RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – The Library of Virginia will present a free virtual talk on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at noon by Donovan Schaefer, a Virginia Humanities Fellow, on his research project “Nationalism & Cosmopolitanism in the Creation of Richmond’s Confederate Monuments.” Registration is required at https://lva-virginia.libcal.com/event/15295882. 

Schaefer, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania, spent time at the Library of Virginia earlier this year using records in our collection to research the history of Confederate commemoration in Virginia. His project blends archival research, public storytelling and a growing digital archive spotlighting Black press responses to Confederate symbols called the False Image of History Project. Schaefer’s goal is to explore the politics of who feels safe in public spaces, how those dynamics are created through monumental material culture, and how public feelings create and constrict democratic society.

His talk will draw on his research in the Library’s holdings, especially the records of the Lee Monument Association, to examine how white Southerners in the aftermath of Reconstruction sought to define their nation on the international stage by plugging into global art networks. The high-water mark of this strategy was the selection of Antonin Mercié as the sculptor for the Robert E. Lee monument, installed on what would become Monument Avenue in 1890.

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The Library of Virginia is the leading source of information on Virginia’s history, government and people. The Library’s collections, containing more than 134 million items, document and illustrate the lives of both famous Virginians and ordinary citizens. Our online resources draw nearly 2 million website visits per year, and our on-site records, exhibitions and events bring in thousands of visitors annually. The Library is located in downtown Richmond near Capitol Square at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Learn more at www.lva.virginia.gov.