MEDIA INFORMATION
For interviews, photographs or other media assistance, please contact: Carla Murray at cmurray@maymont.org or 804-358-7166, ext. 315 or Kate Peeples at kpeeples@maymont.org or 804-358-7166, ext. 316.
Media Release
Media Release text
Maymont photographs for media use with proper credit. Contact Maymont for additional images.
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Maymont House Kitchen Download JPG: |
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Maymont Butler's Bedroom Download JPG: |
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Stained Glass wih Sweeping Maid Download JPG: |
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Stained Glass & Sweeping Maid, BW Download JPG: |
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Maymont House Museum, Landscape View Download JPG: |
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Pink Drawing Room, Maymont House Museum Download JPG: |
MEDIA RELESE
Release Date: March 28, 2005
Media Contact: Carla Murray, Assistant Director of Public Relations & Marketing 804-358-7166, ext. 315
cmurray@maymont.org
“In Service And Beyond: Domestic Work and Life in a Gilded Age Mansion”
NEW EXHIBIT COMPLETES THE UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS STORY AT MAYMONT HOUSE MUSEUM
Richmond, VA - For nearly 80 years, visitors to Maymont House Museum in Richmond, Virginia have toured the opulent upstairs rooms where millionaires James and Sallie Dooley lived and entertained from 1893 to 1925. The rest of the Maymont House story will be revealed when a groundbreaking new exhibition, “In Service and Beyond: Domestic Work and Life in a Gilded Age Mansion,” opens on May 22.
Ten years in the making, “In Service and Beyond” features 3,000 square feet of new exhibit space, 1,000 household objects and eight newly restored period rooms. Visitors to the 100-acre estate will be invited to explore the world of the domestic staff-the butler, cook, housemaid, laundress, lady’s maid, chauffeur and others-who maintained the 33-room mansion and the Dooleys’ luxurious lifestyle. They will see recently restored spaces never before open to the public, including the kitchen, laundry, butler’s pantry, wine cellar, cold room, kitchen pantry, maids’ bedroom and butler’s bedroom.
Lauded by the National Endowment for the Humanities as a project that will “have significant impact on house museums throughout the nation,” the new permanent exhibit will demonstrate that Maymont was not only a millionaire’s showplace, but also a workplace for numerous domestic employees-nearly all African American. Artifact-rich displays, interpretive panels with period images and interactive media will bring to life the myriad tasks and daily rhythms of domestic work at Maymont and in similar southern households during an era of dramatic economic, social and technological change and increasingly strict segregation. Through the stories of domestic workers both on the job and beyond the workplace, this Virginia version of “Upstairs Downstairs” is a fascinating look at how two worlds converged under one roof and how one could not exist without the other.
In addition to scholars, restoration specialists and museum professionals, Maymont Foundation has sought the help and insight of civic leaders, local historians, neighbors and other members of the community. Many descendants of the individuals once employed by the Dooleys have also helped to shape the exhibition, offering their memories, artifacts and family photographs. Doris Walker Woodson, descendant of head cook Frances Twiggs Walker and six other Maymont employees, has become particularly involved and now serves as Maymont’s community
outreach coordinator and foundation board member. Ms. Woodson states, “This project is so important to the history of Virginia. Attention is being focused on a group of people whose contributions and lives were never before considered important. The telling of their story helps to complete a segment of history.”
Grand Opening Festival: Sunday, May 22, 2005
The public grand opening for “In Service and Beyond” will be held Sunday, May 22 from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. and will include activities and entertainment for the entire family. The living history performance, “Kitchen Tales,” will provide an opportunity to learn about domestic life and work from the perspective of the head cook who worked at Maymont during the Dooleys’ time. Special outdoor displays and demonstrations will encourage exploration of the technological marvels, appliances, household products and tasks of 100 years ago. Fun, hands-on activities and games will bring the past to life for children, and old-fashioned picnic fare and music will round out the celebration. Visitors will also be among the first to tour the kitchen and other belowstairs rooms that make up the new exhibition. Admission to the event is free. Visitors should sign up for free house tours upon arrival as capacities are limited. For information, call 804-358-7166, ext. 329.
“In Service and Beyond: Domestic Work and Life in a Gilded Age Mansion” is made possible by a number of private foundations, the City of Richmond and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Grand opening activities are sponsored by SunTrust and Dominion.
Maymont House Museum tours are offered year round, Tuesday-Sunday, 12:00-5:00 p.m. (on the hour and half hour; the last tour begins at 4:30). Suggested donation is $4 per person. Maymont also features gardens, a collection of antique carriages, and more than 700 native Virginia animals in a Nature Center, Children’s Farm and outdoor wildlife exhibits. Visitor information is available at www.maymont.org.
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