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“View of Richmond, Virginia,” an 1847 watercolor by John William Hill featured in “Un/Bound: Free Black Virginians, 1619-1865” at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture
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Free Black Richmonders
Within the complicated history of slavery in this country are individual stories of those few who freed themselves by outright purchase and then, in some cases, emancipated family members. Several of these individuals are highlighted in “Un/Bound: Free Black Virginians, 1619-1865,” an exhibition on view through July 4, 2027, at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.
Elizabeth Klaczynski, the VMHC’s associate curator of exhibitions and the curator of “Un/Bound,” observes, “‘Un/Bound’ offers a comprehensive treatment of the rich, complicated history of a group of people we don’t collectively know much about.”
The multi-institutional collaboration uses photographs, artifacts and objects to present 200 years’ worth of struggles to obtain and maintain personal liberty. Here, too, it is shown how the descendants of those who freed themselves continue that legacy.
The exhibition is included with museum admission ($8 to $12).
