Al Mackey
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A Review of Richmond's New American Civil War Museum
- Thread starter Al Mackey
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From the above link
True, you will not find many Civil War museums with an audio and visual presentation telling the story of an enslaved girl brutally whipped for allegedly poisoning her owner. Nor are there many such musuems displaying slave shackles or interpreting the post-war years by featuring a Reconstruction era KKK hood and garment. Further, the African American and Union perspectives are both featured throughout the exhibits. There is also home front and gendered history, but with only a few notable exceptions the artifacts packed behind the glass cases are overwhelmingly the treasures from the old Museum of the Confederacy.
But oh, what a collection it is! I will not spoil it for you by naming too much, but you will be stunned at the personal wartime possessions on display that were owned by the pantheon of Confederate luminaries, from Jefferson Davis, to Lee, to Stonewall, to Jeb Stuart. (You know, all those white southern men out there on Monument Avenue.) Of course all this was on display at the old Museum of the Confederacy, but it makes it no less amazing to see them again, especially in this more inclusive context and in the new digs. You will find yourself staring in awe at such things, seemingly tucked away in the corners.
Here is a big tip: DO NOT rush through this museum. Read EVERY description of EVERY relic. What they have will blow your mind. Just one small example: the sword Lewis Armistead used to urge rebel soldiers forward into Union lines just as he was mortally wounded during "Pickett's Charge" at Gettysburg. But you will miss it and other jaw-dropping possessions if you are not paying attention.
True, you will not find many Civil War museums with an audio and visual presentation telling the story of an enslaved girl brutally whipped for allegedly poisoning her owner. Nor are there many such musuems displaying slave shackles or interpreting the post-war years by featuring a Reconstruction era KKK hood and garment. Further, the African American and Union perspectives are both featured throughout the exhibits. There is also home front and gendered history, but with only a few notable exceptions the artifacts packed behind the glass cases are overwhelmingly the treasures from the old Museum of the Confederacy.
But oh, what a collection it is! I will not spoil it for you by naming too much, but you will be stunned at the personal wartime possessions on display that were owned by the pantheon of Confederate luminaries, from Jefferson Davis, to Lee, to Stonewall, to Jeb Stuart. (You know, all those white southern men out there on Monument Avenue.) Of course all this was on display at the old Museum of the Confederacy, but it makes it no less amazing to see them again, especially in this more inclusive context and in the new digs. You will find yourself staring in awe at such things, seemingly tucked away in the corners.
Here is a big tip: DO NOT rush through this museum. Read EVERY description of EVERY relic. What they have will blow your mind. Just one small example: the sword Lewis Armistead used to urge rebel soldiers forward into Union lines just as he was mortally wounded during "Pickett's Charge" at Gettysburg. But you will miss it and other jaw-dropping possessions if you are not paying attention.