Brooks Museum, University of Virginia

Now known as Brooks Hall, this building has an odd history. The building was originally the Lewis Brooks Museum of Natural History, and it opened to the public in 1878, two years after it was built. Henry Ward, a naturalist, scholar, and entrepreneur, was hired to curate a collection for the museum. He filled the space with more than 25,000 fossils, skeletons, and botanical and geological specimens. Also included in the collection was a life-size model of a Siberian mammoth. Interest in the exhibits declined in the 1940's, and the museum eventually closed in 1948. Now, the names and animal heads carved into the building's facade are a remnant of the original museum. After the closure of the museum, Brooks Hall was converted into classrooms and faculty offices. This vintage photograph was captured with a glass negative sometime between 1900 and 1910, while the museum was still active.

We've digitally restored this unique image, returning it to pristine condition. We've digitally removed dust and dirt, corrected fading, and repaired damage to return the image to its original condition. We use archival, museum-quality materials for our prints, with both our paper and canvas rated to last 100+ years. You can find more information about our prints here!

If you'd like to request a custom size or if you just have a question for us, don't hesitate to reach out! We're here to help, and we're happy to accommodate custom requests whenever possible.