginia in 1762. The bulk of the correspondence consists of copies of
Steuart’s letters to Governor Francis Fauquier concerning his services to the Spaniards with requests for guidance on dealing
with the delicate situation and Fauquier’s replies. The final item in the collection is a “Narrative of the Spanish Affair” which
should be read first to gain an understanding of what transpired.
Other collections include those of Revolutionary War soldier Michael Bowyer, Williamsburg resident and local Baptist
minister Scervant Jones, the Dismal Swamp Canal Company, the Baylor family (who intermarried with the Nortons), Georges
LeClerc (who collected French materials of the American Revolution), the Vest family, 18th-century Virginia merchant Francis
Jerdone and others. All of these collections may be viewed on our Special Collections Omeka website.
The Special Collections staff looks forward to making more of our collections available in the coming year. Our new
partnerships in the digital realm should allow us to provide content more efficiently and effectively than we have been able to
do in the past.
14
�DIGITAL CORNER
(continued)
Collections landing page for the Colonial Williamsburg Publications website.
Colonial Williamsburg Publications
In 2020, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library staff increased the number of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation publications
available to the public online significantly. On May 30, 2019, a small website of the Foundation’s publications was launched.
This website contained fewer than 300 issues almost a year later, but now there are close to 2,400 issues of Colonial Williamsburg publications available for online viewing. The most significant addition to the website began when library staff published
the first volume of the Colonial Williamsburg News, originally called The Restoration News, in April. 1,825 issues of the Colonial
Williamsburg News are now online with new issues being added bi-monthly. Other newsletters that are now available include
those of the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library and the Department of Historic Trades and Skills. Additionally, interpretive materials
from the Becoming Americans series may be viewed on the website alongside several newsletters which are no longer being
published. The Horticultural Happenings and Coach and Livestock newsletters will be available soon.
The website may be viewed here: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Publications.
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
Donna Cooke, Marianne Martin, Doug Mayo, Sarah Nerney
and Melissa Schutt
To learn how you can help or for assistance, please call 757-220-7249; 757-565-8510 or email us at rocklibrary@cwf.org.
15
�
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 3, number 2, Fall 2020