The Living Museum – Illinois State Museum magazine

Some of Virginia’s finest writing appeared in The Living Museum, the Illinois State Museum publication that she initiated in 1939 and edited until her death in 1966. Month after month, she turned out nature essays of high quality. [John Halwas]

Articles from The Living Museum have been reprinted nationwide in periodicals, newspapers, and newsletters, and they continue to appear. Segments from several of her books have been reprinted in periodicals, and the chapter, “The Rainy Day,” from Land of the Snowshoe Hare was selected for inclusion in Our Natural World (1965) edited by Hal Borland. [Orvetta Robinson]


With 326 issues of the Living Museum, here are a select few. We hope to have more online soon.

1941-12-1

DECEMBER 1941 – THE LAND OF WINTER


1941-08-1

AUGUST 1941 – TAKEN FROM LIFE


 

1945-06-1

JUNE 1945 – ILLINOIS JUNE” AND “THE STARS OF JUNE


 

1949-08-1

AUGUST 1949 – PASSIONFLOWER” AND “A TIME FOR SPIDERWEBS


 

12-59-1

DECEMBER 1959 – THE SOUND OF WINGS


 

1962-08-1

AUGUST 1962 – THE SAND BEACH” AND “ROADSIDE LACE


 

1966-08-1

AUGUST 1966, LAST EDITION UNDER VIRGINIA’S GUIDANCE


81-08-25

August 1981 – ESSAYS ON NATURE BOOK, A MEMORIAL COLLECTION IN 274 PAGES and memorial edition of the living museum