Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-15
THE OLD VA. MUSEUM.
ursropY OF IT'S FOUNDATION AND
SUBSEQUENT COLLAPSE.
REVIVAL OF The PRESENT DAY
,o.,,ur Excerpts from the Deed
pool.-The Act OF Lesis'"'"'e
.a nm Capitol Square
rause Of Failure.


..noh development, perhaps, as IL Is d
renaissance. for there was uiiie
this city was looked upon as the ha''' -
90, ~ n national academy-after the or
a. ~ the French Academy-wheh inc
Greatest actors and musicians resaruIu
Tho Richmond audiences as the most cur
tured and refined on the Continent "nI
,,,bon the metropolis" was consldereu
tbo literary centre of the Western Hemis-
phere. ..,.o ,trsoum
to the institutions OF the city VIII carr
tho mind Of the student Of virginia ne
torv hack eighty years to the estaDlisn-
mentmcnt Of the first museum III '"0
state within the Capitol Square'
That institution was welcomed WIN oo
ugbt and for months enjoyed the en-
t ,is,'' snnport of the public. Little
NV little the interest in 1t waneo' TOT 10
effactuol effort seems to have been h l.e6
80 increase its usefulness, and the am
dorca of the public was succeeded ny
oheoIite Indifference. The END was hos
vet however. and the museum was ny.
cnen for months, visited occasionally ~
~ itinerapt until at last 1t was turned
into an object of rdicule by Few schooi 1,
Girls. They visited the museum az ~
with old clothes, and draped the 49,,
casts. Venus was adorned win y pl".N
apron; Hercules wore a woman poli,e,'
ond Zeus looked frowningly thIoubn
%,i u,.o.- erectacles. other figures were
aaornod more or less Enthusiastically.
soon the news Of the transformation
e,,reod through the city, and then the
crowds focked once more to the museum
49, tine however. not to admire. but TO
laugh. and the enterprise soon died'
THo MUSEUMS OF TO-DAY.
Thu preseut museums Of the city are
bonnilv upon a better basis than the olu
one. the collection of curios are much
finer the scope wider. and there are
moan at hand that insure the develop
ment of the establishments OF to-day.
Thare were five rooms in the old VIZ
einia Museum. The first contained cases
of birds and shells, electrical apparatus
and other specimens Of art In the Sc
cond there were minerals and petrllac-
tions. Indian curiosities, and bottles Oh
rentiIes Room g contained paintings and
has reliefs. Among the best pictures We're
the following: Joseph and His Brethren
bv Rembrandt: Landscape, by Ostade; "A
Water View. by r. Zeeman Dutch l6l2);
small piece representing fire by night,
NV II. .-olvin Dutch 1853; portrait OF
President Adams, by Rembrant Peale;
portrait of Cook, the comedian py
Warrel: portrait Of General Moreau, py
Sullv. Room embraced large coffee
ton Of shells, Indian curiosiues' reptiles,
eggs. and Room cases OF BIRDS ana
shells, electrical apparatus ana specimens
of art. The admission fee Of this institu-
ton was 90 cents, and people or color
the same price.
The history Of the founding Of this mu-
nnnnonfnd
its fortunes-is told in the deed-DoohS Oh
the Chancery Court.
THE ACT OF LEGISLATURE.
In Deed-Book No. 20, page S1S. appears
the following deed:
The LEGISLATURE Of Virginia, conceiying
that great advantages would result to the
State by establishing a museum In the
METROPOLIS. have given sufficient ground
| 10 lanes Warrell 10 erect building IOI
/ that purpose on the Capitol Square. one
of the results Of national prosperity is
| the promotion Of the sciences ana the
arts; and by their reaction the sciences
| and arts, in their turn, stimulate INDUSTRY
enlarge the sphere Of social happiness,
and embellish every scene OF social HE
/ The multiplied advantages Of the estab-
Ushment which II is contemplated 10
form might be minutely delineated and
developed in so clear and so forciDle a
manner as to produce universal cOnNlc-
ton. IL would be easy TO demonstrate
that a museum. as II respects society al
large, will subsevve at the same time &c
the necessities and 10 the elegancies OF
/ life; that it will promote the interest o.
medicine, agriculture, and commerce, ane
diffuse among the higher classes OF clli'
zens and through their example ultlmatei!
among all orders Of men, delicate anc
/ nd
| cency and purity of manner; that II VII
! furnish delightful and manly entertain
! ment for every member OF society, SUI
up a spirit of useful enquiry and laudlpi'
emulation; collect, to a proper focus, the
solitary rays Of genius and knowledge
which beam here and there Throughout
Virginia; bring to light and convert u
| purposes of practical utility q mass
treasures with which the bounteous ham
of nature has enriched our forests, on
plains, our shores, and mountains ano
by thus reacting i'm a greater or less do
gree upon education, manners, ana IN
dustry. eminently contribute to the dls
nifty of our national character and IN
agricultural and commercial prosperity o
our country. But argument on this SUB
iect is deemed superfluous; the eXampl
of Europe and many Of our sister state
must be conclusive Can 1t reasonabl
|
lightened of almost every country woul
throw away so many donations, so muc
time. and laborious researches on objects
captivating indeed and highly ornament
ed, but of no practical use whatever
their ultimate result. The view
which the subject opens, the idea
which It suggests, are boundles
and impressive In the extreme. But II
needless to explore every part OF III
, rich and immense field. Many among l
: are the men Of mind. who fully unde
stand the principle that national indu
try is compounded Of theory, appllcatio
, and execution, and with whom the lea
recommendation Of a museum IS that
> constitutes a pure and never-failir
3 source Of national amusement who wi,
: expansion Of knowledge to keep pace wi
the considerable and rapid accession
lately made and daily making 70 OF
national character; who, besides ind
pendence. excellent political institution
: and increased resources ardenty desi
Is to bequeath 10 posterlty scientific leg
cies. and TO satisfy the claims or u
rising generation on the wisdom and ge
: crosby Of their fathers
: The only question then, seems TO l
y whether the respectable and wealu
. State of Virginia had, or has not, arriF
: at that stage OF social refinement a
Improvement which viii authorize no
that the study OF nature and the line al
will be zealously and literally encourage
4 livery fact leads TO a decision OF u
= question in the affirmative. Its citize
!, have taste. talents, energy, liberality, a
= onulepce: men who possess. 1t is hoI
" not only the disposition. but the mea
| "a. 90,