The Virginia Museum of History and Culture preserves Virginians’ COVID-19 stories.
Courtesy of Wendy Martin.
In the Virginia Museum of History and Culture holdings exist personal accounts from Virginians during yellow fever in 1855, smallpox in 1905, and the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918. Now, the museum is hoping to curate a collection of stories from the present day, with submissions from people across the state sharing their experiences with COVID-19.
The museum’s Share Your Story: Documenting COVID-19 in Virginia project calls for “stories, observations, images, sound files, or moving images… Over time, we hope to collect objects, diaries, documentaries, and more,” states the museum’s website.
Already, Virginians have shared stories of panic buying, somber last days with students in classrooms, and photographs of “closed” signs on local businesses’ doors. They’ve also shared stories of hope, including a video of band students from Shelburne Middle School in Staunton performing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” and accounts of communities reaching out to help the elderly.
Courtesy of Wendy Martin.
Courtesy of Wendy Martin.
“Some of the stories are deeply honest, personal accounts of self-discovery, isolation, separation from loved ones, and uncertainty,” says Andrew Talkov, VMHC’s senior director of curatorial affairs. “Virginians are not only looking for lessons to be learned from historical events—like the 1918 influenza epidemic—but they are sharing family stories that are instructive to them during these times.”
The museum plans to archive these accounts as part of its collection. While stories are a large part of the project, the museum also encourages people to send in objects or photographs that will help future generations understand how it was to experience the COVID-19 pandemic. Handmade face masks; cards, journals, and diaries; artwork made at home, and public artwork are just a few examples of welcome submissions. A selection of objects may be installed as part of the museum’s Story of Virginia exhibition in the future.
If you are interested in sharing a story for the VMHC’s collection, visit VirginiaHistory.org/COVID19Stories for submission information.
For more on the Spanish influenza pandemic, watch The Great Influenza : The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, a Banner Lecture from the VMHC’s archives.
Read about the museum’s smallpox scab.
