The VHM is located on 2000 East Cary Street Richmond, Virginia; where it stands facing yet another historic site, the James River. I along with two friends walked the ramp leading into the black, iron-railed entrance of the museum. The wind was brisk and unforgiving; our every footstep echoed a hollowed thud as the soles of our feet met with the cold metal. Whether the architectural deliberations of a clever builder, or my own sometimes over-active imagination; a vague sense of anxiety and drudgery swept over me. Once inside, the front desk personnel directed us to an area where all museum patrons are to watch a 15-minute video. The film showed several Holocaust survivors depicting their own firsthand accounts of Nazi Germany. One woman spoke of witnessing a pile of corpses as tall as three stories high! Mainly, the video was made up of informative interview sessions than explicit graphical depictions. I appreciated this “weaning” of the audience sort of speak. The “big guns” are displayed within the actual tour itself.
Once the film was complete, we were offered the option to begin the self-guided tour accompanied by audio commentary thru headset or simply with a booklet. We opted for audio… which by the way is exceptionally clear surround sound. It seemed as though the narrator’s voice were coming from speakers throughout the gallery itself rather than a pair of small earphones. At any rate throughout the tour, you’ll notice the center of the museum’s bourbon colored floor is lined with a black, pseudo railroad track. Our first stop took us to Dachau, a concentration camp where blocks were packed of Jewish prisoners. Next stop introduced us to the Thalhimer family & their Hyde Farmland in Burkeville, Virginia where you’ll find a chicken coop and piano. Hyde Farmland was considered a safe haven for Jewish immigrants. Meanwhile, my heart sank at the site of horrific crematories. Yet, warmed by still animations of day-to-day Jewish life – the young housewife stands admiring her dining room set, or the mother & son sharing sweet bread as she reads him a book by the phonograph. Each display artfully depicted its story while never ceasing to tug at your heart & conscience. Not to mention, pictures were plentiful throughout the tour.
