The African American Image in Virginia

Covering almost four centuries of African American history and culture in Virginia through pictorial representation in art, this exhibition explores various mediums to show how images of blacks have changed throughout the Commonwealth’s history.

Covering almost four centuries of African American history and culture in Virginia through pictorial representation in art, this exhibition explores various mediums to show how images of blacks have changed throughout the Commonwealth’s history. The almost fifty images on display in the exhibition—from books, sheet music, newspapers, broadsides, and much more in the Virginia Historical Society’s collection—show visitors the way whites and blacks have depicted African Americans in society. Positive and negative images are included, and sometimes paired, as a means of examining the changing status of African Americans. This exhibit is on display from February 1–December 30, 2009.