Manuscripts & Special Collections

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

More Than a Policy: Enslaved Life Insurance and Virginia’s Industrial Economy

Many of us know what a life insurance policy looks like. Even if we have never owned one, we understand its basic purpose: a person…

Michelle Evans OliverAugust 24, 2026

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

A Smoking Gun: Library of Virginia Documents Shed Light on A Murder

It was a bloody, excruciating ending for the amiable 22-year-old merchant. Walter Henry Pleasants was shot January 30, 1838, in his room at Richmond’s Columbian…

Guest ContributorJuly 8, 2026

Digital Projects Manuscripts & Special Collections

A Life in 3 Journals: Shadrick Franklin Easter

P resent-day America was significantly shaped by the pivotal events of World War I, the Prohibition era, and the Great Depression. Generations of Americans lived…

Savannah TweeddaleMay 29, 2026

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections Newspapers

2026 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at the Library of Virginia!

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, out of the 331,449,281 people who reside in the United States, 7.5%—or 24,897,495—people in the United States identify as…

Cara GriggsMay 4, 2026

Manuscripts & Special Collections The Stacks

Gardens Abound in Library of Virginia Special Collections

As you tour the gardens of Virginia during Historic Garden Week, you may be inspired to plan your own garden or learn more about the…

Amanda AllgoodApril 22, 2026

Conservation Manuscripts & Special Collections The Stacks

Transfer of Power: Administrative Transitions and the Library of Virginia

In January of this year, Virginians were focused on events surrounding the history-making inauguration of Governor Abigail Spanberger, but few realized that preparations for the…

Alicia StarliperApril 15, 2026

Archives Education & Programming Manuscripts & Special Collections

Never Built: Virginia’s Unrealized Architectural Legacy

In 2008, the Library of Virginia presented an exhibition titled Never Built Virginia to highlight examples of structures that never were and pose the question,…

Vince BrooksMarch 2, 2026

Digital Projects Manuscripts & Special Collections

Ambition: To Be A Success

Ambition: To Be Successful In the 1950s and 1960s it was fashionable to ask high school seniors what their life's ambition was and to place…

Jessi BennettFebruary 4, 2026

Archives Digital Projects Manuscripts & Special Collections

25 Years of Connecting Users with Archival Collections

The Library of Virginia’s archival collections can be discovered online at the Archival Resources of the Virginias (ARVAS). ARVAS is a finding aid aggregator. Virginia…

Karen KingFebruary 2, 2026

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections Public Libraries

Virginia’s Coal Towns

In his diary on July 18, 1709, William Byrd of Westover remarked, "Tom returned from Falling Creek and brought me word all was well there…

Vince BrooksJanuary 21, 2026

Archives Education & Programming Manuscripts & Special Collections

Taking Office: Gubernatorial Inaugurations in Virginia

Editor’s Note: This blog post contains information from the Library of Virginia's 2001–2002 exhibition, "Taking Office: Inaugurations of Virginia's Governors," curated by Barbara Batson and…

Library of VirginiaJanuary 14, 2026

Manuscripts & Special Collections The Stacks

Newly-Available Archival Accessions, July 1- September 30, 2025

The Library of Virginia maintains the most comprehensive collection of information about Virginia’s history, culture, and government. We hold more than 200 million manuscript items,…

Trenton HizerDecember 12, 2025

Archives Education & Programming Manuscripts & Special Collections

A Brief History of Public Housing in the City of Richmond

House to Highway: Reclaiming a Community History (July 17, 2025 – February 28, 2026) highlights the history of Richmond’s Jackson Ward neighborhood and explores the historic…

Ashley CraigNovember 17, 2025

Archives Manuscripts & Special Collections

Governor, Gunrunner?: “Honest John” Letcher and the Secession Crisis

During the Secession Crisis of 1860-1861, members of President James Buchanan’s cabinet distributed arms to secessionists. According to General and future President Ulysses S. Grant,…

Kenneth ForestNovember 5, 2025

Archives Education & Programming Manuscripts & Special Collections

Political Life in Virginia

Editor’s Note: This blog post contains information from a previous Library of Virginia exhibition, "A full vote, a fair ballot, and a free count": Political Life…

Library of VirginiaNovember 3, 2025