The Valentine with Photos and Videos

Coordinates: 37°32′30.3″N 77°25′52.7″W / 37.541750°N 77.431306°W / 37.541750; -77.431306

The Valentine is a museum in Richmond, Virginia dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond's history. Founded by Mann S. Valentine II 1898, it was the first museum in Richmond. The Valentine offers rotating exhibitions, walking tours, programs, special events, research opportunities and more as a way to engage, educate and challenge a diverse audience. The Valentine also includes the Wickham House, a National Historical Landmark.

The funds for the museum were provided by Mann S. Valentine II, who made his fortune with Valentine's Meat Juice, a health tonic made from beef juice invented as early as 1870. Mann and his sons earned their fortune from the Valentine Meat Juice Company. During the late 19th century, the Valentines began to collect in the fields of archaeology, anthropology, fine arts and decorative arts. Mann laid the foundation for the museum in 1892; when he died in 1893, he provided the original bequest for the Valentine Museum, leaving his collection of art and artifacts, the 1812 John Wickham House and a $50,000 endowment. Their collection of art and artifacts was the foundation of the exhibitions, when the Valentine Museum opened in 1898. When it opened, the Valentine Museum became the first private museum in the City of Richmond. Mann S. Valentine II's brother Edward Virginius Valentine also had an interest in history and was a well-known sculptor. Edward Valentine served as the museum's first president from the opening until his death in 1930. According to the museum website, Edward Valentine left a large collection of sculpture, papers, furniture and memorabilia to the museum in his will.

In 1924, the museum asked Charleston Museum director Laura Bragg to consult on a reorganization, which got under way four years later. It was the museum's first major renovation and expansion, and as part of the process the museum purchased three rowhouses adjacent to the Wickham House for the purposes of holding artifacts. The museum then renovated the Wickham house to reflect the circa 1812 period when the first owner, John Wickham and his family lived there.

On May 20, 1969, the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission nominated the Valentine Museum buildings to be on the National Register of Historic Places based on the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act. The Valentine Museum received this designation on June 11, 1969.

In the 1970s, a major renovation and expansion was undertaken to add a new wing to accommodate more artifacts and increase exhibition space for the public. The Row Houses that served as the primary museums space were renovated and expanded as well.

In 1985, the Valentine hired Frank Jewell and took steps to revitalize the institution and focus on issues such as racism, the southern black experience and the city's complicated history, gaining national attention as a result. In 1988, the Museum worked with Mary Tyler McGraw, formerly of the Afro-American Communities project at the National Museum of American History to develop an exhibit called "In Bondage and Freedom", engaging scholars with knowledge of social and African-American history.

In August 2014, the museum changed its name to the Valentine and adopted the subtitle "Richmond Stories." In October of that same year, the Valentine completed renovations to its public exhibition galleries. The renovations featured more accessible gallery spaces, a new education center, lobby and multi-purpose room.

In July 2015, the Valentine took over management of the Valentine First Freedom Center.

The Valentine's permanent exhibition, entitled "This is Richmond, Virginia", is on display on the main level and tells the story of Virginia's Capital City according to five distinct themes. The objects on display are a part of the Valentine's extensive collection and use diverse personal stories to tell the larger history of this ever-evolving region.

In the fall of 1942, the Valentine and historic preservation champion Mary Wingfield Scott launched a series of walking tours exploring Richmond. These early walking tours brought Richmond citizens together to explore their city, visiting areas such as Gamble's Hill, Church Hill, Oregon Hill, Jackson Ward and Hollywood Cemetery.

Today, the museum continues Scott's work by providing Richmonders the opportunity to explore the city by foot, bus and bike, with the goal of sharing diverse, inclusive stories by exploring the ever-changing urban landscape. The Valentine offers nearly 450 tours a year.

Weekly tours cover Hollywood Cemetery, Downtown Richmond and Shockoe Bottom, and each month between March and October is dedicated to a different historic Richmond neighborhood. Specialty tours are also offered, including the history of Richmond and the James River, a walk through the Broad Street Arts District and an exploration of Carytown's LGBTQ+ history.

The Valentine has several rotating exhibitions that include photographs, clothes and textiles and historical based exhibits that impacted Richmond in a significant way.

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