When I walked into the Library of Virginia a few weeks ago, the first thing I noticed was not the books, or exhibition signs but rather, the people themselves. They were both people who had come in from the street to use the atrium as a place to sit and talk and get out of the cold and people there to check out books and review records. When I have always thought of a library I have always thought about scholars finding their materials to write about or the young kid checking out his first library book. What I saw before me that day though was not just that, it was actually so much more. But what was this something more? Why did it strike me as it did?
The Library of Virginia functions as a centerpiece for knowledge in the city of Richmond as well as the State of Virginia. According to the library’s website its mission is to “acquire, preserve, and promote access to unique collections of Virginia’s history and culture and advance the development of library and records management services statewide.” It is a place to read fiction and nonfiction. It is the cornerstone of civil society in the commonwealth.
It also houses exhibitions that delve deeper into specific areas of Virginia history. One such exhibition that the Library of Virginia holds is the exhibition “To Be Sold: Virginia and the American Slave Trade.” At first thought I thought it was strange that an exhibition such as this was in a library. I wondered why anything but books would be shown in a library as a theme or exhibition. What the exhibition was able to do though was take history and put it into a place where everyday people can walk in and learn something new for nothing at all. It was able to take from the selections available in the library and bring them forth in a new exhibition. Everybody from scholars to passersby can see what the slave trade actually was like in the city of Richmond. The exhibition tied together the community.
Within the exhibition itself a story of community was also portrayed. This story was that of slave traders and the slaves at the slave auction in Richmond, Virginia, who were sold and taken away from family and friends. This creates an emotional aspect to the exhibition that creates a community all on its own. One of the most moving moments for me personally looking through the exhibition was the first painting that I viewed upon the wall. Painted by English artist Eyre Crowe in 1853 after he witnessed the Richmond slave trade first hand, it portrayed a group of slaves waiting in a room to be sold. Among the group was a mother with her young child sitting on her lap. That was when I realized that child might have been taken away from his mother that day, maybe never to see her again. It was a time that families were ripped apart just for the idea of making a profit off the individual. This visual haunts me. I think that is the purpose of this exhibition though; to bring out an emotion of why did humans let this happen for so long right here in the city of Richmond. It was because of this that I thought the contents of the exhibition in such a public place really were well placed. People going into the library from all walks of life can now stop and see what happened on the very streets they were just walking on only 160 years ago. But it was not just paintings that stood out in this exhibition
One other thing that struck me from the exhibition was the use of pictures of the city of Richmond at the time. Specific landmarks such as the State capital building stood out as it is still very apparent in the city today. The use of the city itself in both pictures and paintings really brought to life the idea of the Richmond slave trade on the streets right outside the Library of Virginia. It also brings for the idea of the community of Richmond at the time accepting what was going on right outside their windows. This idea is probably the most effective part of the exhibition because it brings an idea from 150 years ago into today’s community. What can the exhibition provide for the future though?
After this exhibition closes, this history could be explored even further. The “To Be Sold” exhibition bringing forward a part of Richmond’s history that was put a side for so long. A history of enslaved African Americans and an economic system is finally being told as part as the history of Virginia, but it could be taken even further. Maybe there could be talks done on the subject or readings done of accounts of slaves by actors to bring an even further emotional aspect to the idea of the slave trade in Richmond. This topic allows for the city of Richmond to come together to learn about Virginia’s history.
The Library of Virginia is a center for communal study and understanding. It contains books, movies, public records, family history, and a wonderful exhibition that will tear at your heart. It is a haven for both the scholar and the ‘average Joe.’ The Library of Virginia is the cornerstone of the community that is the city of Richmond.