Every museum educator knows that May is “Field Trip Month” in Virginia and D.C. Recently, I removed my VAM hat and put on my “mom visor” to chaperone two field trips – one with my fifth grader; one with my second grader. In addition to the trips being with different age groups, one was a long (read: excited kids on tour bus!) trip, while the other was more local, and one was a self-guided tour while the other was completely guided by museum educators. I decided to blog from the perspective of a field trip chaperone to add yet another point of view to our “Perspectives from the Field” VAM blog. So, in the next two posts, read about two very different – but very educational and beneficial - field trips from a slightly different “bent.”
While I’m discussing school programs, I’ll use this space to remind folks that if your museum offers summer (or anytime!) teacher institutes, lectures, workshops, or open houses, VAM is happy to list those on the Teachers section of our website. Simply email the information or a link to the page on your site where it is described to Heather.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
And for All the Education, Networking, and the Such..... VAM Conferences are FUN, Too!
And here's the proof. A few of our conference go-ers decided that our stuffed giveaway, "Andalo" (Children's Museum of VA 'mascot') should have an adventure in Portsmouth that extended beyond the inside of their Conference bag - and oh boy did he!!!! In honor of the Grand Re-opening of the newly renovated Children's Museum of Portsmouth on Thursday, we decided to share some of the photographic proof that Andalo had quite an adventure while VAM visited his 'hometown' of Portsmouth - this one is just for fun, folks:
Friday, May 20, 2011
VAM Members Have Big Ideas - Vote for This One!
From the Norfolk Botanical Garden:
We need YOUR vote! Please help us spread the word!
Please support Norfolk Botanical Garden in the 2nd round of the Chase Community Giving Facebook contest!
Your determination put the Garden and our eagles in the Top 10 in Chase’s national 100 charities worth supporting, helping us win a $25,000.000 prize – now it’s time to take hold of that #1 spot!
From Thursday, May 19, 2011 – Wednesday, May 25, 2011, you can click http://bit.ly/leqt4q to vote. One vote per person.
The charity with the most votes for their ‘Big Idea’ will be the recipient of a $500,000.00 prize!
Norfolk Botanical Garden’s ‘Big Idea’ is to capture the enthusiasm from our eagle fans all over the world and put it into a FREE educational program that would allow us to upgrade our technical capabilities and develop compelling stories, online learning resources, printed materials, videos, images, benchmark-driven educational curricula, demonstrations and other multimedia resources and make them available to our viewers!
This educational program, ‘Without Boundaries - Wild Eagle Encounters,’ will help our wild eagles soar into homes and schools around the world sharing our message of environmental stewardship!
Please vote and help us spread the word!
Together we can reach new heights as we work together to promote our wild eagles, plants and the environment through our beautiful gardens and educational programs.
For more information, contact Kelly Dierberger at (757) 441-5830 ext. 346 or email kelly.gaita@nbgs.org.
We need YOUR vote! Please help us spread the word!
Your determination put the Garden and our eagles in the Top 10 in Chase’s national 100 charities worth supporting, helping us win a $25,000.000 prize – now it’s time to take hold of that #1 spot!
From Thursday, May 19, 2011 – Wednesday, May 25, 2011, you can click http://bit.ly/leqt4q to vote. One vote per person.
The charity with the most votes for their ‘Big Idea’ will be the recipient of a $500,000.00 prize!
This educational program, ‘Without Boundaries - Wild Eagle Encounters,’ will help our wild eagles soar into homes and schools around the world sharing our message of environmental stewardship!
Please vote and help us spread the word!
Together we can reach new heights as we work together to promote our wild eagles, plants and the environment through our beautiful gardens and educational programs.
For more information, contact Kelly Dierberger at (757) 441-5830 ext. 346 or email kelly.gaita@nbgs.org.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Donor Relations - An Open "Q & A" for VAM's Museum Professionals
The following exchange was originally via email, and I got permission from Sean, Charlotte, and Patrick to post them here. If you have additional feedback on this issue, please comment on this post!
Sean Fearns:
A colleague of mine asked me a question which I said I would in turn survey my fine associates with VAM:
A donor makes a restricted contribution of $X dollars to a museum Y in late 2008/early 2009 to develop an exhibit on a certain topic. It's seed money to get started developing that exhibit, but not nearly enough to come close to mounting the entire exhibit. The museum begins to look for other sponsors to make up the difference. Everyone will recall that this gift came just as the economy started to tank and giving in general is down over the past few years. Museum Y has not raised the rest of the money to build the exhibit in question yet, but continues to activly solicite for the project. Donor has grown impatient and has now asked for their donation back. Does Museum Y give donation $X back to the donor even thought hey are still working to pull together the rest of the funds?
Thanks for any input and examples of policies that your fine institutions use in a case like this.
Charlotte Whitted:
We are in a similar situation over a building. We have some donors who have pledged to the construction of a Farm Heritage Center (about a $4 million project). We have completed the design/development phase and brought the infrastructure up to speed with sewer connection, but are nowhere near ready to begin construction. Our Board voted to defer groundbreaking for up to 5 years.
Once we knew we could not break ground in a timely fashion, we declined to ask the Virginia Tobacco Commission for another extension on the remaining funds they allocated for this building. We sent a letter to show them we were trying to act in good faith and be good stewards of their funds. If we had used it to build a retaining wall or some small part of the building just to draw down the whole allotted amount, it would have been a mistake. We hope this action will serve us in good stead should we need to approach them again later for this or another project.
With the $300,000 grant from Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, we were able to convince them to allow us to repurpose the grant for capital improvements for existing museum assets. This means I am spending $ like crazy over the next couple of years to completed restorations on 2 buildings, convert our physical plant to outdoor bathrooms, install sewer connection, internet, etc. throughout the entire site, replace roofs, lighting, upgrade security, landscaping, convert a caretaker's cottage to a guest accommodation, etc. Some of these projects will become revenue generational upon completion (leasing a building for restaurant/retail space, private facilities rental for another building, cottage rental, etc.). The grant was given originally in the name of Tourism, so making the case that these assets will enhance tourism also was easy.
USDA Rural Development gave us $25,000 for equipment for the Farm Heritage Center, which we also were able to repurpose for equipment at the existing museum facilities. This is earmarked for computers, copier, phones, etc.
The other outstanding pledges and dollars already deposited for the Farm Heritage Center are still valid. We have communicated with the donors and they have agreed to continue paying on their pledges. We have stressed the importance of this so that when the Board determines the time is right for a capital campaign for Farm Heritage Center within the next five years we will have the seed money still, especially for matching grants. All have agreed to this plan. No one has asked for their money back yet? These are county, foundation and individual donations. It will likely mess up their taxes to try to get a refund of their donations at this point. We will update the donors annually with the prospects for groundbreaking. If after five years we decide to abandon plans for the project, we will approach donors about repurposing their donations for an alternative project that will help the museum. If no alternative will suit them, then we will probably refund their donation if they insist. It is better to do that and maintain good relations than to hold it restricted to a project that will likely not come to fruition.
It sounds like the difficulty in the scenario Sean presents is the donor's personal connection to the subject matter of the exhibit, rather than to the museum itself. Was the funding solicited or accepted contingent upon a particular exhibit opening date? Was it solicited with the anticipation of the donor finding other like-minded donors to fund the rest of the cost of mounting it? Are artifacts from the donor involved? Who on the staff or board is close enough to the donor to listen to their frustrations and respond compassionately but clearly about the realities of the funding prospects and needs? Can the donor become more a part of the solution? Can a new realistic timeline be established? Does this exhibit still fit into the museum's strategic plan or meet the museum's mission?
Patrick Farris:
Sean Fearns:
A colleague of mine asked me a question which I said I would in turn survey my fine associates with VAM:
A donor makes a restricted contribution of $X dollars to a museum Y in late 2008/early 2009 to develop an exhibit on a certain topic. It's seed money to get started developing that exhibit, but not nearly enough to come close to mounting the entire exhibit. The museum begins to look for other sponsors to make up the difference. Everyone will recall that this gift came just as the economy started to tank and giving in general is down over the past few years. Museum Y has not raised the rest of the money to build the exhibit in question yet, but continues to activly solicite for the project. Donor has grown impatient and has now asked for their donation back. Does Museum Y give donation $X back to the donor even thought hey are still working to pull together the rest of the funds?
Thanks for any input and examples of policies that your fine institutions use in a case like this.
Charlotte Whitted:
We are in a similar situation over a building. We have some donors who have pledged to the construction of a Farm Heritage Center (about a $4 million project). We have completed the design/development phase and brought the infrastructure up to speed with sewer connection, but are nowhere near ready to begin construction. Our Board voted to defer groundbreaking for up to 5 years.
Once we knew we could not break ground in a timely fashion, we declined to ask the Virginia Tobacco Commission for another extension on the remaining funds they allocated for this building. We sent a letter to show them we were trying to act in good faith and be good stewards of their funds. If we had used it to build a retaining wall or some small part of the building just to draw down the whole allotted amount, it would have been a mistake. We hope this action will serve us in good stead should we need to approach them again later for this or another project.
With the $300,000 grant from Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, we were able to convince them to allow us to repurpose the grant for capital improvements for existing museum assets. This means I am spending $ like crazy over the next couple of years to completed restorations on 2 buildings, convert our physical plant to outdoor bathrooms, install sewer connection, internet, etc. throughout the entire site, replace roofs, lighting, upgrade security, landscaping, convert a caretaker's cottage to a guest accommodation, etc. Some of these projects will become revenue generational upon completion (leasing a building for restaurant/retail space, private facilities rental for another building, cottage rental, etc.). The grant was given originally in the name of Tourism, so making the case that these assets will enhance tourism also was easy.
USDA Rural Development gave us $25,000 for equipment for the Farm Heritage Center, which we also were able to repurpose for equipment at the existing museum facilities. This is earmarked for computers, copier, phones, etc.
The other outstanding pledges and dollars already deposited for the Farm Heritage Center are still valid. We have communicated with the donors and they have agreed to continue paying on their pledges. We have stressed the importance of this so that when the Board determines the time is right for a capital campaign for Farm Heritage Center within the next five years we will have the seed money still, especially for matching grants. All have agreed to this plan. No one has asked for their money back yet? These are county, foundation and individual donations. It will likely mess up their taxes to try to get a refund of their donations at this point. We will update the donors annually with the prospects for groundbreaking. If after five years we decide to abandon plans for the project, we will approach donors about repurposing their donations for an alternative project that will help the museum. If no alternative will suit them, then we will probably refund their donation if they insist. It is better to do that and maintain good relations than to hold it restricted to a project that will likely not come to fruition.
It sounds like the difficulty in the scenario Sean presents is the donor's personal connection to the subject matter of the exhibit, rather than to the museum itself. Was the funding solicited or accepted contingent upon a particular exhibit opening date? Was it solicited with the anticipation of the donor finding other like-minded donors to fund the rest of the cost of mounting it? Are artifacts from the donor involved? Who on the staff or board is close enough to the donor to listen to their frustrations and respond compassionately but clearly about the realities of the funding prospects and needs? Can the donor become more a part of the solution? Can a new realistic timeline be established? Does this exhibit still fit into the museum's strategic plan or meet the museum's mission?
Patrick Farris:
Were this situation occurring at my museum, I would work intensively with the donor to create a timetable acceptable to all parties for the completion of fundraising for and mounting of the exhibit. Should the donor simply and regrettably not wish to continue participation in the project, then I would return the donation - definitely not worth the bad blood and potential bad press to keep the money. I would also worry that, in keeping this donation against the desire of the donor to have it returned, I might poison opportunities to work with other potential donors in the future once word got out.
A final consideration concerning the downturn in the economy (which you noted was beginning roughly when the donation was made); the donor's change in heart and subsequent desire to have said funds returned could have something to do with his/her financial status and needs, which also likely changed with everyone else's. If that is the case then there could be little hope of an agreement, even though the donor may not admit this to be the core reason.
Lin Ezell:
Gift agreements should be crafted to cover unfortunate scenarios, esp helpful for a complex project that is both long-term and dependent on a variety of financing options. One grant we accepted years ago for a project clearly called for construction to begin by a certain year and the funds to be expended within a certain window of time. When construction was delayed, we informed the donor; they reclaimed the funds. Fortunately, and in part because we kept the donor informed annually on our steady progress in raising funds for the project, we reapplied and the funding was restored along with a little extra. If this is a restricted gift and there were expectations on the part of the donor that are not being met--explicit or implied--I would return the gift with a positive message that the project is still important as is the relationship with the donor and the promise that the museum will give the donor the opportunity to reengage in the future. There are lots of ways for everyone to lose in such a situation; while this museum may not be able to make it win-win, they should work hard to salvage the relationship and not give the donor an opportunity to be unhappy and share that unhappiness with others. Better to risk tabling the project for a long while rather than have a tainted donor experience.
Lin Ezell:
Gift agreements should be crafted to cover unfortunate scenarios, esp helpful for a complex project that is both long-term and dependent on a variety of financing options. One grant we accepted years ago for a project clearly called for construction to begin by a certain year and the funds to be expended within a certain window of time. When construction was delayed, we informed the donor; they reclaimed the funds. Fortunately, and in part because we kept the donor informed annually on our steady progress in raising funds for the project, we reapplied and the funding was restored along with a little extra. If this is a restricted gift and there were expectations on the part of the donor that are not being met--explicit or implied--I would return the gift with a positive message that the project is still important as is the relationship with the donor and the promise that the museum will give the donor the opportunity to reengage in the future. There are lots of ways for everyone to lose in such a situation; while this museum may not be able to make it win-win, they should work hard to salvage the relationship and not give the donor an opportunity to be unhappy and share that unhappiness with others. Better to risk tabling the project for a long while rather than have a tainted donor experience.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
VAM Voice Newsmagazine Sneak Peek: Museum Program for Alzheimer's Patients
Here we are in mid-May, and I am working on putting together the next installment of our VAM Voice member newsmagazine. If you read the Voice, you know that we pull together topics and issues affecting Virginia and D.C. museums and synthesize them for you. We also do our best to highlight some of the amazing things going on throughout our state's (and D.C.'s!) museum community.
I have been corresponding with Sharon Celsor-Hughes, docent coordinator for the University of Virginia Art Museum in Charlottesville, about an incredible project - and partnership - they've been working on. The program is called "Eyes on Art" and it is geared towards people with early or mid-stage Alzheimer's disease. Below is a short excerpt - a "whistle-wetter" if you will - of the interview I conducted with her. Learn more about how museums are engaging underserved, special-needs audiences in the Summer 2011 VAM Voice newsmagazine. It'll arrive in member inboxes in early June.
HW: Tell us a little about the "inquiry method" you use to elicit discussion around the art.
SC-H: The Inquiry Method is based on docents asking questions that are aimed to involve the viewer in gaining visual literacy. As this method lends itself to starting conversations and engaging the viewer, it works well with programs designed for people with Alzheimer’s. However, the goal for our Eyes on Art visitors has less to do with gaining visual literacy and more with the use of art as a means for engaging and stimulating conversation. Visitors who are in the early or middle stages of the disease are limited in their ability to recall information, especially those everyday details such as what they ate, who visited them, or what they just watched on television. Frustration often occurs when asked these types of questions—both to the person with the disease and their caretaker(s). However, by stimulating conversation based on what is in front of them at that moment and knowing there isn’t a specific answer being sought, allows the person with Alzheimer’s a venue for positive interaction.
HW: What advice would you give other museums considering programs for special needs audiences?
SC-H: The best advice I have for other museums interested in developing a program for any special needs group is to reach out to other museums with like programs. Ask to observe a program and learn what has worked for them, as well as, what their challenges have been. Find out if their program has undergone changes and if so, why. No two programs I researched were exactly alike. Some used themes and others chose to go without themes in favor of choosing works they felt would elicit the most responses. Some held these visits during regular museum hours, while others scheduled them for non-public hours. Most included caretakers; however one museum sent caretakers to the coffee shop. Many decisions will be based on the uniqueness of the institution. Finally, start small and see what works before expanding and involving more partnerships. Recognize that no two groups will have the same dynamics.
- Heather Widener
Communications Director, VAM
http://www.vamuseums.org/
I have been corresponding with Sharon Celsor-Hughes, docent coordinator for the University of Virginia Art Museum in Charlottesville, about an incredible project - and partnership - they've been working on. The program is called "Eyes on Art" and it is geared towards people with early or mid-stage Alzheimer's disease. Below is a short excerpt - a "whistle-wetter" if you will - of the interview I conducted with her. Learn more about how museums are engaging underserved, special-needs audiences in the Summer 2011 VAM Voice newsmagazine. It'll arrive in member inboxes in early June.
HW: Tell us a little about the "inquiry method" you use to elicit discussion around the art.
SC-H: The Inquiry Method is based on docents asking questions that are aimed to involve the viewer in gaining visual literacy. As this method lends itself to starting conversations and engaging the viewer, it works well with programs designed for people with Alzheimer’s. However, the goal for our Eyes on Art visitors has less to do with gaining visual literacy and more with the use of art as a means for engaging and stimulating conversation. Visitors who are in the early or middle stages of the disease are limited in their ability to recall information, especially those everyday details such as what they ate, who visited them, or what they just watched on television. Frustration often occurs when asked these types of questions—both to the person with the disease and their caretaker(s). However, by stimulating conversation based on what is in front of them at that moment and knowing there isn’t a specific answer being sought, allows the person with Alzheimer’s a venue for positive interaction.
HW: What advice would you give other museums considering programs for special needs audiences?
SC-H: The best advice I have for other museums interested in developing a program for any special needs group is to reach out to other museums with like programs. Ask to observe a program and learn what has worked for them, as well as, what their challenges have been. Find out if their program has undergone changes and if so, why. No two programs I researched were exactly alike. Some used themes and others chose to go without themes in favor of choosing works they felt would elicit the most responses. Some held these visits during regular museum hours, while others scheduled them for non-public hours. Most included caretakers; however one museum sent caretakers to the coffee shop. Many decisions will be based on the uniqueness of the institution. Finally, start small and see what works before expanding and involving more partnerships. Recognize that no two groups will have the same dynamics.
- Heather Widener
Communications Director, VAM
http://www.vamuseums.org/
Friday, May 6, 2011
Question from a Member: Is Their Situation Unique?
Are we the first museum in the county or in Virginia to exist in a public school (a fully functioning, staffed site)?
If you have any feedback, please email hwidener@vamuseums.org.
Here's a little background on the site:
Princess Anne County Training School was the first high school for African Americans in Princess Anne County, now known as Virginia Beach. The African American community, in the 1920’s and 1930’s, worked together to raise money to build a school so their children could receive a proper education.
The initial money raised was used to purchase four acres of land on Witchduck Road. The land and $2000 were given to the school board but no attempt was made to build a school. In 1934, a temporary school was established on the property of the Union Baptist Church. In 1938, a four-room high school was built.
Between 1949 and 1962 several additions were added to the school. In 1962 the name changed to Union Kempsville High School. In 1969, the school closed due to city-wide integration.
Today the legacy of the school continues with the establishment of the Museum that shares stories of family, community, sacrifice, and the importance of education.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
The American Civil War in Britain - A VAM 2011 Tour
To view a slideshow "tour of the tour", along with pictures of many of the sites, click here.
Here's a look at our expanded itinerary:
Friday, 21 Oct. London Walking Tour of Civil War sites in Belsize Park:
Following an independent lunch at the Spaniard’s Inn in Hampstead Heath, this tour includes sites significant to the pro-Confederate, British Society for Promoting a Cessation of Hostilities in America. The emphasis of this tour will largely be about the roles of numerous Church of England clergymen who actively supported the South in the American Civil War, and includes stops such as a church where numerous meetings involving Confederate agents and naval officers and Anglo-Confederate leaders about intervention into the war. This same church was attended by Jefferson & Varina Davis in 1868. We will return to the hotel to experience a British Tea. You are on your own for the evening – if you have fully recovered from jet lag, you may wish to sample London nightlife or the theatre.
Saturday, 22 Oct. London Walking Tour of Marylebone’s & City’s Civil War Sites
This tour includes sites and discussions pertaining to the political & social activities of the Southern Independence Association, Confederate Emissary to London James Murray Mason, key British citizens contributing to the Southern war effort, US Minister to London Charles Francis Adams and his son/secretary Henry Adams, and the Confederate States Aid Association. In the afternoon, we will visit sites in the City (Square Mile). This tour includes sites and discussions pertaining to the propaganda war waged between the Union & Confederate journals published in London (The London American and The Index) in addition to their strategies, arguments, subscribers, and effectiveness; the London Emancipation Society, pro-Southern street campaigning, and the interesting lives lived by numerous ex-Confederates who fled American after the war to London, including former Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin. You are on your own for dinner, but VAM will lead those interested to The Mayflower pub in Rotherhithe. It was from a Rotherhithe quayside, near a pub called the Shippe, that the Mayflower set sail for America in the spring of 1620. The pub dinner will be followed by an evening walk along the Thames Path along the South Bank to Westminster Bridge for a look at the London skyline at night.
Sunday, 23 Oct. London Walking Tour of Piccadilly & Mayfair’s Civil War Sites
This tour includes sites and discussions pertaining to the British Government’s activities relating to the American Civil War, Confederate Emissary to London William Yancey, Anglo-Confederate activities, the London Emancipation Society, the Confederate Commercial Agency, and the Society for Promoting a Cessation of Hostilities in America. Our final stop for the morning will be at the East India Company for a tea-tasting session. The event starts with a talk by Jane Pettigrew, a tea specialist, historian, writer and consultant. Afterwards you will have the opportunity to try many different types of teas exploring ranges of black, green, flavoured and rare teas. The afternoon will be spent at the Victoria & Albert Museum, where we will have the opportunity to meet with museum staff. In the evening, following an independent supper in Brick Lane, there will be a candlelit tour of Dennis Severs House in Spitalfields – an amazing step back in time to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the home of a London family. As their website states, “the house’s ten rooms harbour ten ‘spells’ that engage the visitor’s imagination in moods that dominated the periods between 1724 and 1914.” (See more about this unique experience at http://www.dennissevershouse.co.uk/.).
Hardy souls will wrap up the evening with drinks at The White Hart pub in Whitechapel.
Monday, 24 Oct. Liverpool City Centre’s Civil War Sites and The Beatles
Once in Liverpool and settled, we will take a break from the Civil War for a bit to spend some time at The Beatles Story, a museum and visitor attraction recreating the 1960’s experience. We will be back in the 1860’s for an early evening walking tour of Liverpool City Centre. This tour includes the headquarters of Fraser, Trenholm & Co, the Charleston-based mercantile firm which orchestrated most UK-based blockade running and Confederate naval shipbuilding, to include the Alabama and Florida. Also stops at the US consulate, from which the war's largest espionage network was orchestrated (a result of Fraser, Trenholm & Co's activities). We will see the elaborate, commanding St George's Hall where the Confederate Bazaar occurred, raising money for Southern prisoners in the North. We will also see the site where the CSS Shenandoah officially lowered its flag, the last Confederate military unit to surrender, ending the war in November 1865. The evening is on your own. For those interested, we will have dinner and drinks at The Cavern where The Beatles became club favourites in the early 60s.
Tuesday, 25 Oct. Liverpool Bus Tour of Civil War Sites
This tour includes numerous sites outside of Liverpool City Centre, such as the sites of the CSS Alabama's and CSS Florida's construction. Also the wartime home of Confederate Navy shipbuilder James D. Bulloch (visited frequently by his nephew Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt), sites significant to Confederate Navy captains Raphael Semmes and John Maffitt. Bulloch's grave will also be seen on the tour, as will the beautiful Allerton Hall, where the party occurred to celebrate the Alabama's successfully evading British authorities and sailing out of the Mersey to prey on the Atlantic's US merchant fleet. Also, a stop at Claremont House, the wartime home of John de Costa, who was a key witness for the United States in the case making claims against the British government for UK-built Confederate warships' damage to the US merchant and whaling fleets. The afternoon tour goes inside the home of Charles K. Prioleau, the chief Confederate financier in Europe. His home still contains the most significant period artwork and architectural features that is authentic to the Civil War era of Southern history. We will also see the home of James Spence, a British merchant who wrote The American Union, a very popular pro-Confederate propaganda book which was well-received in British society. Other sites include the home in which famed Confederate Navy shipbuilder James D. Bulloch died in 1901. You are on your own for dinner, but for those interested we will be having supper followed by drinks at Ye Olde Hole in Ye Wall, Liverpool’s oldest public house dating back to the start of Liverpool’s maritime heyday in 1726.
Wednesday, 26 Oct. Liverpool Merseyside and Magical Mystery Bus Tour
This morning, we will visit two of the National Museums of Liverpool: the Merseyside Maritime Museum and the International Slavery Museum. At the Maritime Museum are collections reflecting the vitality and importance of the port of Liverpool and its role in world history – objects associated with nautical archaeology and the social and commercial history of the port. Highlights of the collections include ship models, maritime paintings, and galleries that tell the history of emigration, the Battle of the Atlantic, and tragedies at sea, such as the Titanic and Lusitania. A series of special displays and a gallery with fascinating archives, objects and paintings relating to Liverpool’s role in the American Civil War will be open to commemorate the Sesquicentennial from 2011-2015. The International Slavery Museum explores both the historical and contemporary aspects of slavery, addressing the many legacies of the slave trade and telling stories of bravery and rebellion amongst the enslaved people. Liverpool was a major slaving port - about 1.5 million enslaved Africans were carried by its ships. The museum is on the third floor of the Merseyside Maritime Museum building and is divided into three galleries: Life in West Africa, Enslavement and the Middle Passage, and Legacies of Slavery. After an independent lunch, we will end the official tours by taking the Beatles “Magical Mystery Bus Tour”, a 2-hour tour on the colorful Magical Mystery Tour bus to places associated with John, Paul, George and Ringo as they grew up, met and formed the band that would take the pop world by storm. We will see their childhood homes and places that inspired some of their most memorable songs like Penny Lane and Strawberry Field, as well as other places of interest along the way.
A Special Farewell dinner is planned for this evening, included in your tour package.
Thursday, 27 Oct. Departure
Group transfer to Manchester Airport for the return flight home.
ADD-ON TRIP TO SCOTLAND: Oct. 27 – Oct. 30 Glasgow and Inverness
For details, contact Margo at mcarlock@vamuseums.org or 804-788-5821
Here's a look at our expanded itinerary:
Friday, 21 Oct. London Walking Tour of Civil War sites in Belsize Park:
Following an independent lunch at the Spaniard’s Inn in Hampstead Heath, this tour includes sites significant to the pro-Confederate, British Society for Promoting a Cessation of Hostilities in America. The emphasis of this tour will largely be about the roles of numerous Church of England clergymen who actively supported the South in the American Civil War, and includes stops such as a church where numerous meetings involving Confederate agents and naval officers and Anglo-Confederate leaders about intervention into the war. This same church was attended by Jefferson & Varina Davis in 1868. We will return to the hotel to experience a British Tea. You are on your own for the evening – if you have fully recovered from jet lag, you may wish to sample London nightlife or the theatre.
Saturday, 22 Oct. London Walking Tour of Marylebone’s & City’s Civil War Sites
This tour includes sites and discussions pertaining to the political & social activities of the Southern Independence Association, Confederate Emissary to London James Murray Mason, key British citizens contributing to the Southern war effort, US Minister to London Charles Francis Adams and his son/secretary Henry Adams, and the Confederate States Aid Association. In the afternoon, we will visit sites in the City (Square Mile). This tour includes sites and discussions pertaining to the propaganda war waged between the Union & Confederate journals published in London (The London American and The Index) in addition to their strategies, arguments, subscribers, and effectiveness; the London Emancipation Society, pro-Southern street campaigning, and the interesting lives lived by numerous ex-Confederates who fled American after the war to London, including former Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin. You are on your own for dinner, but VAM will lead those interested to The Mayflower pub in Rotherhithe. It was from a Rotherhithe quayside, near a pub called the Shippe, that the Mayflower set sail for America in the spring of 1620. The pub dinner will be followed by an evening walk along the Thames Path along the South Bank to Westminster Bridge for a look at the London skyline at night.
Sunday, 23 Oct. London Walking Tour of Piccadilly & Mayfair’s Civil War Sites
This tour includes sites and discussions pertaining to the British Government’s activities relating to the American Civil War, Confederate Emissary to London William Yancey, Anglo-Confederate activities, the London Emancipation Society, the Confederate Commercial Agency, and the Society for Promoting a Cessation of Hostilities in America. Our final stop for the morning will be at the East India Company for a tea-tasting session. The event starts with a talk by Jane Pettigrew, a tea specialist, historian, writer and consultant. Afterwards you will have the opportunity to try many different types of teas exploring ranges of black, green, flavoured and rare teas. The afternoon will be spent at the Victoria & Albert Museum, where we will have the opportunity to meet with museum staff. In the evening, following an independent supper in Brick Lane, there will be a candlelit tour of Dennis Severs House in Spitalfields – an amazing step back in time to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the home of a London family. As their website states, “the house’s ten rooms harbour ten ‘spells’ that engage the visitor’s imagination in moods that dominated the periods between 1724 and 1914.” (See more about this unique experience at http://www.dennissevershouse.co.uk/.).
Hardy souls will wrap up the evening with drinks at The White Hart pub in Whitechapel.
Monday, 24 Oct. Liverpool City Centre’s Civil War Sites and The Beatles
Once in Liverpool and settled, we will take a break from the Civil War for a bit to spend some time at The Beatles Story, a museum and visitor attraction recreating the 1960’s experience. We will be back in the 1860’s for an early evening walking tour of Liverpool City Centre. This tour includes the headquarters of Fraser, Trenholm & Co, the Charleston-based mercantile firm which orchestrated most UK-based blockade running and Confederate naval shipbuilding, to include the Alabama and Florida. Also stops at the US consulate, from which the war's largest espionage network was orchestrated (a result of Fraser, Trenholm & Co's activities). We will see the elaborate, commanding St George's Hall where the Confederate Bazaar occurred, raising money for Southern prisoners in the North. We will also see the site where the CSS Shenandoah officially lowered its flag, the last Confederate military unit to surrender, ending the war in November 1865. The evening is on your own. For those interested, we will have dinner and drinks at The Cavern where The Beatles became club favourites in the early 60s.
Tuesday, 25 Oct. Liverpool Bus Tour of Civil War Sites
This tour includes numerous sites outside of Liverpool City Centre, such as the sites of the CSS Alabama's and CSS Florida's construction. Also the wartime home of Confederate Navy shipbuilder James D. Bulloch (visited frequently by his nephew Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt), sites significant to Confederate Navy captains Raphael Semmes and John Maffitt. Bulloch's grave will also be seen on the tour, as will the beautiful Allerton Hall, where the party occurred to celebrate the Alabama's successfully evading British authorities and sailing out of the Mersey to prey on the Atlantic's US merchant fleet. Also, a stop at Claremont House, the wartime home of John de Costa, who was a key witness for the United States in the case making claims against the British government for UK-built Confederate warships' damage to the US merchant and whaling fleets. The afternoon tour goes inside the home of Charles K. Prioleau, the chief Confederate financier in Europe. His home still contains the most significant period artwork and architectural features that is authentic to the Civil War era of Southern history. We will also see the home of James Spence, a British merchant who wrote The American Union, a very popular pro-Confederate propaganda book which was well-received in British society. Other sites include the home in which famed Confederate Navy shipbuilder James D. Bulloch died in 1901. You are on your own for dinner, but for those interested we will be having supper followed by drinks at Ye Olde Hole in Ye Wall, Liverpool’s oldest public house dating back to the start of Liverpool’s maritime heyday in 1726.
Wednesday, 26 Oct. Liverpool Merseyside and Magical Mystery Bus Tour
This morning, we will visit two of the National Museums of Liverpool: the Merseyside Maritime Museum and the International Slavery Museum. At the Maritime Museum are collections reflecting the vitality and importance of the port of Liverpool and its role in world history – objects associated with nautical archaeology and the social and commercial history of the port. Highlights of the collections include ship models, maritime paintings, and galleries that tell the history of emigration, the Battle of the Atlantic, and tragedies at sea, such as the Titanic and Lusitania. A series of special displays and a gallery with fascinating archives, objects and paintings relating to Liverpool’s role in the American Civil War will be open to commemorate the Sesquicentennial from 2011-2015. The International Slavery Museum explores both the historical and contemporary aspects of slavery, addressing the many legacies of the slave trade and telling stories of bravery and rebellion amongst the enslaved people. Liverpool was a major slaving port - about 1.5 million enslaved Africans were carried by its ships. The museum is on the third floor of the Merseyside Maritime Museum building and is divided into three galleries: Life in West Africa, Enslavement and the Middle Passage, and Legacies of Slavery. After an independent lunch, we will end the official tours by taking the Beatles “Magical Mystery Bus Tour”, a 2-hour tour on the colorful Magical Mystery Tour bus to places associated with John, Paul, George and Ringo as they grew up, met and formed the band that would take the pop world by storm. We will see their childhood homes and places that inspired some of their most memorable songs like Penny Lane and Strawberry Field, as well as other places of interest along the way.
A Special Farewell dinner is planned for this evening, included in your tour package.
Thursday, 27 Oct. Departure
Group transfer to Manchester Airport for the return flight home.
ADD-ON TRIP TO SCOTLAND: Oct. 27 – Oct. 30 Glasgow and Inverness
For details, contact Margo at mcarlock@vamuseums.org or 804-788-5821
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