The corridors of Agecroft Hall & Gardens are lined with paintings, armor, replica food, and other artifacts to immerse visitors into a slice of life in a 16th-century Tudor manor house. This summer, Taylor Gordon ’26 completed an internship with the museum house in Richmond, putting her history major to work interpreting the estate’s paintings and what they tell us about the period.

Gordon, a Richmond native who has a film studies minor in addition to her history major, started her internship by shadowing tour guides to fully understand the Agecroft story. “It was really interesting to get a behind-the-scenes look of what it takes to run a museum, because it’s a lot harder than one might think,” Gordon remarked.

Originally the home of the Langley and Dauntesey families in Lancashire, England from the 15th through 18th centuries, the Agecroft Hall structure was purchased by successful Richmond businessman T.C. Williams, Jr., transported across the Atlantic Ocean, and rebuilt in Richmond overlooking the James River in the 1920s. As outlined in Williams’ will, the house opened as a museum in 1969.

After mastering the Agecroft story and getting an up-close look at museum operations, Gordon began researching a variety of topics, including 16th century food. She tightened her focus on the symbolism behind the museum’s art, with interesting results. Her research culminated in a presentation to Agecroft staff, detailing the symbolism of different objects, colors, and clothing, while exploring royal connections and missing identities. 

“We have a large collection, but we have a small staff,” said Katie Reynolds, Agecroft’s Manager of Tour Services and Gordon’s internship supervisor. “Any time someone can take time out of regular running-the-museum duties and take a closer look at something, it’s always interesting. And every person brings a unique perspective to that research.”

Gordon pointed out that the black and gold striped ensemble and pink stockings worn by one portrait subject, a man named George Poulet, were signs of his family’s wealth, while his stance—similar to that of Henry VIII in a portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger—was meant to present an imposing figure.

Another portrait subject, Thomas Crompton, is depicted holding a red rose on which there is a dark red droplet. Gordon hypothesizes that the blood on the rose, possibly a representation of the Tudor rose, is a message of loyalty to the crown, to the point of a willingness to shed blood on its behalf.

Gordon also set out to identify unknown painting subjects, including a scholar whose pointed index finger symbolized his authority and whose holding of a scroll indicated a higher education. While unable to definitively identify the man in the painting, Gordon presented the possibility that it was Guillaume Bude, a French scholar who established the College of France and was the subject of a very similar painting six years later.

“She was really able to point out some small things and talk about symbolism in a way that was different and unique,” Reynolds said. “As a department, we will definitely be evaluating her research and looking at her sources more deeply, and thinking about ways that we can possibly incorporate that information into future tour interpretations.”

Associate Professor of History and Department Chair Anne Throckmorton appreciates the strong relationship between Agecroft and RMC, having sent several students there for internships and jobs. Its unique glimpse into life during the Tudor era provides students with the opportunity to utilize their skills as historians.

“If you’re a historian, you are a storyteller,” Throckmorton said. “You want to figure out why things happened the way they did, you want to put yourself in the shoes of people in the past.”

In addition to the opportunity to do extensive historical research, the internship experience brought a new perspective to Gordon on what careers are possible with a history degree. For example, she engaged with RMC graduate Libby Howlett ‘06, who serves as Agecroft’s Curator of Collections.

“This internship was enlightening, and it certainly made me think about what I want to do after I graduate,” she reflected. “When I decided to enroll at RMC, it was for the anticipation of becoming an archivist, which I still have that ambition. But now I’m open to other options, such as museum curation or museum management.”