James Andrew Walton
William King Museum of Art, Abingdon, Virginia, has launched The Cultural Heritage Archive which makes the museum’s 25 years of research into regional decorate arts accessible to anyone.
By clicking on the “Archive” tab on the website’s homepage (www.williamkingmuseum.org), you gain access to information about furniture, pottery, textiles, metalwork, art and musical instruments. Click on an object’s photograph, and you’ll be taken to a page filled with research about that object.
“This is an exciting chapter for our Cultural Heritage Project. Since 1994, we have been documenting the region’s beautiful handmade legacy. Now, for the first time, anyone can browse through our records, both for scholarly research as well as just to enjoy the view,” says Betsy White, museum director.
The museum was able to create this database with the help of a two-year Digital Humanities Fellowship funded by the Decorative Arts Trust, through its Emerging Scholars Program. Matching funds were provided by the Henry Luce Foundation, and housing was provided by Emory & Henry College.
The scholar is James Andrew Walton, who has a master’s degree from Virginia Tech in material culture and public humanities.
Walton is also the curator for the “Looking Back” exhibit which opens Dec. 3. He created this digital show from photos from the Historical Society of Washington County and the T. R. Phelps Collection of glass plate negatives.
For more information about the museum and its offerings, visit www.williamkingmuseum.org.
