This is the final part about my tour of Colonial Williamsburg.
From the weaver, I returned to the 21st century and headed across busy streets to visit the museums.
The museums are housed in two buildings and are perhaps a bit of a misnomer. Each ‘museum’ is a gallery of themed artifacts contained within one main building. It’s really well done, with which museum having its own look and feel, avoiding that hodge podge, we threw together whatever we had, type of feel.
You could easily spend half a day or even more at the museums. I was exhausted and famished by the time I got to them, so I did not spend a lot of time in exhibits that did not interest me.
I had thought to grab a period dinner at one of the taverns, but you need to reserve and by the time I learned this, I could not have had dinner before 8PM. Moreover, the choices were unappealing and quite expensive. I’ve had much more authentic period meals before (I’m still traumatized by the 13th-century lettuce soup I ate 15 years ago) so I didn’t mind missing this step. I had also considered going on a ghost walk, but it was $12 extra and my day had been plenty full.
It was dusk when I came out of the museums. On the way to the bus stop I hesitated between heading home or checking out the shopping district, but it was getting to be so cold and dark that that option wasn’t appealing in the least. The bus arrived quickly and that settled it for me. I got back to my truck at about 6PM, a full nine hours after I had parked!
I had a wonderful day in Colonial Williamsburg. The town is worth a visit!
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- Heading out into Williamsburg on a street where cars can drive.
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- Colonial Williamsburg residents have to park their cars in lots and hoof it over to their houses.
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- The sign gives the impression that there are two museums, one for decorative arts and one for folk art, but this is inaccurate.
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- This is a reconstruction of the hospital for the mentally ill.
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- The hospital was built in the late 1700s and was the first of its kind on the continent to be devoted to the treatment of mental disorders.
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- The hospital felt more like a jail.
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- In 1773, patients of the mental hospital were called inmates.
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- They were chained like animals and slept on pallets on the floor. They had good food, but little access to fresh air and exercise. It’s no wonder Patrick Henry did not want to bring his wife here!
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- Documents about admission to the hospital.
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- By 1845, conditions in asylums had improved slightly and patients now lived in cozy ‘apartments.’
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- This is a big improvement over the cells!
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- A patient writes a letter home, regretting having missed Christmas.
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- Doctor’s diary.
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- Chart of a man who hears voices. Laudanum does not help.
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- This image really conveys the tone of the hospital.
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- Patients could be placed in these coffin-like boxes if they posed a threat to themselves or others!
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- The box was called a Utica Crib.
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- About the ‘tranquilizer chair.’
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- I have a hard time believing anyone could be tranquilized in this chair!
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- The foundation of the hospital.
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- The folk museum collection comes from Abby Aldrich Rockefeller.
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- The decorative arts artifacts come from Dewitt Wallace.
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- Lovely desk.
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- Photo of a giant dollhouse featured in the window of FAO Schwartz (a toy store in NYC) at some point in the ’60s.
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- The giant dollhouse.
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- A buffoon thought he would make a killing hoarding paper money during the revolutionary war. He soon learned it was only worth the paper it was printed on.
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- The coffeehouse I so enjoyed was built by museum artisans.
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- All the locks and keys were made by the blacksmith.
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- Shingles just like those being made at the Hopes plantation.
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- Framing the building.
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- Many different types of nails.
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- Impressive silverware exhibit.
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- A silverware dinner set.
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- A secretary.
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- This portrait is possibly of the subject on her wedding day.
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- Typical furniture of each of the 13 colonies.
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- Lots and lots and lots of keyed instruments were on display.
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- I believe this is a square piano.
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- A tin box to hold a map.
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- And here’s that coloured Mitchell map the interpreter at the Capitol mentioned!
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- Just some of the tall clocks on display.
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- This panel gave information about timekeeping in history. Until the 16th century, people could keep time down to quarter hour increments. After, it became possible tell time to the minute, but very few people needed that sort of precision.
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- Another gorgeous secretary.
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- Pigments for paint could be imported from England and would be mixed into oil by local artisans. Prepared paint would be available to Americans after the Civil War. I remember a scene in the Anne of Green Gables series, set in the very late 1800s, where I was surprised to read of the characters looking at paint chips and then having their paint mixed, just like we still do today.
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- A rare piece of painted furniture.
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- Top floor of the museum looking towards the Christmas tree in the café.
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- A room warmer (stove).
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- I’m not crazy about 17th century fashion.
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- I do like these toile-like handkerchiefs.
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- Another handkerchief. A lady could stuff one in her bosom for modesty.
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- Women at the time wore cloaks rather than coats.
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- These are mens’ stockings.
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- Women would wear these shawls over their shoulder. These bonnets were very fashionable.
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- Two more examples of the fashionable bonnets. They would sit on the lady’s shoulders and were quite high to accommodate her hair do. Moreover, they were retractable like a carriage cover, so they could fold them down to expose their head without having to remove the bonnet (I learned most of this at the milliner).
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- It’s the glasses that really make his look!
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- This apron would match my kitchen perfectly. I wish I could find one!
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- Whitework, which is fine white cloth embroidered with white thread. The exhibit was backlit to show the stitching.
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- Throughout history, most people have enjoyed hot drinks.
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- Lots and lots of coffees and teas.
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- A portrait of Mrs. Rockefeller in her 80s.
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- A snake weathervane.
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- A folksy picture of three sisters. The middle one is holding a candy cane.
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- I touched. The one on the left is rough and the one on the right is smooth.
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- I had never before heard of tramp art. It is made with trash, like cigar boxes.
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- A little rolltop desk (perhaps for a dollhouse) made of cigar boxes.
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- I discovered a new painter. Lovely work.
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- Steve Harley.
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- I’m pretty sure this is Mount Hood.
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- Lovely quilts.
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- Another beautiful quilt.
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- This carousel cat has a big fish in its mouth!
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- The carousel was gorgeous.
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- This hippotamus-type creature hides a phonograph!
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- People in the 17th century had access to fewer goods than people did in the 18th century. By the time of the American Revolution, people of genteel upbringing were expected to have many more things on hand, like nice candlesticks. 100 years later, after the Industrial Revolution allowed for mass production, consumerism began.
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- Pewter is probably my favourite metal. It has a lovely patina and looks so soft
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- Back in the old days, even guns were works of art.
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- I was so glad I did not have to walk back to the Visitors’ Centre!
