The Virginia Historical Society is a wonderful place in which to do research. However, the collection to which you refer probably does not pertain strictly to your family. The most efficient way for you to obtain info, I would think, based on my personal experience with other respositories, is to obtain the services of a professional researcher who is familiar with the policies and research procedures at VA Hist Soc (a private organization). For instance, unless one is a member, there is a daily admission charge. How do you obtain the name of a professional who lives in or around Richmond, VA? In the past, the Virginia State Library has had a printed list of such researchers. Perhaps the VA Hist Soc has a list also. You might want to search the National Genealogical Society's website for hints about how to engage the services of a professional. Either that, or CyndisList. My experience at the VA Hist Soc, the repository you contacted, is that some of their collections are HUGE. No doubt it will take a professional to delve into the contents of these collections. The VA His Soc has an excellent, very detailed, card catalog, with many cross references. The experienced professional would know how to use that catalog (we hope) and pull out the few papers which you may need. As an example--I wanted a few papers from the collection of a professional genealogist who had done work in colonial Northern Neck Virginia. Because of the good cataloging system they have, I was readily able to put my hands on the few papers I needed. Another collection which I had hoped to tackle (I had only two full days of research time) was brought out on a cart--several boxes (banker type boxes) full of this collection. You can see how a staff member, whose main job is to preserve and catalog, would NOT have time to pull out the particular documents which pertain to your family or families. This is not what he/she was hired for. The professional, whom you would have to pay probably by the hour, for a fixed minimum amount, could photocopy a few pages at a time for you. There is a daily limit, and then the cost expands beyond a number of copies. I wanted a copy of an oversized map, and the staff was helpful in photocopying it in sections, but my photocopying bill was rather large. In the past, when I have hired professionals, for the most part, I have been quite satisfied with the results. BUT--warning, you have to provide pedigree charts, family group sheets (but not too many) and be quite SPECIFIC in what you need, or you could be charged hundreds of dollars. I hope this is of some slight help to you. Consider the cost of a trip to Richmond from Alaska, the cost of a hotel room and meals, and transportation while in Richmond. The VA Hist Soc is not in the downtown area. E.W.Wallace