|
| |
Newport News
Written by: Jenni Mennella
Any history fanatic would be in seventh heaven in Newport News, and even those who slept through history classes would be entertained and excited to see this wonderful town.
A little groggy, but still glowing from last night's events in Hampton, we began our day as we did the previous one -- by piling into a mini van and heading off to another fun-filled day in a new location. We went to Newport News for the first half of the day, and then on to Norfolk for the remainder.
I must admit, for the rest of the trip, the group of us kept doing our Patti imitations from the Hampton Jazz Festival the night before at any and every opportunity.
"What's my name?"
"Patti!!"
We arrived in Newport News and met Suzanne Pearson of the Newport News Tourism Development office for our tour of The Newsome House Museum and Cultural Center.
J. Thomas Newsome was one of the first African-American attorneys to argue before the Virginia Supreme Court. His elegant home was the first structure owned by an African-American to be a recipient of a National Historic Preservation Award. It also served as the hub of the local black community from which he led the fight for social justice. As we toured his home, we saw letters written to his wife, historical artifacts, and memorabilia celebrating his extraordinary life, which also included career stints in journalism, the church and local politics.
Our next stop on the whirlwind through Newport News was the Virginia War Museum. Any war or history buff would be in his or her glory at this museum! They have over 60,000 objects, including: uniforms of all shapes, sizes and colors, insignias, vehicles, weapons, and one of the nation's greatest propaganda poster collections. There is even a section of the Berlin Wall, which was amazing since I remember when it came down.
The "Marches Toward Freedom" permanent gallery traces the role of African Americans in the U.S. military from the Revolutionary War to present day. Different sections mark their involvement in all of the military efforts of our country, and I couldn't help but wonder why it was separated from the other war memorabilia. It almost felt to me like, once again, they were segregated for being different, but I did see the beauty in recognizing their achievements as a unified community of African American military personnel.
Next stop for the day was The Mariners' Museum, also located in Newport News. At the previous museums, we saw the different objects and imagined their roles, but at the Mariners' Museum, I truly felt I was experiencing the African American struggle to survive.
Its newest major exhibit, "Captive Passage: The Transatlantic Slave Trade" and "Making of the Americas" featured displays on shaped canvases to simulate a boat sail, lending authenticity and creativity to yet another museum exhibit. It also had a wooden cave to walk through with lights, voice-overs and artifacts to feel like you were going below deck in a ship.
The final element of this profound exhibit was a simple exercise our tour guide has us do. He asked five of us to stand shoulder to shoulder. Then, he said turn to your right and step forward, reducing the personal space between us to a few inches. This, he explained, was how slaves were transported -- crammed, as many as could fit, into a tight space. If someone near you got sick, you knew it. I couldn't even imagine traveling a few feet like this let alone months, but they did. It was truly amazing.
Other highlights of this museum were its collection of figureheads, antique navigational instruments, working steam engines, and the internationally famous Crabtree Collection of Miniature Ships. Encased in glass, the ships were viewed through magnifying windows and you could see the intricate details on these minute design elements. We also saw USS Monitor artifacts, which are being restored in enormous iron wells located outside immersed in cleaning solvents and agents to loosen and remove the ocean debris attached to them.
After a lovely catered lunch of deli wraps, salad and decadent brownies, and a quick stop at the gift shop, we departed Newport News for our next destination.
Newport News is a wonderful town with a strong emphasis on history and the ship building industry. Any history fanatic would be in seventh heaven in these museums, and even those who slept through history classes would be entertained and excited to see them.
Part 1 - Richmond
Part 2 - Hampton and Phoebus
Part 3 - Newport News
Part 4 - Norfolk
Part 5 - Colonial Willilamsburg
|
|
|
|
|
|
