Archives Research

Access to the Museum Archives for research purposes is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

There is a fee for research appointments; free appointments are a benefit of Museum Membership.

To set an appointment write to Archives, The Museum of the Confederacy, 1201 E. Clay Street, Richmond, VA 23219 or email us.

Books and manuscripts within the Archives' collection do not circulate. Photocopying service is available at a minimal cost. Click here for information on the Museum research services.  Additional information and resources from the library are available in the Members Only section.

If you have questions about the archive’s resources or services, please call (855) 649-1861, ext. 128 or email us.

Support the Archives

To make a donation that will go towards the preservation efforts of the Museum's Archives, please click here.

Document of the Month

Each month, one item from the Archives will be highlighted. See this month's document here.

Who Was Eleanor S. Brockenbrough? (1910-1985)

Hired as assistant house regent when India Thomas was appointed house regent in 1939, Eleanor Brockenbrough was groomed for a position she was never to assume. In 1963, Brockenbrough took the position of librarian and later assistant director. She served as interim executive director three times. The Museum’s Archives dedicated in 1981 is named after her in honor of her contributions.

 The Archives maintain more than 15,000 books and pamphlets, 1,000 prints and sketches, and more than 200 shelf feet of manuscripts. An impressive collection in its own right, our Archives hold such items as the Provisional Confederate Constitution, a draft of Lee’s resignation letter from the U.S. Army, a blood-stained letter written by a mortally wounded soldier to his father, the Southern Women’s History Collection, rare 1860s school books, and one of the world’s largest collections of Jefferson Davis papers. The Confederate currency and bond collection is recognized as second to only the Smithsonian collection.

This valuable collection of documents, papers and books provides researchers information on the Confederate Army, Navy, government, and postwar Confederate memorial organizations.