THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR MUSEUM
MAKING A NEW
MUSEUM
‘IT STARTED WITH A PHONE CALL’
BEHIND THE SCENES SPECIAL SECTION SOLID LIGHT | BRC | 3NORTH | WHITING-TURNER | GRAND OPENING
SPRING 2019
CONTENTS SPRING 2019 CHRISTY S. COLEMAN Chief Executive Officer JOHN M. COSKI Editor TALLY BOTZER Editorial Assistant PENELOPE M. CARRINGTON Magazine Design BOARD OF DIRECTORS Christy S. Coleman (ex officio) Edward L. Ayers Ph.D. Hon. Daniel T. Balfour J. Gordon Beittenmiller* U. Bert Ellis Jr.* Claude P. Foster George C. Freeman III Bruce C. Gottwald Sr. Bernard Grigsby* Monroe E. Harris Jr. D.D.S. Elizabeth Cabell Jennings* Donald E. King* Leigh Luter Schell Johnathan Mayo John L. Nau III Lewis F. Powell III Susan B. Rice* Walter S. Robertson III* O. Randolph Rollins Kenneth P. Ruscio* S. Buford Scott* John Sherman* Daniel G. Stoddard Ruth Streeter W. Hildebrandt Surgner Mario M. White Elisabeth S. Wollan Ph.D. *Also on Foundation Board ACWM FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS S. Waite Rawls III President (ex officio) E. Bryce Powell Matthew G. Thompson, Jr. Jeffrey L. Wilt
ION SPECIAL SECSTCENES BEHIND THE
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COVER PHOTO: Installation of the 150 Days Theater featured in the new Museum exhibit opening in May. PHOTO BY PENELOPE M. CARRINGTON
© 2019 The American Civil War Museum © 2019 The American Civil War Museum
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SOLID LIGHT
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LIGHT D I L O S ESIGN: D T I B I XH
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EXPERIENCE THEATER BRC
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ARCHITECTURE 3NORTH
16 CONSTRUCTION
05 GRAND OPENING PLAN YOUR VISIT
WHITING -TURNER
20 SHOP
ANDREY KHROBOSTOV
BOOKS & SILVER SPRING
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FOUNDATION
PRESIDENT’S LETTER
UPCOMING EVENTS
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MAY Varina: A Novel - Conversation with author Charles Frazier Historic Tredegar, RVA May 6 @ 6 p.m. Free. The fictionalized portrait of former Confederate First Lady, Varina Davis, looks back on her life and explores the consequences of her choices. Edward L. Ayers, Ph.D. (University of Richmond, BackStory), will moderate.
APRIL
BOOK TALK Raising the White Flag: How Surrender Defined the American Civil War White House of the Confederacy, RVA April 20 @ 2 p.m. Free. The American Civil War had more frequent surrenders than any other American war. Author David Silkenat’s work provides the first comprehensive study of Civil War surrender, and the conflicting social, political, and cultural meanings of the action.
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Loose Cannons VIII Historic Tredegar, RVA April 26 @ 7 p.m. $30 in advance. $45 in advance with musket firing Grab your dancing shoes for the Tredegar Society’s annual fundraiser. With views of the James River, food trucks and a great band. The Blue Tips are back, bringing classic soul and Motown favorites to the stage. Ticket includes drinks. Rifle musket firing is extra. Space is limited. Proceeds benefit the Museum.
Book Talk The Million-Dollar Man Who Helped Kill a President: George Washington Gayle and the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Historic Tredegar, RVA May 11@1 p.m. Included with admission. Free to members. Delve into the story of George Washington Gayle, the man behind the deadly scheme to kill President Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson, and Secretary of State William Seward. With author Christopher Lyle McIlwain.
2019 SAVE THE DATE HHH RVA: Drinking and Prohibition in Civil War Richmond Capital Ale House, 623 E Main St., RVA May 13 @ 6:30 p.m. Free. Prohibition on buying and selling intoxicating beverages is not unique to the 1920s. Explore the drinking habits of 19th century imbibers and the government’s crackdown in wartime Richmond. With Robert Hancock, ACWM CIVIL WAR CONVERSATIONS African American Education from 1865-1890 ACWM - Appomattox May 23 @ 6:30 p.m. $10 general public. $5 Museum members. Explore African American education after the Civil War, including Freedmen Schools, initial state-funded public schools, early historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and the failed Blair Education Bill of 1890. With Hilary Green, University of Alabama. FOUNDRY SERIES One America or a Divided Country? with Tony Horwitz Historic Tredegar, RVA May 29 @ 6:30 p.m. Free. Uncover how Frederick Law Olmsted’s epic 1850s journey through the American South compares to contemporary conversations about political and cultural divisiveness today, as author Tony Horwitz discusses his new book, Spying on the South: Across the American Divide. With moderator Danita Roundtree Green, Coming to the Table - Richmond.
GRAND OPENING EVENTS FROM GROUNDBREAKING TO BREATHTAKING Historic Tredegar, RVA May 2 @ 6 p.m. $250 per ticket. Sponsorships available. The first gala of the new American Civil War Museum facility. Tickets support the American Legacy Capital Campaign. DONOR DAY Historic Tredegar, RVA May 3 @ 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Invitation only. Before the grand opening, Museum members and annual fund donors get early access to the new Museum and exhibits. 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join senior Museum staff for short tours of the new flagship exhibit, A People’s Contest, or join a guided walking tour of the Historic Tredegar campus. Tours begin every 30 minutes. 11a.m. to 3 p.m. Get up close to some of the Museum’s artifacts not on display. Led by staff curators. Noon. Join historian Edward L. Ayers for a “sneak peek” screening of his new television series, The Future of America’s Past.
OPENING DAY CELEBRATION Historic Tredegar, RVA May 4 @ 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Included with admission. Free for members. Join us for our grand opening with special guided tours of A People’s Contest: Struggles for Nation and Freedom in Civil War America exhibit, walking tours, and artifact encounters with curators. Guest appearance by the podcast, BackStory. Emerging Scholars lightning talks, sponsored by the Civil War Monitor. LESSONS (UN)LEARNED FROM THE CIVIL WAR Historic Tredegar, RVA May 5 @ 1 p.m. $10 general public. $8 Museum members. What did we learn from the Civil War? What should we have learned that maybe we haven’t? Join a panel of historians to discuss topics from laws and economics to racial justice and cultural impact that might provide insights to 21st-century issues. Featuring: Lesley Gordon, Ph.D. University of Alabama Caroline Janney, Ph.D. University of Virginia Jonathan White, Ph.D. Christopher Newport University Kidada Williams, Ph.D. Wayne State University
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ES N E C S E H T BEHIND
IT STARTED WITH A PHONE CALL Waite Rawls and I were invited to a meeting to discuss a bold idea. The question put before us was this: What would happen if our two museums - the Museum of the Confederacy and the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar - came together to create a new organization to rival all others
DESIGN OF THE NEW ACWM BRINGS THE COMPLEX CONFLICT TO LIFE BY STEVE HALL A “typical” Civil War Museum may focus primarily on third-person information about battles, with very little about civilian life, usually even less about African Americans during the conflict. Artifacts may be presented with little context. Photographs often show people frozen forever in stiff black and white; they appear to
covering the LETTER FROM THE CEO subject? The impetus for the CHRISTY S. COLEMAN question was acknowledgement that Waite and I worked beautifully together during the collaborative Future of Richmond’s Past/Richmond’s Journeyprograms to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the War. The timing seemed difficult at best. Both museums had recently concluded capital campaigns as part of strategic initiatives, but we also recognized the risks we each faced.
have little in common with you and me. By contrast, the new American Civil War Museum connects with today’s visitors by transforming the narrative and challenging broad myths about the War. Its partner in this endeavor, Solid Light Inc., an “experience” design and build company based in Louisville, Kentucky, tapped into personal narratives from period written accounts to tell the story of the Civil War in a new, powerful way that deepens understanding.
We knew the War elicits strong emotions and differing points of view regarding how it should be remembered. We acknowledged there were would be those who abhorred the very idea of such a merger. We hoped there would be others who could see the value and tremendous opportunity if we managed to get this right. With each step in this journey, we also understood what we were considering - what we dared to create could be groundbreaking in more ways than one. Despite our own skepticism and concerns about the resources required for a new enterprise, we kept talking, imagining and evaluating the prospect. Careful planning, great advice, frustrations, and unexpected rewards kept us moving forward to what eventually became viewed as inevitable. Could we really create a preeminent museum to engage a diverse community, encourage scholarship, and become relevant and useful to all? The more we considered it, the more it made sense to at least try. The rest - as they say - is history. From the beginning, we understood what we were attempting to build together was much more than a building or exhibits. It was a new way of considering how we could make history an important part of community life - both locally and nationally. We had to start within by trying to CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 ABOVE PHOTO Exhibit installation in-progress in the Museum’s new building. (RIGHT) Construction of the Henry House Media Experience designed by Solid Light. PHOTOS BY (ABOVE) PENELOPE M. CARRINGTON & (RIGHT) SOLID LIGHT
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“Solid Light designs and builds destinations where people connect with stories and each other,” said Cynthia Torp, Solid Light’s founder, owner, and president. “With the American Civil War Museum, we wanted to help today’s visitors emotionally connect with the people who lived and died during the Civil War.” “We began by creating ‘emotional mapping’ of The Museum - intentional story planning for visitors to have the maximum experience without being overwhelmed,” Torp said. Solid Light’s unconventional CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
LETTER FROM THE CEO
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create a new culture among a dedicated, talented, professional, and equally skeptical staff. A new board girded Waite and me through it all giving us the support needed to build the best possible organization. There were times when we couldn’t help but wonder if fate also had a hand in how things evolved. Debates about flags, public statuary, political upheaval, and so much more rushed to the fore, and the Museum was called upon to help provide much needed context. We knew in order to lead we couldn’t be reactionary, but rather needed to be a ready and able resource for all. By using the organization’s remarkable staff and artifact, photographic, and archival collections, we chose to help diverse communities navigate difficult waters. Did we have missteps? Absolutely. Did we learn and grow from them? Absolutely. Have we made a difference? Absolutely. Is our work complete? No. Now we turn our eyes to the future of this remarkable organization we’ve built thus far. None of this could have been done without the extraordinary support, advocacy, expertise, and resources of board members, staff, donors, and members. In the past six years since publicly announcing our plans, we’ve seen much of our vision come into being. We are grateful to all of our partners, including historians, designers, focus groups, architects, and contractors. Each brought their best thinking and practices to this enterprise. To each and every one of them, we thank you! This magazine issue is dedicated to each of you and serves as a keepsake of the new facility that has come to represent our vision. This remarkable structure literally embraces and preserves a fractious past. Beyond its walls, it invites us to consider the past on its own terms while imaging a more informed present for a collective future. Thank you for being on this journey with us!
Christy S. Coleman, CEO
8 SPRING
PHOTO BY KIM BRUNDAGE PHOTOGRAPHY
B R C I M AG I N AT I O N A R T S E X P E R I E N C E T H E AT E R
A NEW CIVIL WAR EXPERIENCE THAT REVEALS THE HEART AND SOUL OF AMERICA
RENDERING BY BRC IMAGINATION ARTS
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he American Civil War Museum is partnering with the experiential storytellers at BRC Imagination Arts to create a signature theatrical experience for the revitalized museum. BRC is most known for creating the experiences and presentations at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois. That innovative, influential museum employs immersive storytelling to illuminate Lincoln as America’s greatest “uncommon common man.” Visitors see what Lincoln saw and feel what he felt as he reached deep within himself as the nation was going through its most harrowing moment. BRC now brings its signature brand of storytelling to the American Civil War Museum. Blending 100% scholarship and 100% showmanship, the presentation will plunge audiences into the heart of the conflict
from multiple perspectives: Union and Confederate, North and South, African-American enslaved and free. It will explore the questions: “Why did they fight? What made them throw themselves into this tragic calamity? What were they thinking, hoping, fearing, wishing for?” It is a story of people ennobled by the virtues of determination, compassion and courage; and bedeviled by the vices of prejudice, barbarity and cravenness. The new Museum is a place to tell unforgettable human stories of real people forced to engage in a life-and-death struggle to define the very nature of the American people and its government. This experience will serve as an emotional introduction that invites guests to journey deeper into those stories in the main exhibits and presentations throughout the rest of the Museum. T H E A M E R I C A N C I V I L WA R M U S E U M 9
SOLID LIGHT EXHIBIT DESIGN
“A vibrant color palette and bold graphics, including colorizing period photographs, make the Civil War visually relevant today.”
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PHOTOS & RENDERINGS BY SOLID LIGHT
SOLID LIGHT
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storytelling methods present the complex issues of the Civil War in a compelling new way for today’s audiences. The company’s design intertwines the wartime narratives of real soldiers, civilians, and African Americans, both enslaved and free, to create intimate moments of personal connection within the epic sweep of the War. This first-person storytelling allows the sharing of multiple perspectives about the conflict and highlights the complex choices made by individuals. A vibrant color palette and bold graphics, including colorizing period photographs, make the Civil War visually relevant today. “The humanity of the people jumps out at you,” Torp said. “Instead of a faded image in a history book, you realize you’re looking into the eyes of a person with hopes, fears, and dreams, just like you.” These personal narratives continue in multimedia pieces, with performances by vocal actors, evocative period images, reenactments, sound effects, and music. These come alive in unusual “theaters” such as a “house” frozen in mid-
explosion during the First Battle of Manassas or Bull Run and a “cave” for the Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi. These “theaters” and the multimedia elements underwent extensive prototyping and testing. Likewise, interactive, touch-screen timeline pillars allow visitors to delve deeper into key Civil War events, the personalities involved, and even related artifacts in the American Civil War Museum’s collection. Throughout the exhibit, the Museum presents artifacts with stories about them for greater emotional impact. Outside, signs with bold graphics and interpretive copy, also by Solid Light, guide visitors through the ruins of the historic Tredegar Iron Works, which supplied munitions to the Confederate States of America. “Collaborating on this project helped Solid Light understand the Civil War in new ways,” said Torp. “We’re confident the American Civil War Museum will have that same impact on visitors.” Steve Hall is a writer for the design firm, Solid Light. T H E A M E R I C A N C I V I L WA R M U S E U M 1 1
3NORTH ARCHITECTURE
DESIGNING AN INSPIRING NEW TAKE ON THE CIVIL WAR BY DAMON PEARSON
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n the American Civil War Museum’s new home at Richmond’s historic Tredegar Iron Works, CEO and visionary Christy Coleman sought to refocus the lens we traditionally use to view history. Her challenge to the design team: create a place that presents the unexpected, that shows the lessons of the past we can’t forget through the eyes of a different person, and that juxtaposes the storied history of a Confederate war-manufacturing facility with a modern and inspiring take on the Civil War. This inspiring challenge became the core design driver of the project, and in this article we explore how we, the architects, tried to answer this challenge in both the large and small scale throughout the project. Two design ideas drove the formation of the project. First is the notion that the existing buildings and artifacts on the historic Tredegar site are themselves the real spectacle of the place, and they are to be celebrated and preserved. Whatever new gestures might be made as a part of the project should defer to these existing artifacts, or possibly even amplify their presence. From this principle came the idea that the building itself could become a vitrine, a large-scale glass
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“When one builds in and around historic ruins, the design language of how one interfaces new construction with the old materials becomes critical.”
PHOTO BY KEITH ISSACS
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architectural display case that would enclose the main ruin walls of the Tredegar campus. This would not only preserve them by protecting them from the elements but also highlight them by making them the primary feature of the Museum’s new lobby. These ruin walls - originally the exterior walls of a Civil War-era railcar wheel foundry - also serve as the Museum’s grand proscenium arch. This wall forms the threshold between public lobby and paid exhibit spaces, between light and dark, and between the expected and the unexpected, the latter being a key theme to the exhibits themselves. The second design idea was the notion that this building would improve the connectivity and navigation of the existing campus. A new entry plaza orchestrates the visitor experience from arrival to the front door of the museum. Site walls help direct pedestrian traffic and define sunken gardens along the edges, allowing one to pause and reflect along the way. The new plaza also rises from its previous height, allowing the new Museum to be completely out of the James River flood plain, ensuring the safety of the collections which are also housed on site. In tandem with the landscape concepts, the Museum itself is situated to create the missing connection between the Pattern and Administration buildings, effectively creating a new spine along the northern edge of campus. This spine extends to the interior of the Museum and takes form as an elevated catwalk along the top of the ruin wall and a monumental stair down to the plaza. When one builds in and around historic ruins, the design language of how one interfaces new construction with the old materials becomes critical. From a preservationist point of view, it was apparent from the beginning that the new construction would to not directly touch any of the existing ruins. Floors and walls are all held just off the faces of the existing ruin, and where gaps had to be filled, a neutral river stone completes the interface. Bridges span the gap between spaces on either side of the ruin, and a steel monumental stair spans completely over one leg of the wall. In fact, the structural steel frame of the entire building echoes this approach, in one area cantilevering roughly a quarter of the building to avoid having the existing ruins bear weight. To reinforce the notion of the vitrine, glass was the obvious material to choose for the building envelope. In areas that needed more privacy from the outside, we chose a brick that plays off the color and texture of existing ironwork throughout the site. The thinner than normal and elongated shape along with the unique color make it clear this is a new building while still feeling tied into the rich materiality of the site. Lighting also plays a critical role, and is designed to highlight the ruins at night, making the building seem to disappear almost entirely. During the day, we hope that visitors approaching the building will appreciate how it both blends in with and stands out from the historic buildings and ruins around it – and inside it. Damon W. Pearson, AIA, is a Director of the architectural firm 3North.
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PHOTOS BY KEITH ISSACS
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WHITING - TURNER CONSTRUCTION
“Using the existing ruin wall as part of the final building was the plan.”
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PRESERVATION MEETS INNOVATION
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uilding a state-of-the-art museum is a wonderful opportunity and challenge for any contractor. Building a museum while at the same time preserving the ruins of the original structure required a unique process at the new American Civil War Museum site. Using the existing ruin wall as part of the final building was the plan. We had to treat the ruin wall at its base to ensure it was impervious to water. To achieve that water tightness, we delicately dug out the wall, prepared it with a parge coating, then applied modern waterproofing systems. Working with the architects at 3North, we chose a brick mortar compatible with the historic brick. Typically, old mortar is much softer than modern mortars, so we had to take care to find one that is soft enough to be
compatible for any repairs in the future. The existing wall under the staircase in the pre-gallery area required us to remove soil from around it without damage to the fabric. We had to extricate the wall from the vegetation and roots that had grown through it. Installation of the glass curtain around the ruin wall was complicated due to the fact that the existing brick is not flat or level. Putting new glass products that are flat and level around the old brick surfaces proved to be a tedious process, but the result of that painstaking work is stunning. Construction logistics to install the glass panels above the existing water raceway proved to be one of the biggest challenges of the project. Because no equipment could be
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mobilized in the raceway, we had to erect special scaffolding on the west side of the building. Working with heavy equipment around centuries-old brick walls posed an obvious potential danger. We installed three types of monitoring mechanisms on the ruin wall during the project to ensure no damage occurred. Movement, vibration and existing crack gauges were tracked on a regularly scheduled basis. Our efforts to protect the ruin wall were successful. Constructing the new building was not our only challenge. With all onsite buildings remaining open throughout construction, it was important to maintain clear and safe pedestrian paths for visitors and Museum staff. These paths were constantly changing adjusted as the site progressed and developed. Coordination with the National Park Service was critical, as structure installations were put in both entrances to provide access to the Pattern Building. Multiple utility tie-ins of new underground utilities to existing ones required several power and water shutdowns in existing buildings. These all were coordinated with the project team. Shoring and re-shoring the existing tunnels was required to install new utilities. For utilities and all installations, the project goal was always to protect the historic fabric of the property.
A raceway view with the reflection of the Pattern Building seen in the new building’s glass exterior. PENELOPE M. CARRINGTON PHOTOS (RIGHT TOP & BOTTOM FAR RIGHT) WHITING-TURNER (LEFT, NEAR RIGHT & PAGE 16) PENELOPE M. CARRINGTON
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CONSTRUCTION BY THE NUMBERS
170
tons of steel
1,100
cubic yards concrete
30,000 bricks
113,581 ft (21.5 miles) electrical conduit
465,044 ft (88 miles) electrical wire
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SHOP CATALOGUE
BOOst
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n African American History ofthe Civil War in Hampton Roads Cassandra Newby-Alexander Eastern Virginia was “Ground Zero” for African-American slavery in English North America, and, in 1861, Hampton Roads also became “Ground Zero” for freedom and emancipation. Newby-Alexander’s history explores the history of Hampton Roads’ African Americans from the Underground Railroad to the United States Colored Troops. Item #152696 $19.99; Members $17.99 Nature’s Civil War: Common Soldiers and the Environment in 1862 Virginia Kathryn Shively Meier Meier reveals how Union and Confederate soldiers adopted self-care habits, forged informal health care networks, and tested the limits of military discipline to cope with the harsh environmental conditions and rampant disease during the 1862 Peninsula and Valley Campaigns. Item #16355 $24.95; Members $22.41 Shifting Grounds: Nationalism and the American South, 1848-1865 Paul Quigley Quigley traces the process by which white southerners transferred their allegiance from the United States to the Confederate States and back again. Item #643 $26.95; Members $24.25 The Civil War and the Transformation of American Citizenship (Conflicting Worlds: New Dimensions of the American Civil War) Paul Quigley Throughout the Civil War period, the boundaries and consequences of what it meant to be an American citizen remained in flux. These thoughtful essays reveal how war, Emancipation, and Reconstruction forced the country to rethink the concept of citizenship not only in legal and constitutional terms, but also within the context of the lives of everyday Americans, including imprisoned Confederates to former slaves. Item #153724 $47.50; Members $42.75 20 SPRING 2019
Armies of Deliverance: A New History of the Civil War Elizabeth R. Varon Varon’s new one-volume history of the War integrates battlefront and home front, and the stories of politicians, soldiers, and civilians, white and black. It also offers a new perspective on debates and divisions within the Union and Confederacy, arguing that hard war tactics and soft war appeals were present throughout the War and were harmonized by the idea of “deliverance.” Item #153726 $34.95; Members $31.45 Raising the White Flag: How Surrender Defined the American Civil War David Silkenat Roughly one out of every four soldiers surrendered at some point during the conflict. In no other American war did surrender happen so frequently. Silkenat here provides the first comprehensive study of Civil War surrender, focusing on the conflicting social, political, and cultural meanings of the action. Item #153725 $39.95; Members $35.95
The Thin Light of Freedom: The Civil War and Emancipation in the Heart of America Edward Ayers Picking up where In the Presence of Mine Enemies left off in the summer of 1863, The Thin Light of Freedom tells the story of the Civil War and its aftermath. Through the experiences of two communities in the Great Valley: Augusta County, Virginia, and Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Ayers’ narrative focuses on how the two communities reacted to the challenges and opportunities of Emancipation. Item #40302 $35.00; Members $31.50 Mary Wears What She Wants Keith Negley Negley’s book, inspired by the true story of Mary Edwards Walker, focuses on a trailblazing 19th-century doctor who challenged convention by wearing pants. This bold, original picture book encourages readers to think for themselves while gently challenging gender and societal norms. Item #153727 $17.99; Members $16.19
BOOKS
PHOTOS (BELOW) THE EYE THAT NEVER SLEEPS: HOW DETECTIVE PINKERTON SAVED PRESIDENT LINCOLN, © MARISSA MOSS, 2018, ABRAMS BOOKS; NATHAN HALE’S HAZARDOUS TALES: BIG BAD IRONCLAD!, © NATHAN HALE, 2012, ABRAMS BOOKS
The Eye That Never Sleeps: How Detective Pinkerton Saved President Lincoln Marissa Moss Moss’ first children’s book spotlights Allan Pinkerton, one of America’s greatest detectives. Pinkerton solved more than 300 murders and recovered millions of dollars in stolen money. His greatest contribution,
however, was protecting Abraham Lincoln on the way to his 1861 inauguration. The Eye That Never Sleeps is illustrated with a contemporary cartoon style, mixing art and text in a way that appeals to readers of all ages. Item #153728 $17.99; Members $16.19
Nat Turner Kyle Baker The story of Nat Turner and his slave rebellion is known among school children and adults. To some he is a hero, a symbol of black resistance and a precursor to the civil rights movement; to others he is monster - a murderer whose name is never uttered. Baker depicts the evils of slavery in this moving and historically accurate illustrated story of Nat Turner’s slave rebellion. Item # 153729 $19.95; Members $17.95 Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: One Dead Spy Nathan Hale Nathan Hale was a Revolutionary War hero who famously said “I regret that I have but one life to give for my country” before being hanged by the British. Author Nathan Hale channels his namesake to present history’s roughest, toughest, and craziest stories in
the graphic novel format. One Dead Spy tackles the story of Hale himself, who was an officer and spy for the American rebels during the Revolutionary War. Item #153730 Price: $13.99; Members $12.59 Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales: Big Bad Ironclad! Nathan Hale Each of the books in Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales has elements of the strange but true and is presented in an engaging, funny format, highlighting the larger-than-life characters that pop up in real history. Big Bad Ironclad! covers the history of the amazing ironclad steam warships used in the Civil War and is filled with surprisingly true facts and funny, brave characters to whom modern readers will easily relate. Item # 153731 $13.99; Members $12.59 T H E A M E R I C A N C I V I L WA R M U S E U M 2 1
THIS & THAT
SILVER SPRING COMMEMORATIVE COINS ADORN ITEMS THAT MIND YOUR TIME, KEYS AND GADGETS.
MULTI TOOL
Steel utensils include a bottle opener, scissors, knife, LED light and key ring with a pewter coin of Stacked Rifles for our Appomattox site. 3 x 1¾ inches. Item # 453463 $14.95, Members $13.45
FLASK
Stainless steel, 6 oz. hip flask features the White House of the Confederacy coin. 4¼ x 4 x ⅞ inches. Item # 453450 $19.95, Members $17.95 22 SPRING 2019
SHOP CATALOGUE KEYCHAIN
Leather fob with Tredegar pewter coin. 3½ inches long. Item # 453419 $8.95, Members $8.05
COMPASS
Steel with pewter coin for Appomattox. 4 inches long x 1¾ inches diameter on the compass. Item #453457 $22.95, Members $20.65
POCKET WATCH
Steel case, quartz movement, 12 inch chain, and White House pewter coin. 1⅞ inch diameter. Item # 453441 $24.94, Members $22.45
WINE STOPPER
Steel with pewter coin of Tredegar Pattern Building. 4 inches long. Item # 453435 $13.95, Members $12.55
ORDER TODAY We offer several ways to place an order. Online: www.acwm.org Email: mailorder@acwm.org Phone: (804) 649-1861, Ext. 126 or 201
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490 Tredegar Street, Richmond, VA 23219
AN UPDATE FROM THE FOUNDATION Dear Friends, This issue of the Magazine is devoted to our new facility at the site of the Tredegar Iron Works. We hope you enjoy viewing the new photographs, and we believe you will be amazed by what you see when you visit. It is the culmination of five years of hard work by the staff and the board, and it is a credit to your extraordinary financial support. Most importantly, it achieves our goal of a $48 million expansion and investment which allows us to present the complexities of the American Civil War and its legacies to an expanding and more diverse audience. Today, the lack of knowledge about the War and the desire by so many to put its lessons into sound bites are equally distressing. We believe that we can make a difference in these shortcomings, as our guests to the new site will be confronted with the complexities that faced the people of the time Union and Confederate, men and women, free and enslaved, people of all colors and creeds. As visitors get a closer look, they will begin to understand the difficulties people of an earlier age faced, the decisions they were called upon to make, and the hardships they were forced to endure. They lived without the benefit of the hindsight that we have today - the same hindsight which often clouds our ability to understand those who came before us. This physical expansion of our capabilities will also make us financially stronger. From this position of strength, we will expand grow our reach beyond the exhibits in our museum facilities in Richmond and Appomattox and the stories and artifacts that will encounter in the White House of the Confederacy.
Past grants from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (now Virginia Humanities) have helped us “teach teachers,” with the multiplier effect of reaching their students. All are designed to extend our educational reach. We believe that press relations are also critical to our mission. We assist journalists, who have little knowledge of the subject, write and broadcast work that is better informed. We always tell our visitors that we do not attempt to dictate to them what to think, but rather offer new ways of thinking about the past. We take the same approach with the press by turning down their requests for “our position” and supplying them instead with useful background for their subject - helping them to understand the conditions that led to decisions 160 years ago which seem to disagree with our way of thinking today. All told, we think you will be as pleased with our progress and performance as we are grateful for your support. So tell your friends, neighbors, and fellow members of your social clubs about us. And be proud to tell them of your support of us. We know that we could not perform without that support. We are especially appreciative of our new members who have increased our membership by 20% in the eight months since the beginning of the fiscal year. We hope to see you in May at our grand opening. Sincerely,
With a generous grant from Altria, we are reworking and expanding the content of our already extensive website and social media platforms to reach those who cannot visit. Through another grant, Bank of America is making it possible for active duty military and veterans to attend the Museum.
S. Waite Rawls III Foundation President