Mandarin Museum News

May 2026

Embrace the Mandarin Experience

Dear Friends,

When I first began as Executive Director of Mandarin Museum in March 2023, I had the incredible opportunity to facilitate the completion of a years-long expansion and renovation project. Part of the project included the addition of a dedicated Maple Leaf Shipwreck Gallery. I'm sure many of you have visited this gallery before.

While researching and writing content for this newest iteration of the Museum's Maple Leaf exhibit, I happened upon an edited volume of William Lyman Hyde's papers. Hyde was the chaplain for the 112th New York Infantry during the U.S. Civil War, and he wrote extensively from the field. His letters home to his wife conveyed in great detail the 112th New York's wartime experience before, during, and after their arrival in Jacksonville in March 1864. On April 1st, all their gear and personal belongings came to rest at the bottom of the St. Johns River in Mandarin, an outcome set in motion by a successful Confederate assault on the Union steamboat Maple Leaf.

When curating the exhibition, the vision was clear: the men's personal belongings and gear should be used as a vehicle through which we tell the human story. With Hyde's papers, we were able to do just that. For me, one soldier stood out among the rest, Colonel Jeremiah Drake. Hyde described him as "one of the truest patriots, one of the noblest of men...who carried with him into the trying circumstances of the camp and the field those great principles of life and character...display[ing] such excellent judgment, such great coolness and bravery in every situation in which he had been placed." Drake was a beloved leader. The men in his charge would follow him anywhere.

After leaving Jacksonville in April 1864, Colonel Drake and his men engaged Confederates at the Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia, a devastating two-week battle that pitted General Ulysses S. Grant against General Robert E. Lee. It was a decisive victory for General Lee as Union casualties numbered more than 12,500 to the Confederates' approximately 4,500. Sadly, Colonel Drake was counted among those.

Chaplain Hyde writes:

Colonel Jeremiah Drake was 40 years old at his death. He left behind his wife, Clara, and their 8-year-old son, Jeremiah.

Author Jim Quinlan, the volume's editor, did well to include portraits of the men whenever he could. These photographs, the firsthand accounts, the men's actual belongings in my hands as we assembled the display cases - it was enough to reduce me to tears when I learned of Colonel Drake's fate.

A few months after Drake's death, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman wrote, "war is cruelty, and you cannot refine it." He was steadfast in this belief, a response to anyone who held a romanticized notion of war. In later years, he delivered this sentiment more pointedly: "War is hell."

As we approach Memorial Day, let us all pause to reflect and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice and their families who have paid a heavy price.

In addition to our regular hours, Mandarin Museum will host special evening hours this Thursday, May 21st, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Stop in to see our full Maple Leaf Shipwreck exhibit. I'll be around if you want to hear more about the stories that informed the exhibit's curation.

And as always, I'll see you at the Museum!

Warmest regards,

Brittany Cohill

Executive Director

P.S. Copies of the above-referenced book will be available in the Mandarin Museum Shop in the coming weeks. If you would like notification of its arrival, please reply to this email newsletter.

Current Art Exhibition

According to Gamble: A Cartoonist's Take on American Public Life

On display through August 20, 2026

Ed Gamble (b. 1943) has called Mandarin home since 1980. That same year, he joined the Florida Times-Union as their first in-house editorial cartoonist, a position he held for three decades.

Known for his sharp takes, and often recognized as an independent thinker, Gamble’s visual rhetoric targeted everything from U.S. domestic and foreign policy to college sports, and everything in between. His tools were simple: ideas and a No. 2 pencil. One cartoon could take as little as 30 minutes. Those he colored with brush and ink might require no more than a few hours.

Gamble’s work has enjoyed national syndication and can be found in the permanent collections of five U.S. Presidential museums, the University of Tennessee, the University of North Florida, and Mandarin Museum. According to Gamble: A Cartoonist's Take on American Public Life invites visitors to consider how one artist’s voice helped shape public discourse surrounding the issues that defined his time.

Mandarin Museum - OPEN LATE

Thursday, May 21

5:00 to 7:00 pm
Mandarin Museum

Unable to visit us during our regular hours? Stop by this Thursday -- we will host special evening hours from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Admission is free.

Enjoy light refreshments while you stroll through our exhibits. The 1898 St. Joseph's Mission Schoolhouse for African American Children will also be open to visitors.

Duval County Master Gardener Candace Barone will be outside the Schoolhouse at the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Garden ready to answer all your gardening questions. This will be especially helpful as the St. Johns River Water Management District has recently declared a Phase III Extreme Water Shortage for the entirety of Northeast Florida. Candace will have handouts, freebies, and practical advice for managing around drought conditions.

Thank you to our friends at Endless Summer Roofing, Co. for sponsoring our Spring 2026 Third Thursday Programs!

Visit Us During Regular Museum Hours!

Every Tuesday through Saturday

10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Admission to Mandarin Museum during our regular hours is always FREE! Our friendly and knowledgeable volunteers are ready to welcome you. While you're here:

• View our permanent exhibits dedicated to the remarkable history of the Mandarin community.
• Embark on a guided tour of Walter Jones Historical Park and its historic buildings with one of our docents (no reservation needed, suggested $7 donation per person).
• Interact with our digital kiosk in the main gallery, placed by the Veterans Museum, and connect with veterans’ stories in a powerful and immersive way.
• Check out a Plein Air Painting Adventure Backpack from our volunteers at the front desk. This is FREE too!
• Stroll through the park and down to the County Dock Pier to see if our manatee friends are there to say hello. (This past two weeks they have been spotted hanging out about half way down the pier). *Please DO NOT feed them, try to swim with them, or do anything else that would interfere with them living their best manatee lives. Please DO stay on the pier, smile uncontrollably, chat with your fellow manatee watchers about how cool it is to be seeing manatees just casually hanging around at your neighborhood dock, take photos and video to share, and then tell everyone you see as you walk back through the park that there are manatees at the pier (it's your duty)!
• Visit the Duval County Master Gardeners' Florida-Friendly Landscaping Garden™ located near the 1898 Schoolhouse. Signage and takeaway literature is available at the garden to inspire your own Florida-Friendly Landscaping projects at home.

The Art Yard at Mandarin Museum was developed and will be led by Nora Morrow. Nora, an award-winning published artist, attends Douglas Anderson School of the Arts High School where she is a member of both the National Honor Society and the National Art Honor Society. She has earned numerous awards, including the Lowell Milken ARTEFFECT Spotlight Award, a National Gold Key and numerous Regional Gold and Silver Keys in the Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition, and several additional regional and local awards. Nora has published two artworks in the Celebrating Art Books and displayed her work in various galleries. She is also certified in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Nora’s artistic journey began in public art schools, and her unique methodology and perception of life’s experiences has inspired critical, thoughtful, and interesting pieces that convey her vision. She often portrays reality with a distinct flair that explores deeper meanings through unexpected use of language, subject matter, or medium. Nora has lived in Mandarin her entire life and wishes to give back to her community and inspire her students through art.

Advanced registration for The Art Yard is required by emailing Mandarin Museum Executive Director Brittany Cohill at director@mandarinmuseum.org.

Space for each session is limited to 20 students (ages 8 to 15).

Mandarin Frog Painting FULL! Now booking for July 11th.

Saturday, June 6

10:00 am

Museum Front Lawn

Purchase, paint, and take home your very own Mandarin Frog (or sea turtle). The cost is $22 + tax per person and all supplies are provided. To register, please email info@mandarinmuseum.org. Payment is collected upon arrival, cash or card. Limited walk-up spots may be available.

First Saturday @ the Museum

Saturday, June 6

10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Join Mandarin Museum the first Saturday of every month from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm when all historic buildings throughout Walter Jones Historical Park are open to the public.

The young and young at heart can pick up a free scavenger hunt at Museum Guest Services to complete as you visit the museum's exhibits and stroll along the park's paved pathways.

Learn more about the area's 19th-century past as museum volunteers greet you at the 1898 St. Joseph's Mission Schoolhouse for African American Children, the 1892 Losco Winery, the 1876 Barn, and the 1875 Webb-Jones Farmhouse.

The historic Mandarin Store & Post Office, located just down the road at 12471 Mandarin Rd., will also be open to visitors.

Admission is free.

Meet the Maple Leaf Divers

Saturday, June 6

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Maple Leaf Shipwreck Gallery

Meet the men who dove the Maple Leaf Shipwreck! On April 1, 1864, the Union steamboat Maple Leaf was sunk by Confederates in the St. Johns River just off Mandarin Point. In the 1980s, Dr. Keith Holland and his team of divers located and excavated the site. Now designated a National Historic Landmark, the nearly 3,000 artifacts they recovered have been entrusted to the State of Florida for preservation. Mandarin Museum displays many of these artifacts through a longterm partnership with the State Archives of Florida.

Dr. Holland and the Maple Leaf Divers will be in the gallery from 10:00 am to noon on Saturday, June 6th to meet with visitors. This is an informal, conversational-style event. Drop in to hear their story of discovery, recovery, and preservation.

Music Under the Oaks

Sunday, June 7

2:00 to 4:00 pm

Museum Front Lawn

Join us for our final Music Under the Oaks before our summer hiatus! (After our June session, MUTO returns the first Sunday of October.)

Hosted in partnership with North Florida Folk Network, it's the perfect opportunity to enjoy a lazy afternoon under the shade of Mandarin’s historic oak canopy. If you play an acoustic instrument and enjoy singing or playing with others, you are invited to join the song circle. This is an open jam for participants at any experience level. Song circle set-up begins around 1:30 pm. Chairs for musicians are available inside the Museum.

Listeners are welcomed and encouraged! Bring your chairs or blanket and set up just outside the song circle. You’re in for a real treat!

Mandarin Museum and the 1898 St. Joseph’s Schoolhouse for African American Children will be open to visitors during the event.

Mandarin Frogs now have their own official Instagram...and just in time for their summer travels!

Get in on the fun! Here's how:

1. Stop by the Mandarin Museum Shop and purchase your very own travel-size Mandarin Frog. They are light weight and can go anywhere!
2. Follow the official Instagram account (@MandarinFrogs)
3. Give your Mandarin Frog a name and take your new friend on all your summer travels.
4. Take creative Frog selfies, action shots, etc. and post them on your Instagram.
5. Be sure to tag us in the post @MandarinFrogs AND use the hashtag #MandarinFrogsOnVacay

We've already had one Mandarin Frog hit the road, traveling to Manchester, England, Paris, France, and County Galway, Ireland! Where will your Mandarin Frog go on vacay??? We can't wait to see!

New books available in the Mandarin Museum Shop!

Be a supporter of arts & culture in our community through the purchase of an annual membership! Every contribution made through the purchase of an annual membership enables us to fulfill our mission!

Mandarin Museum members at the Family Level and above automatically enjoy the benefits of NARM (North American Reciprocal Museum Association)! By supporting your favorite museum, you receive reciprocal member benefits at almost 1,500 museums, botanical gardens, aquariums, and more across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and The Cayman Islands. Simply show your Mandarin Museum membership card at participating locations!

Read 2026 issues of the Mandarin Newsline online now!

This free newspaper allows Mandarin Museum to share history, events, and programs with the public. The newspaper remains free to readers due to the robust local advertising. Please visit, shop, and eat at those businesses who support the community in this way.

Until next time, get outside and make a difference
in your community!

Thanks to a Thrivent Action Team Grant, Duval County Master Gardeners George DeMarino and Candace Barone, and Thrivent Members Tracey and Sandy Arpen worked diligently at the "Harriet Beecher Stowe in Mandarin" Garden to give it a refresh with new flowering plans and fresh mulch. Looks great, team!

Thank you to all our community partners!

A thriving creative economy enhances the quality of life for us all. Supported in part by the Merit-Based Cultural Service Grant Program, administered by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville with funding from the City of Jacksonville and our elected officials, we extend our gratitude to all partners who make this possible.

OUR MISSION: Mandarin Museum & Historical Society shares the stories of Mandarin's history, culture, and natural resources by providing engaging programs that educate, entertain, and inspire.

VISIT. JOIN. VOLUNTEER.

Mandarin Museum & Historical Society

904-268-0784

info@mandarinmuseum.org