In colonial times portraiture proved to be a particularly useful tool in establishing and preserving family status. This exhibit presents 24 portraits from the Virginia Historical Society's collection. Represented are the Randolph, Byrd, Carter, Fitzhugh, Wormeley, Eskridge, Page, Baylor, and Gordon families. Early Virginia portraits reveal much about the families that commissioned them, as well as how these Virginians valued how they were perceived by others. Continue