by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory
Today’s animation is a bone nail brush recovered archaeologically at George Washington’s Ferry Farm. It resembles a tooth brush but its size and late 18th century date indicate that it is a nail brush.
by Bernard K. Means, director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory
Today’s animation is a wine bottle seal for Nathaniel Burwell loaned to the Virtual Curation Laboratory by the Fairfield Foundation, which is located in Gloucester, Virginia. The Fairfield Foundation recovered this 1710 wine bottle seal archaeologically at the Fairfield Foundation. Further details on this wine bottle seal can be found here.
by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory
Today’s animation are mended fragments of colonoware bowl recovered archaeologically at George Washington’s Ferry Farm. This low-fired earthenware vessel was used and possibly made by one of the enslaved individuals that labored at Ferry Farm. The actual colonoware vessel is currently on display at George Washington’s boyhood home.
by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory
Today’s animation is a pewter tea spoon found at George Washington’s Ferry Farm. It has the letters “BW” embossed on its handle, which might stand for “Betty Washington,” George Washington’s younger sister. Drinking and serving tea properly was part of the education and duties of a young gentry-class woman in the 18th century. The spoon may have been made on site.
by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory
Today’s animation is a clay female figurine fragment from Mount Vernon’s midden. It dates to the middle of the 18th century. Details about this figurine can be found at Mount Vernon’s midden project web site here. This color animation was made by Allen Huber from a 3D scan of the object made on July 17, 2012. A printed version was recently made with a MakerBot Replicator.
Ashley McCuistion sets the figurine up to be scanned.
Lauren Volkers holds the printed figurine in her right hand.
by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory
Today’s animation is a conserved wooden deadeye from the Betsy, a British ship sunk off of Yorktown, Virginia, at the end of the Revolutionary War. The ship had been excavated in the 1980s by the Yorktown Shipwreck Archaeological Project under the direction of then Virginia Department of Historic Resources (VDHR) archaeologist John Broadwater. It is in the archaeological collections maintained by VDHR. A half-scale printed version was made with a MakerBot Replicator.
by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory
Today’s animation is a clay tobacco smoking pipe made in England but recovered archaeologically at George Washington’s Ferry Farm. The pipe has a molded Masonic emblem. This pipe may have belonged to George Washington himself, and the Masonic emblem was positioned to be seen by the smoker and no others. A video produced for Instagram by Archaeology in the Community in the Virtual Curation Laboratory features Olivia McCarty discussing the object, using a printed version made with a MakerBot Replicator. The InstaGram video can be found here: http://instagram.com/p/jh-KOmKqat/
by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory
Today’s animation is a wig hair curler used to maintain the wig hair worn by elite men. It was found at George Washington’s Ferry Farm. Wigs were usually the single most expensive item of a gentleman’s wardrobe. Because George Washington himself did not wear a wig, this wig hair curler was used to maintain the wigs of one of his younger brothers. A video produced for Instagram by Archaeology in the Community in the Virtual Curation Laboratory features Olivia McCarty discussing the object, using a printed version made with a MakerBot Replicator. The InstaGram video can be found here: http://instagram.com/p/jfNtmRKqQy/
by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory
Today’s animation is a glass object that once adorned a wine bottle belonging to Augustine Washington, father of George Washington. The wine bottle seal bears his initials “AW” and was recovered archaeologically at the George Washington Birthplace National Monument. Seals like this personalized Augustine’s wine bottles and helped demonstrate his elite status. A video produced for Instagram by Archaeology in the Community in the Virtual Curation Laboratory features Lauren Volkers discussing the object, using a printed version made with a MakerBot Replicator. The InstaGram video can be found here: http://instagram.com/p/iu2n-jqqVp/#
by Bernard K. Means, Director of the Virtual Curation Laboratory
Today’s animation is an iron skeleton key that was recovered from James Madison’s Montpelier. This iron skeleton key was found in the stable quarter’s at James Madison’s Montpelier and dates to the 19th century. It was used to secure goods with a padlock. Given the location of this finding, it appears that either an enslaved gardener or an enslaved blacksmith used the key to lock up their equipment. This object was scanned and edited by the Virtual Curation Laboratory’s Rachael Hulvey. A video produced for Instagram by Archaeology in the Community in the Virtual Curation Laboratory features Rachael discussing the object, using a printed version made with a MakerBot Replicator. The InstaGram video can be found here: http://instagram.com/p/i4Dem8qqTI/#
Virtual Curation Museum 