JULIA CHILD: A RECIPE FOR LIFE
JULIA CHILD: A RECIPE FOR LIFE
SPECIAL SPONSORED EDITION
Major National Julia Child Exhibition at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture Explores the Life and Culinary Influences of the American TV Icon
Embark on a journey of culinary mastery through sight, sound and smell at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) with Julia Child: A Recipe for Life on view March 16-Sept. 2. The exhibition explores the key ingredients in Julia Child’s personal journey, which became part of America's culinary revolution, through a series of immersive experiences. Julia’s insatiable curiosity and tenacious spirit drove her to endlessly try, test, and teach how to make delicious food. Learning to cook empowered Julia, and she empowered others, profoundly transforming American cuisine and food culture in the process. Displays exclusive to the exhibition’s showing at VMHC will highlight Julia’s connections to Virginia and the influence of French cooking in the Commonwealth’s culinary history.
Interactive storytelling spaces invite visitors to experience different times in Julia’s life like The French Chef television set, where they can operate a vintage video camera, mix “ingredients,” and feel like part of the show. A theatrical scene will transport guests to La Couronne, the French restaurant where the chef experienced her first French meal.
Photographs on view in the exhibition chronicle Julia’s career from her time spent in France to traveling the world with her beloved husband, Paul, who captured beautiful images that documented their lives together. The couple enjoyed Valentine’s Day and, over the years, would create dozens of cards to send to family and friends. A photo opportunity in the exhibition will allow visitors to recreate one of the couple’s most iconic Valentine’s Day cards.
Visitors can also discover the other enduring influences that have been woven into Virginia recipes and the Virginia chefs who used those influences to create unique dishes. Among them is James Hemings, who was born into slavery in Virginia and studied cooking professionally in Paris. The exhibition will feature kitchen equipment ranging from the mid- 17th century to late 19th, including a waffle iron, braising pan, and skimmer similar to what was used by Hemings. Jimmy Sneed, who appeared in Julia Child’s “Cooking with Master Chefs” TV series and operated the famous Frog and the Redneck restaurant in Richmond, Virginia, is also featured.
Patrick O’Connell, the award-winning chef and proprietor of The Inn at Little Washington (one of only 13 restaurants in the U.S. to receive three Michelin stars) and a friend to Julia, will also be highlighted in the exhibition. He is known for revolutionizing the fine dining industry with his innovative techniques and uncommon flavor combinations and is considered by many to have been one of the most influential chefs in the country.
Julia Child: A Recipe for Life” will bring the story of a beloved and iconic American to all Virginians—an inspiring story of Julia Child’s authenticity, tenacity, and her deep love of food that changed the nation,” said VMHC president and CEO Jamie Bosket. “This memorable exhibition also provides the VMHC a perfect opportunity to highlight the stories of Virginians that made their own culinary mark, including those inspired by Julia herself.”
The VMHC is its first East Coast venue to host this marquee exhibition, which will feature rare material from the Julia Child archives on loan from the Schlesinger Library at Harvard as well as video, audio, photographs, memorabilia, and recreated scenes from the iconic chef’s life.
For more information about “Julia Child: A Recipe for Life” please visit VirginiaHistory.org/JuliaChild
“Julia Child: A Recipe for Life” is made possible at the VMHC by the following sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor: Performance Food Group
Supporting Sponsors: Mr. & Mrs. E. Claiborne Robins Jr, Melanie Trent De Schutter, Atlantic Union Bank, and Katherine & Jack Nelson
Sponsors: Anne Carter & Walter R. Robins Jr. Foundation
Supporters: Russell & Susan Harper, Mr. & Mrs. Gerald F. Smith, Jr., Aggie & Richard Cullen, Lisa & Bill Moore, Michelle Gluck & John McGurl, Lettie Pate Evans Changing Exhibition Fund, Linda M. Warren Special Exhibitions Fund, and Community Foundation for a greater Richmond.
Organizers and Sponsors
“Julia Child: A Recipe for Life” is a touring exhibition produced and managed by Flying Fish, developed in collaboration with Napa Valley Museum, under the rights granted by The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and Culinary Arts and Schlesinger Library, Harvard Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University and is generously supported by Oceania Cruises. Additional content about Julia Child’s connection to Virginia has been curated by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture and is woven throughout the exhibition. The exhibition's visit to the VMHC is made possible with generous funds provided by presenting sponsor Performance Food Group.
About Virginia Museum of History & Culture
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture is the only institution dedicated to presenting the entire history of Virginia over time and across regions. Its nationally significant collection of more than 9 million objects, renowned research library, galleries and public programs demonstrate the centrality of Virginia to the narrative of the United States.
The VMHC is owned and operated by the Virginia Historical Society — a private, non-profit organization established in 1831. The historical society is the oldest cultural organization in Virginia and one of the oldest and most distinguished history organizations in the nation. VirginiaHistory.org
