The Rocket Werks blog on Tumblr is an expansive and fun resource for learning about the history of Richmond’s landscape through pictures, maps, and detailed entries. There are several ways to explore the site, such as through the post feed, archive, and four designated project tabs. Though the blog is accessible without an account, it is best viewed by signing-in to Tumblr so that there is full accessibility to the post archive, as well as ability to filter for hashtags, use the site search bar, and interact with posts.
“Rocket Werks” Tumblr site header
A considerable amount of Rocket Werks’ original posts are categorized into four main projects: the “Atlas RVA! Project”, “Must-See! RVA”, “RVA Legends”, and “Wayback RVA”. The “Atlas RVA! Project” is an impressive collection of historic locations in the Greater Richmond Region. Overlaid on a Google map, these sites are categorized and coded with a key, so that the user can more easily find a certain place or filter for specific categories. Different groupings of locations include those featured in Rocket Werks posts, historical markers, battle locations, and designations of annexes. Locations featured on the key also include an image, address, and link to the corresponding Rocket Werks blog post.
Atlas RVA! Project on Google Maps
The other three projects are collections of themed posts on Richmond historical locations. “Must-See! RVA” includes entries on notable buildings in Richmond, detailing their history and architecture. On the other hand, “RVA Legends” posts feature old images and histories of Richmond structures that no longer exist today. Finally, “Wayback RVA” posts are “now and then” picture comparisons of Richmond locations.
Cover for Rocket Werks’ “Must-See RVA” post on the Bolling Haxall House
Cover for Rocket Werks’ “RVA Legends” post on Allen & Ginter locations
Cover for “Wayback RVA” post on “Scene on Franklin St.”
In addition to these main projects, the Rocket Werks site contains entries about other Richmond-related topics, such as Allen & Ginter RVA Cigarette Card images, old advertisement murals, and historic markers. As for non-Richmond history topics, many of the older posts on the blog center around content from the Atomic Age and the Space Race. Though the Rocket Werks Tumblr site has been inactive since 2021, this blog is a valuable resource for discovering Richmond history and contains years’ worth of content to explore!
- Gabrielle Dietrich, VCU undergraduate majoring in International Studies and French with a minor in History. She graduates in the Spring of 2024
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