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20
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64aeba65d03403fb2f2e3c49b8f3a21b
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Distinguished Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg
Subject
The topic of the resource
Visitors, Foreign
Presidents - United States
Celebrities - United States
Entertainers - United States
Kings, queens, rulers etc.
Statesmen
Gelatin silver prints
Color slides
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Colonial Williamsburg has played host to numerous distinguished visitors in the form of foreign dignitaries and heads of state, royalty, musicians, actors, and writers. A significant series within Colonial Williamsburg's official archive of photos taken by staff photographers, the distinguished visitor images offer a fascinating glimpse into many historic occasions and special events that took place within the living history museum. A selection is offered here to give researchers a sense of the scope of the subjects represented.</p>
<p>Government officials, actors, and even sports stars, began arriving at Colonial Williamsburg soon after the museum opened its first exhibition buildings in the 1930s. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Duke of Gloucester Street in 1934 becoming the first United States president to experience its beauty and historical significance.<sup>1</sup> The completion of the Williamsburg Inn and Williamsburg Lodge offered gracious accommodations to attract other well-known guests. Child actress Shirley Temple celebrated her birthday in Williamsburg in 1938, while tennis star Helen Hull Jacobs registered as the first occupant at the Williamsburg Lodge in 1939.<sup>2</sup></p>
<p>During World War II, trips to Colonial Williamsburg served as a form of indoctrination for servicemen from neighboring military bases. Troops watched orientation films, attended lectures, and toured the Historic Area as a way to remind them of what they were going overseas to fight for.<sup>3</sup> In 1946, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General Dwight D. Eisenhower arrived for a post-war visit to Colonial Williamsburg that included drinks at the Raleigh Tavern, a tour of several exhibition buildings, and a special dinner at the Williamsburg Inn.<sup>4</sup></p>
<p>The late 1940s marked the beginning of a steady stream of visits by foreign dignitaries. The United States Department of State began a custom of bringing foreign heads of state down from Washington, D.C. as part of their official visits to the United States. As a result, Colonial Williamsburg began expanding its focus to embrace a more international audience and celebrate some of the timeless democratic ideals embodied in the historic events that took place in colonial Virginia.<sup>5</sup> The growing living history museum also attracted the attention of Walt Disney, who visited in 1948 and offered his perspectives and ideas on the museum's operations.<sup>6</sup></p>
<p>During the 1950s, a standard protocol for VIP visits encompassed trips to Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Foreign visitors received a rapid overview of American history and ideals as a form of education by State Department officials. <sup>7</sup> Queen Elizabeth II's royal visit for the 250th anniversary of the arrival of settlers at Jamestown marked an important initial step towards strengthening ties between Great Britain and Colonial Williamsburg.<sup>8</sup> A succession of British dignitaries, ranging from the Lord Mayor of London to the Prince of Wales, followed.</p>
<p>Colonial Williamsburg President Carlisle Humelsine used his former State Department connections to turn Colonial Williamsburg into what many dubbed "State Department South." He oversaw over one hundred visits by foreign dignitaries who came to the area as part of official State Department itineraries. The typical visit during the Humelsine era included a carriage ride, along with stops at major exhibition buildings, such as the Capitol and the Palace, as well as one or two of the trade shops.<sup>9</sup></p>
<p>The 1960s and 1970s also witnessed a number of television stars descending upon Colonial Williamsburg with their accompanying production crews. Animal star Lassie performed in several scenes around the Historic Area as part of a larger travel series for his popular television show. Perry Como and John Wayne explored many aspects of Colonial Williamsburg during the filming of Perry Como's Early American Christmas in 1978.<sup>10</sup></p>
<p>Visits by foreign heads of state culminated in the 1980s when Ronald Reagan hosted the Ninth Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations at Colonial Williamsburg. The unprecedented closure of the entire Historic Area for the weekend in May 1983 marked a gamble on the part of Colonial Williamsburg officials to generate more international interest via the three thousand journalists covering the event. <sup>11</sup> Participants included Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone of Japan, Prime Minister Amintore Fanfani of Italy, Prime Minister Elliot Trudeau of Canada, Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany, and President Francois Mitterand of France. Opera singer Leontyne Price also contributed to the event's pageantry by performing at one of the state dinners.<sup>12</sup></p>
<p>In the decades which followed, a combination of actors, entertainers, sports stars, political candidates, and government leaders continued to visit in a steady stream of both official and "undercover" appearances. Two of the more high profile dignitaries included President Zhang Zemin of China in 1997 and a return visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 2007. Whether drawing large crowds or simply enjoying the peaceful charm with a few friends or Colonial Williamsburg escorts, each visitor has left their mark in the form of a fascinating legacy of photos.</p>
Endnotes: <br />(1) Donald J. Gonzalez, The Rockefellers at Williamsburg (McLean, Va.: EPM Publications, 1991), 102. <br />(2) Hugh DeSamper, Welcome to the Williamsburg Inn (Williamsburg, Va.: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in association with Lickle Publishing, Inc., 1997), 4. <br />(3) Anders Greenspan, Creating Colonial Williamsburg (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002), 154. <br />(4) Brian A. Dementi, Churchill & Eisenhower Together Again: A Virginia Visit (Manakin-Sabot, Va.: Dementi Milestone Publishing Inc., 2015), 85. <br />(5) Greenspan, 79. <br />(6) Gonzalez, 110. <br />(7) Greenspan, 117. <br />(8) Greenspan, 111. <br />(9) Gonzalez, 110. <br />(10) Mary Theobald, “Every Man a King: The VIPs Visit Colonial Williamsburg” Colonial Williamsburg Journal 23, No. 3 (Autumn 2001): 40. <br />(11) Greenspan, 153.<br />(12) “The World Comes to Williamsburg,” Colonial Williamsburg 4, No. 1 (Autumn 1983): 20.
<p>For further information: <a href="https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/Foundation/Journal/Autumn01/vips.cfm">https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/Foundation/Journal/Autumn01/vips.cfm</a></p>
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Gelatin silver print
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image.
8x10 inches
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
King Paul and Queen Frederika of Greece
Subject
The topic of the resource
Visitors, Foreign - Greece
Kings, Queens, Rulers, etc.
Paul I, King of the Hellenes, 1901-1964
Frederika, Queen, consort of Paul I, King of the Hellenes, 1917-1981
Heads of state - Greece
Block 02. Building 65.
Williamsburg Inn (WIlliamsburg, Va.)
Description
An account of the resource
King Paul and Queen Frederika of Greece descending the stairs at the WIlliamsburg Inn. The King and Queen were among the first foreign dignitaries to visit Colonial Williamsburg through the State Department program established by Colonial Williamsburg President (and former State Department official) Carlisle Humelsine.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Beamish, George
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1953-11-27
Date Created
Date of creation of the resource.
1953-11-27
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
jpeg
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
1953-GB-4771
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Distinguished Visitors
Foreign Visitors
George Beamish
Greece
Heads of State
King Paul I of Greece
Queen Frederika of Greece
Virginia
Williamsburg
Williamsburg Inn
-
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2012bec0fb02ad9f0e8ccf72e2035758
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Distinguished Visitors to Colonial Williamsburg
Subject
The topic of the resource
Visitors, Foreign
Presidents - United States
Celebrities - United States
Entertainers - United States
Kings, queens, rulers etc.
Statesmen
Gelatin silver prints
Color slides
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Colonial Williamsburg has played host to numerous distinguished visitors in the form of foreign dignitaries and heads of state, royalty, musicians, actors, and writers. A significant series within Colonial Williamsburg's official archive of photos taken by staff photographers, the distinguished visitor images offer a fascinating glimpse into many historic occasions and special events that took place within the living history museum. A selection is offered here to give researchers a sense of the scope of the subjects represented.</p>
<p>Government officials, actors, and even sports stars, began arriving at Colonial Williamsburg soon after the museum opened its first exhibition buildings in the 1930s. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Duke of Gloucester Street in 1934 becoming the first United States president to experience its beauty and historical significance.<sup>1</sup> The completion of the Williamsburg Inn and Williamsburg Lodge offered gracious accommodations to attract other well-known guests. Child actress Shirley Temple celebrated her birthday in Williamsburg in 1938, while tennis star Helen Hull Jacobs registered as the first occupant at the Williamsburg Lodge in 1939.<sup>2</sup></p>
<p>During World War II, trips to Colonial Williamsburg served as a form of indoctrination for servicemen from neighboring military bases. Troops watched orientation films, attended lectures, and toured the Historic Area as a way to remind them of what they were going overseas to fight for.<sup>3</sup> In 1946, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General Dwight D. Eisenhower arrived for a post-war visit to Colonial Williamsburg that included drinks at the Raleigh Tavern, a tour of several exhibition buildings, and a special dinner at the Williamsburg Inn.<sup>4</sup></p>
<p>The late 1940s marked the beginning of a steady stream of visits by foreign dignitaries. The United States Department of State began a custom of bringing foreign heads of state down from Washington, D.C. as part of their official visits to the United States. As a result, Colonial Williamsburg began expanding its focus to embrace a more international audience and celebrate some of the timeless democratic ideals embodied in the historic events that took place in colonial Virginia.<sup>5</sup> The growing living history museum also attracted the attention of Walt Disney, who visited in 1948 and offered his perspectives and ideas on the museum's operations.<sup>6</sup></p>
<p>During the 1950s, a standard protocol for VIP visits encompassed trips to Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Foreign visitors received a rapid overview of American history and ideals as a form of education by State Department officials. <sup>7</sup> Queen Elizabeth II's royal visit for the 250th anniversary of the arrival of settlers at Jamestown marked an important initial step towards strengthening ties between Great Britain and Colonial Williamsburg.<sup>8</sup> A succession of British dignitaries, ranging from the Lord Mayor of London to the Prince of Wales, followed.</p>
<p>Colonial Williamsburg President Carlisle Humelsine used his former State Department connections to turn Colonial Williamsburg into what many dubbed "State Department South." He oversaw over one hundred visits by foreign dignitaries who came to the area as part of official State Department itineraries. The typical visit during the Humelsine era included a carriage ride, along with stops at major exhibition buildings, such as the Capitol and the Palace, as well as one or two of the trade shops.<sup>9</sup></p>
<p>The 1960s and 1970s also witnessed a number of television stars descending upon Colonial Williamsburg with their accompanying production crews. Animal star Lassie performed in several scenes around the Historic Area as part of a larger travel series for his popular television show. Perry Como and John Wayne explored many aspects of Colonial Williamsburg during the filming of Perry Como's Early American Christmas in 1978.<sup>10</sup></p>
<p>Visits by foreign heads of state culminated in the 1980s when Ronald Reagan hosted the Ninth Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations at Colonial Williamsburg. The unprecedented closure of the entire Historic Area for the weekend in May 1983 marked a gamble on the part of Colonial Williamsburg officials to generate more international interest via the three thousand journalists covering the event. <sup>11</sup> Participants included Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone of Japan, Prime Minister Amintore Fanfani of Italy, Prime Minister Elliot Trudeau of Canada, Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany, and President Francois Mitterand of France. Opera singer Leontyne Price also contributed to the event's pageantry by performing at one of the state dinners.<sup>12</sup></p>
<p>In the decades which followed, a combination of actors, entertainers, sports stars, political candidates, and government leaders continued to visit in a steady stream of both official and "undercover" appearances. Two of the more high profile dignitaries included President Zhang Zemin of China in 1997 and a return visit of Queen Elizabeth II in 2007. Whether drawing large crowds or simply enjoying the peaceful charm with a few friends or Colonial Williamsburg escorts, each visitor has left their mark in the form of a fascinating legacy of photos.</p>
Endnotes: <br />(1) Donald J. Gonzalez, The Rockefellers at Williamsburg (McLean, Va.: EPM Publications, 1991), 102. <br />(2) Hugh DeSamper, Welcome to the Williamsburg Inn (Williamsburg, Va.: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in association with Lickle Publishing, Inc., 1997), 4. <br />(3) Anders Greenspan, Creating Colonial Williamsburg (Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002), 154. <br />(4) Brian A. Dementi, Churchill & Eisenhower Together Again: A Virginia Visit (Manakin-Sabot, Va.: Dementi Milestone Publishing Inc., 2015), 85. <br />(5) Greenspan, 79. <br />(6) Gonzalez, 110. <br />(7) Greenspan, 117. <br />(8) Greenspan, 111. <br />(9) Gonzalez, 110. <br />(10) Mary Theobald, “Every Man a King: The VIPs Visit Colonial Williamsburg” Colonial Williamsburg Journal 23, No. 3 (Autumn 2001): 40. <br />(11) Greenspan, 153.<br />(12) “The World Comes to Williamsburg,” Colonial Williamsburg 4, No. 1 (Autumn 1983): 20.
<p>For further information: <a href="https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/Foundation/Journal/Autumn01/vips.cfm">https://research.colonialwilliamsburg.org/Foundation/Journal/Autumn01/vips.cfm</a></p>
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Still Image
A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials.
Original Format
If the image is of an object, state the type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Color transparency
Physical Dimensions
The actual physical size of the original image.
4x5 inches
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
NATO Defense Ministers
Subject
The topic of the resource
Cabinet officers – Belgium
Cabinet officers – Canada
Cabinet officers – Denmark
Cabinet officers – France
Cabinet officers – Iceland
Cabinet officers – Italy
Cabinet officers – Luxembourg
Cabinet officers – Netherlands
Cabinet officers – Norway
Cabinet officers – Portugal
Cabinet officers – United Kingdom
Cabinet officers – United States
Cabinet officers – Greece
Cabinet officers – Turkey
Cabinet officers – Germany
Cabinet officers – Spain
Statesmen
Visitors, Foreign – Belgium
Visitors, Foreign – Canada
Visitors, Foreign – Denmark
Visitors, Foreign – France
Visitors, Foreign – Iceland
Visitors, Foreign – Italy
Visitors, Foreign – Luxembourg
Visitors, Foreign – Netherlands
Visitors, Foreign – Norway
Visitors, Foreign – Portugal
Visitors, Foreign – United Kingdom
Visitors, Foreign – Greece
Visitors, Foreign – Turkey
Visitors, Foreign – Germany
Visitors, Foreign – Spain
Williamsburg Inn (Williamsburg, Va.)
Block 02. Building 65.
Description
An account of the resource
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization defense ministers stand in front of the Williamsburg Inn. The 1995 summit came during a period of conflict in the Balkans. The ministers spent two days in Colonial Williamsburg from October 5-6, 1995 discussing the Balkans, Russia, and the possibility of inviting former Warsaw Pact nations into NATO.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1995-10-06
Date Created
Date of creation of the resource.
1995-10-06
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
jpeg
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Image
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
T1997-286
Rights Holder
A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource.
Special Collections, John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Belgium
Canada
Defense Ministers
Denmark
Distinguished Visitors
Foreign Visitors
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Italy
Luxembourg
NATO
Netherlands
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Norway
Portugal
Satesmen
Spain
Turkey
United Kingdom
Virginia
Williamsburg
Williamsburg Inn