1. Exhibitions
  2. We The People

We The People

On Display
to
Exhibition Type
Limited Time Exhibition
Image
People stand in an auditorium with their right hands raised, taking the U.S. Oath of Citizenship

Admission: Included with Museum Daily Admission

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This exhibition will explore the many people who, over centuries, have made Virginia the unique place it is in America and in the world, and the dramatic impact of the immigrant experience throughout Virginia’s history as people arrived from the four corners of the globe.

Image
Fraktur. This Lutheran baptismal certificate (Taufschein) for Jacob Lantz (b. 1814) was created by the Stoney Creek artist Henry Heltzel. Most of his work done for individuals in Shenandoah County between Edinburg and Mt. Jackson. This certificate descended in the Ralph W. Stoneburner family of Edinburg, VA. Text of the certificate is in German and is encircled by a large heart. (Object Number 1997.83)
Fraktur, Taufschein (baptismal certificate)

Taufschein (baptismal certificate) fraktur attributed to Henry Heltzel, 1814.  (VMHC Collection, 1997.83) German immigrants brought their native traditions with them when they settled in the Shenandoah Valley in large numbers, beginning in the 1700s. These cultural expressions included fraktur, a form of illuminated drawing, to commemorate births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths. This baptismal certificate was made for Jacob Lantz.

Bring We The People to Your Location

A traveling version of this exhibition appropriate for display in libraries, schools, and museums will also be available. See our traveling exhibition page for details.

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Support

Presenting Sponsor
Supporting Sponsors
Melanie Trent De Schutter
Dr. Tamara Charity-Brown & Carlos M. Brown Exhibition Fund
The Loupassi Family
Linda M. Warren Special Exhibitions Fund
Lettie Pate Evans Changing Exhibition Fund