Though a city known for selling its historic past, Richmond has also been home to industry giants such as Reynolds Metals, Phillip Morris, and Capital One. Richmond is remembered for being a cigarette industry town, which is captured in the postcards displayed of laborers and the Philip Morris and Liggett & Myers buildings. Richmond fights to assume a persona of opportunity and mobility. The postcards of trains and the Broad Street business district capture the city’s emphasis on progress.
While Richmond can still boast of building the nation through flour, iron, and the slave trade, the city’s claims to fame have modernized. Law, finance, education, and government dominate Richmond’s twenty-first century economy. But investments in architectural restoration, new restaurants, and bike shops reflect the varied passions of the city. The city promotes its artistic and entrepreneurial side, as its more traditional economy expands to the new beat of the city.