The Museum & White House of the Confederacy, a Gem in
Richmond, Virginia
My
husband and I had the distinct privilege of working with the Museum of the
Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia this past weekend for a photographic seminar
on photography during the Civil War. Afterwards, Todd made wet plate collodion
images of the seminar group and visitors to the museum.
The
museum is in downtown Richmond and is surrounded by and dwarfed by the Medical
College of Virginia. This cultural institution houses an amazing collection of
Civil War treasures. And the White House alone, which is a National Historic
Landmark, is worth a trip to Richmond.
The
house, which served as the executive mansion of Jefferson Davis, has a
fascinating history and has been restored to its former glory thanks to the
meticulous research and attention to detail of its curators. I was privileged
to experience a private tour and can state, without a doubt, that the winding
staircase that leads to the second floor is among the most magnificent I’ve
ever seen. Fortunately, I was appropriately attired as a lady of the
Confederacy in a summer sheer dress and felt elegant as my caged skirts swayed
as I descended those beautiful stairs. Okay, I lust for that staircase!
The
mansion also houses both of Jefferson Davis’s desks, an beautiful custom crafted
bookcase he ordered from England but never saw because a federal blockade
intercepted it, and a collection of gas chandeliers that make my heart sing.
Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life at Last I’ve Found You! [Congrats to fans of “Young Frankenstein
“who get the reference]
For
any student of Civil War history, the Museum of the Confederacy and White House
is a must see. And the museum as now opened a branch at Appomattox!
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