Photo Gallery: A Cast of Colonial Characters

Photos by Dave Doody

Across America, Colonial Williamsburg's Division of Productions, Publications, and Learning Ventures televises high-tech history lessons to more than a million school children a year. A seven-show series, these interactive electronic field trips begin in October and end in April, and reach 1,500 schools in forty-five states. The division also produces educational videos.

Distributed by satellite, local Public Broadcasting System stations, educational access channels, and cable, each field trip has a dedicated website, funded in part by an AT&T Foundation grant.

Lesson plans, historical essays, glossaries, timelines, primary sources, and other materials support the shows. Historians answer calls and email questions from students, and dedicated Internet bulletin boards are available throughout the year to encourage more learning.

Commonly, the stage is the Historic Area or Carter's Grove, though studio sets and remote sites are often used. No matter the location, Dave Doody, the division's chief photographer, is usually on location capturing the action in stills.
Using Doody's images, Photo Gallery: A Cast of Colonial Characters offers a view of the electronic field trips.

For more information on the electronic field trips, see www.history.org/trips or call 1-800-761-8331.