Virtually Vail at the Vail Public Library is a digital archive that provides online access to special local history collections. Subcollections of Virtually Vail include Vintage Vail Quilt, Vail Valley Voices, Art in Vail, Vail Area History, and Vail Area Manuscripts.
To access the digital records, click on the “Virtually Vail” tile in the online catalog or the links below to view individual collections.
Vintage Vail Quilt
The Vintage Vail Quilt is a unique material cultural record that was created to commemorate the Town of Vail’s 20th anniversary. It was donated to the Town of Vail in 1982 by the twenty-one local women who each contributed at least one hand-crafted quilt square. AnnaMaria Abbink developed the concept and created the design for Vintage Vail Quilt. She also created two quilt squares and hosted the quilt’s crafting in her East Vail home. Curated by and housed at Vail Public Library, the quilt has been on display in the VPL Community Room since 1986. The Vintage Vail Quilt is a unique local history record that is also a singular community artifact.
Vail Valley Voices
Vail Valley Voices (VVV) is an oral history collection that spotlights individuals who have made Vail, and surrounding Eagle County, Colorado, their home. This local history resource provides a living record that captures individual experiences while simultaneously preserving Vail’s unique heritage and cultural identity. VVV includes brief excerpts from oral histories (termed a History Nugget) that are often poignant or amusing. To complement the oral histories and History Nuggets, many participants also provided accompanying photographs, artifacts, and a variety of print narratives related to their lives in Vail and Eagle County.
Vail Area History
The Vail Area History Collection documents the historical landscape and legacy of Vail and Eagle County, Colorado. Its resources include an array of photographs and images, narrative descriptions of Vail area organizations and significant events, plus descriptions and images of Eagle County geographic and landscape features. Vail Area History Collection resources are digitally curated to provide enhanced research capabilities, and accessibility for cultural resource management purposes. Unlock Vail’s vital traditions and cultural heritage using this Vail Public Library local history resource.
Pando Commando: The image to the left is the logo used by the 10th Mountain Division Camp Hale from 1942-1945.
Art in Vail
Art in Vail is the name for two entities: a Town of Vail (TOV) website that showcases its Art in Public Places (AIPP) programs and public art collection, as well as a Vail Public Library (VPL) Virtually Vail subcollection. As a subcollection of Virtually Vail, Art in Vail digitally displays the above-mentioned TOV AIPP public art, in addition to VPL’s own eclectic collection of art. VPL artists include Native American artisans, internationally renowned artists and beloved local artists, as well as miscellaneous cultural art, including gifts from former First Lady Betty Ford.