Thank you to everyone who made our opening day such a success!
We’re Back!
It’s that time of year again-time for flowering cherry blossoms, random thunderstorms, and the opening of the Hunter House Victorian Museum! It has been a trying winter for us as the staff has been navigating around the realities of working in an old house- old pipes needing repair, ceilings caving in, and finding the right people to do the work. Luckily, we have prevailed and the museum is now functioning at an optimal level, until the next round of ‘this old house’ of course. There are never dull moments around here!
We are very excited to invite you to join us during our 2017 operating season. Our goal this year is two-fold. First, we wish to make strides to fulfill our mission to educate the public on nineteenth century decorative arts, Victorian lifestyles, and the museum’s place in Norfolk’s local history. Second, we want to preserve, protect, and reinterpret our collection to allow for the fulfillment of our educational mission. These are lofty goals, indeed. Here are some of the ways we are going to meet them (and how you can be a part of what we are doing):
1. Raising funds through programming to support work in our third floor archive
Through programs like our silent auction (of REAL Hunter family/museum items!) at our Kentucky Derby Garden Party on May 7th, we hope to raise funds to purchase archival quality boxes and paper, page protectors for our extensive postcard collection, and cataloguing software.
2. Museum Memberships
Our Museum membership program is in its second year, and we hope you will consider joining! Like our special programming, funds from the museum memberships will be used to aid in restoring our archive, which will help us fulfill our educational mission. As a member, you will receive special pricing on events and become our valued partner in preservation. Please call us for more details!
3. Spring Lectures and Symposium
Our lecture series is the purest form of educational programming we offer, and we would be delighted if you would consider attending- or even presenting- a program. Lectures are offered Fridays mornings at 11 AM in our parlor in April and May. Our scheduled programming includes:
April 7th- Alex Shelanski, ODU Student, 19th Century Boating
April 14th- Lisa Lyman, Fine Arts Specialists, Painting Conservation
April 21st- Alexandra Whiteside, Art Institute, Evolution of Interior Design
April 28th- Seth Feman, Chrysler Museum, 19th Century Art
May 5th – Jim Fish, Numismatics or the Art of Coin Collecting
May 12th- Stacy Weissner, Regency Society, How the Regency Period molded Victorian Identity
May 19th – Joshua Weinstein, Chrysler Museum of Art, Women and Norfolk Arts: The Victorian Origins of the Chrysler Museum
We are always on the lookout for interesting topics and presenters for both our lecture series and the 19th Century Symposium, which we cosponsor with the Eloise Hunter Chapter of the Victorian Society in America. Let us know if you would like to present on an interesting topic! If you would like to attend our spring symposium on April 29th from 10-3, give us a call at 623-9814.
4. Offering Guided Tours
Our regularly scheduled guided tours allow us to fulfill our most basic and primary function: to present our collection to the world for historical interpretation. In order to do this, we need a dedicated team of volunteer docents and interns to give tours to guests, participate in special programming, and share their love of Victoriana. Won’t you consider joining our team? Applications can be emailed to hunterhouse@juno.com.
5. Tapping into our community
After many talks and pow-wows with our lovely neighbors at the Hill House Museum in Portsmouth, we are thrilled to be partnering for a weekend honoring our fallen soldiers and Victorian mourning customs on May 27th and 28th. Come to the Hunter House on May 27th for a cemetery tour and lectures to be held throughout the day (we will post times on our social media- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) focusing on the traditions of Memorial Day. On May 28th, journey to the Hill House for a thematic tea featuring Civil War Reenactors commemorating those who lost their lives during the conflict. Reservations for the tea must be made through the Hill House directly. Cost is $40 per guest and reservations can be secured by calling 393-0241.
But, let’s face it, sometimes we just want to party like a Victorian! So, we will continue to offer our afternoon teas filled with fun and friendship, make-and-take classes like our Paint en Plein Air, and evening programs which may or may not feature libations. Sometimes immersing oneself in a culture is the best way to educate yourself about it. Whether you choose to know the Victorians through books or Brandy is your prerogative- and we will offer you programming and support your thirst for knowledge either way!
Questions about our mission, getting involved, or our current programming? Call 623-9814 or email hunterhouse@juno.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Tea and Conversation 