From its conception, the Heart of the Table was meant to honor Charles Dory by sharing his microhistory, acknowledging that his work in the kitchen was the heart of the tables here at the University of Maryland.  The inspiration for the Heart of the Table exhibit was the kitchen image in the basement of the Old Barracks found in the University of Maryland Archives. When we spoke with members of the Dory family about honoring the legacy of Charles Dory through this exhibit, we acknowledged it was going to mean taking artifacts like the kitchen image and returning them to the landscape where they were found in order for the world to know more than just the Charles Dory standing in the kitchen of that photograph. Charles Dory was the heart of many "tables" beyond those at the University.  Honoring Charles Dory means elucidating that reality.

The dynamic nature of Neatline timeline allows us to see the legacy of Charles Dory at every point in time, tracing the journey of a young boy of 5 from Mechanicsville, Maryland through to the stories of his present-day descendants. It also allows us to see that story layered upon the stories of the community Charles Dory lived in, his neighbors, and his family.  But it also allows us to see all that set against the landscape of systemic racism that pervaded every facet of these stories.

It is the intention of this exhibit to continue to expand.  AS more research is done and information uncovered expect additional artifacts and stories to populate this image.