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2008 Christmas Media Kit Images
Please contact Penna Rogers at (757) 220-7121 or progers@cwf.org for
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Grand Illumination
Grand Illumination, the signature event of Colonial Williamsburg’s holiday season, features fireworks, music and candlelit buildings on Sunday, Dec. 7. The celebration begins in the late afternoon with a variety of entertainment on multiple outdoor stages throughout the Historic Area. The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums provides 18thcentury music appropriate to the season. Other costumed performers present holiday entertainment found in Williamsburg two centuries ago.
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The Palace
The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums signal the beginning of Grand Illumination. Candles are lit in public buildings, shops and homes, and fireworks are launched at three Historic Area locations: the Governor’s Palace, Magazine and Capitol.
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The Courthouse during Grand Illumination
Hundreds of guests flock to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area to experience Grand Illumination. Illuminations—firing guns into the air and lighting fireworks — were commonly used during the 18th century to celebrate major events such as great military victories, the birthday of the monarch or the arrival of a new colonial governor.
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The Fifes and Drums
The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums continue the celebration of their 50th anniversary with special performances during Grand Illumination. The Fifes and Drums have commemorated the history of 18th-century field music for decades and now are making history of their own in 2008. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s musical ambassadors celebrate their 50th anniversary. Founded in 1958, the Fifes and Drums performs in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area nearly 500 times each year in daily programs from mid-February through December and during special programs observing major holidays.
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Firing the Christmas Guns
On Dec. 24, guests can experience an 18th-century tradition, the firing of the Christmas guns. The Colonial Williamsburg’s Fifes and Drums follows the program through several locations on its main thoroughfare, Duke of Gloucester Street, as well as on Palace Green.
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Holiday Cressets
Guests to Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area enjoy the light and warmth of cressets during the holiday season. Cressets are iron baskets that are mounted on poles or suspended from hooks, and filled with pitch pine or fat wood, which contain a high amount of resin for an especially hot, bright flame. Set ablaze, they provide illumination during Colonial Williamsburg’s evening programs.
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Carriage Ride
When in Williamsburg, do as the colonists would do and take a carriage ride. Colonial Williamsburg’s coach and livestock program has been operating these unique tours continuously since 1947, when daily carriage rides through the Historic Area were offered for 50 cents per person. Today, more than 50,000 guests each year embark on the 15- minute journey through the Historic Area.
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Kissing under the Mistletoe
Young couples kissing under mistletoe was a British custom brought to the colonies. Kissing boughs, made from clumps of evergreens and candles, hang from the ceiling. Eighteenth-century prints show mistletoe hung in taverns, coffeehouses and kitchens. In Virginia, hunting mistletoe in the woods was a sport for boys and young men.
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A Child's Eye View
"A Child’s-Eye View: Antique Toys of Colonial Williamsburg," an exhibition at the Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, features toys from the decorative arts and folk art collections. The exhibition explores how children re-create the adult world from their own perspective through play and toys.
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Museum Holiday Programs
Special tours focusing on 18th- and 19th-century holiday traditions are offered at the Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. Art programs allow young guests and their families to explore the exhibitions and make a toy, ornament or decoration to take home.
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The Tailor
Colonial Williamsburg tailor Mark Hutter shows young guests how they would be fitted for clothes in the 18th century. The tailor operates within the Margaret Hunter Shop (Milliner), one of 22 trades sites in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. Each of the Historic Trades program’s nearly 90 artisans is a full-time professional in his or her trade, in addition to being a historical interpreter.
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African American Music
The new evening program African American Music complements and enhances the African American narrative presented by Colonial Williamsburg. For one hour, guests become an extension of a community at Great Hopes plantation by firelight and explore the musical culture of that 18th-century African American community. Guests are invited to listen to the songs and see the dances that provided African Americans with a way to maintain their identity and their sense of community during slavery.
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Dean Shostak
Colonial Williamsburg’s Kimball Theatre offers a variety of concerts during the holiday season. Musician Dean Shostak performs an exciting concert featuring music and stories of Benjamin Franklin’s glass armonica. His ability to combine music, history, art and science makes his concert a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the whole family.
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James Moir House
The louvered front door of the James Moir house in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area is adorned with a holiday wreath made of balsam and Virginia cedar decorated with dried artichokes, orange slices, white larkspur, sea holly, dried pomegranate and Virginia pine cones.
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Scrivener Store
On the door of the Scrivener Store, a private residence in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, a balsam wreath base is adorned with lamb's wool, yarrow and wheat, while the tin coffee pot appears to be “pouring” the coffee (threaded coffee beans) into a mug. The wreath — which won a blue ribbon in the annual Historic Area holiday decoration competition — was created by the home’s resident.
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Blue Bell Tavern
At the Blue Bell Tavern, a private residence in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, a wooden hoop — used as a toy in colonial times — is covered in magnolia, white pine, balsam and Eastern red cedar. Dried safflower, lady apples, oranges and quince join period toys in the wreath, tin mugs, plates and flatware and copies of the Virginia Gazette to create an interesting theme for the decorations tour.
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Pine Cone Wreath
On the porch of Christiana Campbell’s Tavern hangs a unique wreath in warm colors of golden brown made from Virginia pine cones, loblolly pinecones, yarrow, large and small pomegranates, a thin slice of orange rind and dried reindeer moss. HolidayGreenery.tif. In Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, a mixture of greenery and fruits adorns the side of a colonial structure. A miniature pineapple serves as the focal point in the midst of granny smith apples, boxwood, Chinese berries, balsam, hemlock and magnolia leaves.
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Coke-Garrett House
Grand Illumination, the signature event of Colonial Williamsburg’s holiday season, features fireworks, music and candlelit buildings on Sunday, Dec. 7. The celebration begins in the late afternoon with a variety of entertainment on multiple outdoor stages throughout the Historic Area. The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums provides 18thcentury music appropriate to the season. Other costumed performers present holiday entertainment found in Williamsburg two centuries ago.
Low-res (72 dpi)
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Alexander Craig house
Grand Illumination, the signature event of Colonial Williamsburg’s holiday season, features fireworks, music and candlelit buildings on Sunday, Dec. 7. The celebration begins in the late afternoon with a variety of entertainment on multiple outdoor stages throughout the Historic Area. The Colonial Williamsburg Fifes and Drums provides 18thcentury music appropriate to the season. Other costumed performers present holiday entertainment found in Williamsburg two centuries ago.
Low-res (72 dpi)
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Taliaferro-Cole Shop
Snow covers an arrangement of boxwood, lady apples, oranges, American holly and a leather rope of bells at the Taliaferro-Cole Shop (Harness and Saddle maker) in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area.
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Dr. Barraud House
Wreaths of balsam and fruit adorn the door and porch railing of the Dr. Barraud House in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area.
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Raleigh Tavern
The double doors of the famed Raleigh Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area are surrounded with pine roping and adorned with a mixture of safflowers, dried sunflowers and yarrow, dried marjoram with tavern pipes, and salt-glazed mugs on the transom.
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Wythe House
Seen from the arbor, the Wythe House in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area looks stately in the morning sun on a snowy January morning.
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Prentis House
A beautiful snowfall creates a winter sculpture in the gardens behind the Prentis House in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area.
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The Magazine at Sunrise
The morning sun breaks over the Magazine on a snowy January morning in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. The “cheveux de fries,” a fence made of sharp-tipped stakes surrounding the Magazine, was designed during the Revolutionary period to protect fortresses, or in this case, the gunpowder arsenal, from intrusion.
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The Magazine in the Snow
A standard-issue Revolutionary War military tent provides shelter from the snow in front of the Magazine in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area.
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Leicester Longwool Sheep
A lone Leicester Longwool sheep crosses a bridge over a creek running through Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. Leicester Longwool sheep are characterized by their long, healthy, lustrous coat that falls in ringlets, valuable meat supply, ease of feeding and quick maturation. Leicester (pronounced “lester”) Longwools originated in Britain and were used as a pioneer breed. Their use extended to America, Australia, New Zealand and other colonies settled by the British Crown. Today they are quite rare in Britain and North America, but they can still be imported from Australia. Their wool is sold to hand spinners, weavers, felters and dollmakers for hair and beards. The original herd of Colonial Williamsburg’s Leicester Longwool sheep came from Tasmania, but now the sheep are bred on-site.
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Canadian Horses
Canadian horses frolic in a snowy pasture in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area. The most recent addition to the Rare Breeds program, they were developed from horses sent from France to Quebec between 1665 and 1670. They were used for farm work, transport, riding and racing. Canadian horses are solid and well-muscled with a wellarched neck set high on a long, sloping shoulder. The horses are primarily black or reddish brown with full manes and tails. They are energetic without being nervous and are adaptable for a variety of riding and driving disciplines. Originally imported from Canada, Colonial Williamsburg’s Canadian horses are now bred on-site.
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The Williamsburg Inn
During the holiday season, the Williamsburg Inn’s elegant façade features pine-wrapped columns, trees, and a wreath above entrance.
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The Williamsburg Inn
Viewed from behind a gate at the Orell House in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area, the Williamsburg Inn looks festive on a snowy January morning.
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The Williamsburg Inn Lobby
AIn the Regency-style lobby of the elegant Williamsburg Inn®, an arrangement of red holly and star-of-Bethlehem welcomes guests while the traditional tree with custommade ornaments reflects details in the Inn’s décor.
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The Regency Tree in the Lobby of the Williamsburg Inn
The Regency Tree in the lobby of the Williamsburg Inn was designed to reflect the Inn’s furnishings and architectural details. Highlighted by the striking Prince of Wales crown of needlework and ostrich plumes at the top of the tree, it celebrates one of the great art patrons of the colonial period, George IV of England.
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The Regency Tree in the Lobby of the Williamsburg Inn
This detail of the Williamsburg Inn’s Regency Tree provides a closeup view of the hand-made ornaments that reflect architectural shapes and details from the Inn’s Regency- and Neoclassical-inspired furnishings. Twisted icicles reflect the light and contribute to the elegance of this formal holiday decoration.
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Williamsburg Lodge Lobby
A Christmas tree and classic American furnishings provide the comfortable feel of a gracious southern home in the lobby of the newly renovated and expanded Williamsburg Lodge.
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Orlando Jones Kitchen
On a rare cold winter day, icicles twinkle in the sunlight on the roof of the Orlando Jones Kitchen, a colonial house available for guest lodging in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area.
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Christiana Campbell's Tavern
Pine roping adorns the porch railing at Christiana Campbell's Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area.
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The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg
Fresh wreaths with cheerful red bows welcome guests to the wisteriacovered entrance to The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg.
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The David Morton House
Experience colonial life with modern amenities when you sleep in a one-of-a kind Colonial House right in the middle of history. Ideal for guests who wish to fully immerse themselves in the 18th century, Colonial Williamsburg offers period accommodations in the Historic Area where citizens of the Revolution once lodged. The David Morton House was once home to a local tailor and his family, who acquired the property in 1777. David Morton was an active member of the Williamsburg Lodge of Masons and served as treasurer of the society from 1780–1786. He practiced his trade until his death in 1800.
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Brick House Tavern
The Colonial Houses–Historic Lodging offer 75 guest accommodations in colonial style in 26 “houses,” including the Brick House Tavern and Brick House Tavern 7 Shop. The Brick House Tavern is rebuilt on its original foundations, constructed in the 1720s. William Withers, private secretary to Royal Governor Dinwiddie, was among its early owners. In 1761, Dr. William Carter, a surgeon and prominent businessman, bought the property. Carter sold several rooms to a merchant and rented others to shopkeepers. Brick House Tavern was still providing rooms near the end of the War of 1812, when an American cavalry troop quartered there.
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Brick House Tavern Shop Sitting Room
Draperies in the living room of the Brick House Tavern Shop are historically accurate cotton, unlined and trimmed in a cotton or wool tape — rather than hemmed — to save fabric. The tape trim was dyed to complement a color in the fabric. All fabrics and furnishings in the building are inspired by original fabrics and furnishings from the colonial period. This charming house in the Historic Area includes two bedrooms and baths, a fireplace and a trundle bed under the queen canopy bed in the main bedroom on the first floor.
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Shields Tavern
Colonial Williamsburg’s guests can make merry with several holiday dinners at Shields Tavern.
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Gingerbread Cabin
This little gingerbread cabin created by Colonial Williamsburg’s pastry chefs and culinary staff shows off the detail work involved in creating these seasonal delights.
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Gingerbread Cabin Detail
This close-up shows the fine detail the culinary staff includes in the gingerbread houses they create every year at Christmastime.
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Gingerbread Display
Near the Williamsburg Inn’s Regency Room stands a display of Colonial Williamsburg culinary staff’s magnificent gingerbread houses depicting the Governor’s Palace, Bruton Parish Church and the Capitol.
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Christmas Shopping in Merchants Square
There’s something for everyone who does his or her Christmas shopping in Merchants Square, located between Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area and the College of William and Mary. The unique shopping options include a locally owned chocolate shop, pewter and silver gifts, men’s and women’s clothing stores, home furnishings, Colonial Williamsburg licensed products, dining, a bookstore, art galleries, gourmet food items and wine, and toys, to name just a few.
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* Please contact Penna Rogers
for high resolution images.
(757) 220-7121
progers@cwf.org
Photo credit: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, Va.
These images may be used for editorial and educational purposes
only.
All commercial and advertising uses are strictly forbidden
without the written consent of
the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
© 2008 by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
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