Through Their Eyes-a unique look back at Virginia history
The Salem Historical Society has made an exciting announcement. about a new project that will impact lives in this area for decades to come. Through Their Eyes, a new History Gallery is on display at the Salem Museum located at 801 East Main Street. This venture has been more than a year in the making and the new Gallery which is free will highlight sixteen major events in local history that date back to 1671,
The history on display will be personal as it will be seen through the eyes of the men and women who actually lived it. The events that will unfold are responsible for shaping Salem and the Roanoke Valley into the community it is today and reveal how things have changed in 350 years. There is even a display of the famous Valleydale Pigs and now I'm recalling the old jingle: "The music goes zoom the drummer goes boom boom and everybody shouts Hurray for Valleydale"
“Often, events that happened a long time ago are hard to really grasp, because it’s hard to imagine what life was like for those people. By having a character chronicle each event, visitors experience the feelings and significance associated with these moments, truly bringing these events alive.”
History in the making
This is an exciting project that will make history come alive and will benefit the entire community, especially our young people. Through Their Eyes will also be a treat for homeschooled students who may miss out on sponsored field trips to history museums that are available to children enrolled in the public Roanoke and Salem City school systems.
This undertaking has sponsors like Community Catalyst Funds of Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia, and the National Endowment for the Humanities Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (SHARP) Initiative who are responsible for the major funding for Through Their Eyes.
The augmented reality segments were developed in partnership with the Applied Research in Immersive Environments and Simulations program at Virginia Tech. Visitors tot he museum will experience the emotional, life-changing impact of each of these events—including the coming of the railroad, the end of the Civil War, desegregation, the Flood of ’85, and so many more. The Gallery features personal narratives, pictures, maps, artifacts, hands-on elements, and augmented reality technology accessible with a visitor’s smartphone.
Living History Day
The Salem Museum is hosting a Living History Day on Saturday, March 25, from 10 am to 4 pm. to celebrate the opening of Through Their Eyes and admission is free. There will be a dozen interpreters representing local history from the 17th through the 20th centuries who will bring the region’s history to life. They will be in period costumes and share stories and display hands-on artifacts from the Native Americans Virginia history in this locality as well as individuals from the Colonial days, the Civil War, the World Wars, and much more. Save the date-come out and celebrate- and share the good news with others.
Living history events—with hands-on artifacts and the opportunity to interact with knowledgeable historians in period costume—are always the Museum’s most popular special events, and most family friendly.“The Gallery is really special because it gives us a chance to put a face to history,” said Alex Burke, the Museum’s assistant director and chief exhibit designer,
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