January 2020 Newsletter
Exhibition Opening! We Demand: Women's Suffrage in Virginia
A free exhibition at the Library of Virginia running January 13–December 5, 2020, We Demand: Women's Suffrage in Virginia commemorates the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote.
The story of Virginia's suffragists and their contributions to the fight for woman suffrage is little known. We Demand reveals how women created two statewide organizations to win the right to vote. Virginia suffragists were a remarkable group of talented and dedicated women who have largely been forgotten. They were artists and writers, business and professional women, and educators and reformers who marched in parades, rallied at the state capitol, spoke to crowds on street corners, staffed booths at state and county fairs, lobbied legislators and congressmen, picketed the White House, and even went to jail. At the centenary of woman suffrage, these remarkable women are at last recognized for their important achievements and contributions.
Items on display include suffrage postcards and memorabilia such as pinback buttons and badges, as well as banners from the Virginia branch of the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage, photographs, and film footage. This exhibition is a project of the Task Force to Commemorate the Centennial Anniversary of Women's Right to Vote. Learn more about the exhibition here.
Save the Date! April 25 Voorhees Map Lecture
The Fry-Jefferson Map Society hosts the 17th Annual Alan M. and Nathalie P. Voorhees Lecture on the History of Cartography on Saturday, April 25, 2020. Featured speakers Dr. Larry Tise and Andrew Lawler present "English Impressions of Virginia & Its Inhabitants before Jamestown: English Mapping and Iconography of the New World."
Jamestown was the first successful English settlement in Virginia, but it was not England's first attempt to colonize the land. Historian Dr. Larry Tise and author Andrew Lawler discuss the extraordinary explorations of the Albemarle Sound region and the first English settlements on Roanoke Island in the 1580s. Although these settlements failed, they produced a rich scientific, cartographic, iconographic, and literary base that has shaped our imaginations of pre–colonial America from the 16th century to the present.
Tise's presentation, "The First American Coloring Books: Theodore de Brys Grand Voyages, 1590–1602," focuses on de Bry's copperplate engravings, lavishly illustrated exploration narratives that instantly became iconic images instructing even our current concept of Native Americans. His folio-sized books invited Europe's artists to use their imaginations in applying colors. Tise, a private practice historian in Philadelphia, was a Wilbur and Orville Distinguished Professor of History at East Carolina University (2000–2015).
Lawler will present "Uncharted Territory: How Maps Launched—and Nearly Sank—English Colonization of the New World." The author of the best-selling book The Secret Token: Myth, Obsession, and the Search for the Lost Colony of Roanoke, Lawler has also written more than a thousand newspaper and magazine articles appearing in the New York Times, Washington Post, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and many others
Thinking about joining the Fry-Jefferson Map Society? As we gear up for our 2020 events and programs, now is a great time to sign up and receive the benefits of the Library's special giving society dedicated to those interested in cartography. Fry-Jefferson Map Society members receive free or discounted admission to all map programs, the biannual Fry-Jefferson Map Society newsletter, and a 10 percent discount at the Virginia Shop. To learn more, visit www.lva.virginia.gov/involved/f-jms.htm.
Library Hosts a New Civic Conversations Series
Civic Conversations, the Library's new small-group discussion series, premiered on January 8 with outstanding attendance for the topic of monuments. Held on the second Wednesday evening of the month, each event begins with a short segment from a documentary film, followed by a roundtable with input from a moderator and historical expert from the Library. February's conversation, on the historical ramifications of nonviolent activism, includes a clip from the film Freedom Riders. Attendees are encouraged to share their perspectives with the group.
This discussion group is organized through Meetup, a popular online event and community organization tool. You can join the Meetup group to receive notifications of upcoming conversations, but joining Meetup is not a requirement for attendance.
To continue the discussions beyond the events, the Library will create online resource guides and post further discussion questions. These resources can be found on the Library's education website.
Support the Library of Virginia in 2020
Every year the members of the Semper Virginia Society add significantly to the Library's ability to collect, protect, and share the history and culture of Virginia. Your gift can help us begin the New Year ready to do even more! There are terrific benefits, including a subscription to our quarterly magazine, Broadside; members-only events; discounts at the Virginia Shop; and more. Please consider the benefits to you and to the culture of Virginia and make your gift today. Thank you!
You can make your gift by printing and mailing the form located on the Library's website, going online to www.thevirginiashop.org/foundation-membership.aspx or by calling Dawn Greggs at 804.692.3813.