Monticello observation tower (Image courtesy Massachusetts Historical Society)
The political left and right quote Thomas Jefferson, each believing they’ve got him pegged — but the polymath isn’t that easy to figure. Get a rare glimpse into the man’s mind and his contradictions at the Virginia Historical Society’s “The Private Jefferson: From the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society,” Oct. 15 to Jan. 22, 2017.
Starting in 1898, Jefferson’s great-grandson Thomas Jefferson Coolidge donated some of Jefferson’s items — about 9,500 architectural drawings, letters, journals and accounts — to the Massachusetts society. At the exhibition, visitors will be able to view some of the intriguing pieces, including Jefferson’s handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence.
$10. 358-4901 or vahistorical.org.
