Past Exhibits

“The Enemy has disappeared from our Waters”

The War of 1812 in Southeastern Virginia

On Display: December 19, 2012 - April 14, 2013

Location: Special Collections Lobby

During the War of 1812, British soldiers carried out a series of raids throughout Southeastern Virginia from the relative safety of their ships. While their one foray onto land, the Battle of Craney…

Presidents of William & Mary

On Display: October 22, 2012 - April 10, 2013

Location: Flat case near the Brown Board Room and Library Administration, 3rd Floor

This exhibit provides a history of William & Mary as seen through the eyes of its presidents.

Great Hall's Afire

On Display: October 23, 2012 - February 26, 2013

Location: Near Writing Resources Center and Tribe Tutor Zone on 1st Floor

In the early hours of February 8, 1859, the Wren Building went up in flames after a fire began in the north wing.

A Visit from St. Nicholas

On Display: December 6, 2012 - January 31, 2013

Location: Swem Lobby

This year’s exhibit features illustrated pages of fifteen different books, arranged so that together they feature the poem in its entirety—while at the same time showcasing the diversity of the…

On The Road: Words, Pictures, and Artifacts of Pilgrims

On Display: September 28, 2012 - January 16, 2013

Location: Read & Relax

What does it mean to be a pilgrim? The word “pilgrimage” evokes very different images depending on your beliefs, culture, and upbringing.

"The Virginia Way of Life Must Be Preserved"

On Display: June 18, 2012 - January 11, 2013

Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

This exhibit examines how Virginia responded to the Supreme Court’s momentous 1954 decision overturning “separate but equal” schools.

"The Best of Care": Civil War Hospitals

On Display: April 12, 2012 - January 11, 2013

Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

At the beginning of the Civil War, there were very few hospitals around the country. Washington, the nation’s capital, had no military hospitals. Neither the Union nor the Confederacy was well…

"A Battle without a Plan": The Battle of Williamsburg

On Display: March 21 - December 10, 2012

Location: Special Collections Lobby

The Battle of Williamsburg was a rear-guard action fought in rain and mud on May 5, 1862.

We Are All In Great Distress'

William & Mary Leading up to the Civil War

On Display: October 19, 2011 - October 3, 2012

Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

The years before the Civil War were not always stable ones for William & Mary. The university contended with changes in presidents, resignations and deaths of professors, an end to the chair of law,…

Presidents of William & Mary

On Display: March 28 - October 2, 2012

Location: Flat case near the Brown Board Room and Library Administration, 3rd Floor

This exhibit is part of a continuing series about the presidents of William & Mary. It provides a history of the university as seen through the eyes of its presidents. This second installment spans…

Tribe Pride: William & Mary Athletics Media Guides

On Display: September 9, 2011 - September 25, 2012

Location: Kaplan Arena

Tribe Pride: William & Mary Athletics Media Guides from Swem Library allows visitors to experience the history of intercollegiate sports at William & Mary through the athletics publications created…

Friendly Competition

On Display: July 18 - September 16, 2012

Location: Read & Relax

This exhibit features reproductions and artifacts from Special Collections, which attest to the both celebratory and competitive facets of the Summer Olympic Games.

诗书画三绝 The Three Perfections

On Display: April 12 - May 28, 2012

Location: Read & Relax

The combination of all three creative processes—poetry, painting, and calligraphy—is considered the ultimate in artistic achievement in Chinese art. Very rarely does a single artist have talent in…

Virginia Council on Human Relations

On Display: October 17, 2011 - May 18, 2012

Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

The Virginia Council of Human Relations (VCHR) was a bi-racial organization that worked to foster communication and improve relations between blacks and whites. The exhibit highlights a few…

Of Plenty and Paucity: Civil War Medicines and Their Makers

On Display: October 28, 2011 - April 9, 2012

Location: Marshall Gallery, 1st Floor Rotunda

At the beginning of the Civil War, medicine was at a crossroads. Researchers were only beginning to recognize the role of microorganisms in causing disease and the importance of antiseptic conditions…

Alternative Voices

On Display: December 6, 2011 - April 6, 2012

Location: Read & Relax

The diversity of the William & Mary community finds expression in a variety of student campus publications.

‘Twas the Night: 1930s Selections from the Nancy H. Marshall A Visit from St. Nicholas Collection and the University Archives

On Display: December 9, 2011 - March 30, 2012

Location: 3rd Floor Rotunda Gallery

The yearly occurrence of Christmas invites celebrations to maintain a sense of tradition and nostalgia. Steeped in the Colonial Revival atmosphere of Williamsburg in the 1930s with the reconstruction…

Presidents of William & Mary

On Display: October 13, 2011 - March 27, 2012

Location: Flat case near the Brown Board Room and Library Administration, 3rd Floor

This exhibit is part of a continuing series about the presidents of William & Mary. It provides a history of the university as seen through the eyes of its presidents. The first exhibit spans the…

In the Discharge of his Duty: Weapons, Ammunition, and Military Equipment

On Display: October 18, 2011 - March 12, 2012

Location: Special Collections Lobby

When we think of archival collections, we imagine primarily written documentation, be it letters, diaries, or organizational records. But artifacts are sometimes part of those collections and some of…

Title Pages: Department of Government

On Display: February 16, 2011 - February 27, 2012

Location: Bright Gallery, 2nd Floor Rotunda

The fifth in a series of library exhibits of W&M faculty publications has opened at Swem. “Title Pages: An Exhibit of Publications from Faculty in the Government Department” is on display in the…