A JAZZ MEMOIR: Through the Lens of Herb Snitzer

NOTE: Extended through Wednesday, March 31, 2021!

Louis Armstrong, Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Count Basie are but are a few of the world-famous American musicians and Jazz legends that you'll see in The Breman Museum's newest exhibition, A JAZZ MEMOIR: Through the Lens of Herb Snitzer. 

Louis Armstrong | The Breman Museum | Photo: Herb Snitzer

A Jazz Memoir, on "view" now through Wednesday, March 31, 2021, features Herb Snitzer’s photography documenting America’s jazz scene. It focuses on an early period, 1957–1964, of his more than sixty-year career. For most of that time, Herb was the photography editor for Metronome Magazine, the primary magazine devoted to jazz, and published until 1961.

As you peruse the exhibit online, you're "walking" through the gallery and can stop and view the photos, each of which has a circle next to the caption. First, hover over the citcle and you'll see a thumbnail of the photo with the caption. Then you can click on that thumbnail to see a larger version of the image. It's very well done, one of the best virtual experiences I've had of a photography exhibit. Be sure the click on the yellow circles in the gallery. Those are videos, including one featuring Herb Snitzer himself!

The above photo of Louis Armstrong was made while on a tour bus. The Star of David that Armstrong is wearing was a gift from the Karnovsky family when he was a child. That family cared for him, fed and clothed him. Herb said that Armstrong, even though not of the Jewish faith, wore that Star of David for his entire life, and that Armstrong was the least prejudiced musician he ever knew.

Nina Simone | The Breman Museum | Photo: Herb Snitzer

One of the things that I love most about this exhibit is that the placards are written in first-person. It's like having Herb standing next to you telling you stories about the people he's photographed and how meeting some of these international stars influenced his career and his life. 

For example, part of the Nina Simone placard reads, "...to photograph the talented, but difficult Nina Simone. Nina and I were the same age and we hit it off. In April 1986, she came to Boston where I was living and we re-connected which led to me photographing her two concerts in Bern, Switzerland in December of that year. ...She introduced me to Hans Zurbrugg, the producer of the Bern International Jazz Festival who hired me to photograph the festival for three years, 1987-89. This allowed me to reconnect with my Jazz friends from all over the world..."

I've loved jazz my whole life, but it's exhibits like this that get me super-excited about it again. A few years ago, the first show that I ever saw at Theatrical Outfit was "Simply Simone", a musical. Four actresses portrayed Nina at different times in her life and it was magnificent! The acting, the singing, the things that I learned about Nina's life were remarkable. 

Count Basie | The Breman Museum | Photo: Herb Snitzer

There's additional programming with the exhibition, including a Zoom Artist Talk with Herb Snitzer and exhibition curator Tony Casadonte on Thursday, October 1, when they'll discuss jazz, photography, and more! I had the pleasure of meeting Tony just as the finishing touches were being put on the exhibition. You're in for a treat! His passion for this exhibition is undeniable! 

"Jazz is more than wonderful music. It's a statement about people's desire and thirst for freedom, and with freedom, the sweetness of individuality and sense of self-worth." 

- Herb Snitzer

Tony is with Lumière, an exhibition partner, here in Atlanta where you can see more of Snitzer's work and that of many other illustrious artists. Lumiere is a photography gallery, founded 15 years ago to enhance the appreciation of the photographic arts and to showcase many of the master photographers of the last century. 

Then on Thursday, October 15 at 7pm, there's "Jews and Jazz: A Discussion of the impact of Jews on the Jazz Scene" when Gary Motley and Dr. Gordon Vernick will discuss the significant roles that Jews have played in the Jazz scene as composers, performers, writers, and entrepreneurs. 

Both events are free but require registration!

Duke Ellington | The Breman Museum | Photo: Herb Snitzer

"Presenting Herb Snitzer's marvelous camera work aligns with The Breman's commitment to the art of photography," says Breman Executive Director Leslie Gordon. "This exhibition is a great example of outstanding works by Jewish documentary photographers. In late 2019 and early 2020, we featured the highly popular Henri Dauman: Looking Up, an overview of the French-born Holocaust survivor's photographs that acknowledged him as one of the preeminent photojournalists of the twentieth century. We are proud to host the current exhibition, A Jazz Memoir, and thrilled to be sharing Snitzer's iconic images with a broad public."

In addition to Snitzer's jazz photography are other works that demonstrate both his desire to use photography to effect social change and his belief that "Injustice for one is injustice for all," acutely relevant given the current social climate. 

Herb has lived in St. Petersburg, Florida, (my birth city) since 1992 where he operates a gallery. HIs newest gallery, Herb Snitzer Fine Art Photography Gallery, opened in 2014.

A Jazz Memoir was initially scheduled to open in April to coincide with the Atlanta Jazz Festival, but those plans were interrupted by COVID-19. But, that didn't deter The Breman from bringing the exhibition to the public. While the museum remains closed due to the pandemic, A Jazz Memoir is now on "display" in an enhanced virtual experience—and they've done a magnificent job of it!

Thelonius Monk | The Breman Museum | Photo: Herb Snitzer

In a 1990s Los Angeles radio interview when asked what was the key takeaway he wanted people to get from his exhibition, he said, "A sense that African Americans have centrally contributed to the culture and spiritual life of the United States. Jazz is…a statement about a people's desire and thirst for freedom, and with freedom, the sweetness of individuality and sense of self-worth. … Jazz musicians have made a very important contribution to the United States. … We must salute Pops, Duke, Sarah, Miles and others as major American artists, not jazz artists—which they were—but American artists. Duke Ellington was the greatest American composer of the twentieth century, but you would never know it from the press. … Duke was the best … Martin Luther King was the best … W.E.B. Du Bois was the best, just as Sarah Vaughn's voice was the best. … I was expressing the injustice of it all."

The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum plans to make private, small-group tours available for members on a reservation basis, as conditions permit. In the meantime, A Jazz Memoir: Through the Lens of Herb Snitzer is free and available to the public online. See it now through Wednesday, March 31, 2021!

INTERVIEW: Matt Torney, Theatrical Outfit

Theatrical Outfit, Atlanta's second-oldest professional theatre, announced at the end of August 2019 that the board of trustees had voted unanimously to name Matt Torney as its new Artistic Director. Torney assumed the role in July 2020 when Tom Key completed his 25th year at the helm of this downtown theatre.

Torney has led Theatrical Outfit over the last few months in returning audiences to the theatre, at first virtually, and when it's safe again, in-person! There's a LOT of programing coming up and Torney graciously granted me an interview to introduce him to wanderlust ATLANTA fans and followers and to share a bit about the upcoming programming.

Matt Torney, Artistic Director, Theatrical Outfit | Photo: Teddy Wolff

(NOTE: This post is a combination of my conversation with Matt Torney, personal comments, and press releases. Torney's responses are not verbatim, but are edited from a conversation I had with him. I have endeavored to be as accurate as possible. I can honestly say that I am incredibly excited about what he is and will bring to Theatrical Outfit, a personal favorite.)

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wanderlust ATLANTA: Share with us a little about where you're from and how you came to Atlanta.

Matt: I'm originally from Belfast, Ireland. I was there in the 1980s and '90s during the second half of troubles there...it was hard to make sense of it all and it sucked up all of your energy. As a young person with no interest in politics, art and theatre became my escape. My friends and I would go to plays—there was extraordinary theatre and writing—and do workshops. 

I moved to Dublin, Ireland, to study theatre and English literature. In 2006, I moved to New York City and studied at Columbia University for three years then returned home and was freelancing across the Atlantic. 

I found myself curious about theatre communities outside of New York City. I'd seen the they each have their own flavor, their own feeling, and I was struck by the D.C. audience. In search of a deep immersion in regional theatre, in 2015 I moved to Takoma Park, Maryland, on the northeast border of D.C. and became the Assistant Associate Director at Studio Theatre in northwest DC near Logan Circle. 

A few years later, wanting to lead a theatre led me to Atlanta. I'm excited about the new programming and upcoming season!

DOWNTOWN DIALOGUES – a four-part series (the first is Thursday, September 24, 2020) of digital readings each followed by a live video podcast hosted by arts journalist Gail O’Neill, writer for ArtsATL.org. Gail will talk to experts and special guests about the play and its themes, incorporating responses to questions from the audience. The four titles in the series take a deep dive into important topics of today from equality to education to the environment, and all will be brought to life by Atlanta’s finest actors and directors for you to engage with from the comfort of your own home.  

Tonight's Downtown Dialogues, titled "The Children" is by Lucy Kirkwood, directed by Susan V. Booth, and stars Ora Jones, Chris Kayser, and Tess Malis Kincaid. 

Click here to learn more about the Downtown Dialogues series and for tickets to the pre-show conversations with Torney!

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wanderlust ATLANTA: While Downtown Dialogues are free to theatre lovers, the pre-purchased VIP Pre-Show Package includes conversations with you. What will those entail.

Matt: We didn't want Theatrical Outfit patrons and other theatre lovers to have to pay for this initial unique content. We want to make it as accessible as possible. Viewers can for free watch Downtown Dialogue readings and enjoy the post-show live video podcast in which a panel of experts and special guests dive deep into the play and its themes hosted by Gail O’Neill. 

But we did opt to generate an additional experience. With a paid "ticket", or package(s), patrons are guaranteed a "seat" at the reading and post-discussion, plus they have access to a VIP pre-show discussion with me, half an hour before the reading begins. It'll be more of a conversation, less of a presentation, a way to open the door a little bit and have real conversations with patrons, supporters, and subscribers. I'm excited to meet the larger Atlanta theatre-going community.

In a press release Torney said, "We believe that theatre offers an essential place for dialogue in times of extreme disruption, and a space in which our community can celebrate, console, and most importantly, connect with one another. TO is committed to building programs that not only respond actively to the present crisis, but also serve as a long-term investment in our community,Atlanta artists, and our future as a Downtown theatre."

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wanderlust ATLANTA: Some arts venues in Atlanta, in recent years, have experienced a change in leadership that resulted in significant changes in the patron experience. What, if anything, are you planning to change?

Matt: During the search it was noted that Theatrical Outfit was looking for someone who was in alignment with the theatre's Vision, Mission, and Core Values. If writing my own, it would have been a very close match. 

My wife, who is a filmmaker and director, had her first feature shown at Plaza Theatre. Serendipitously, Tom Key was there, too! We discussed the civic responsibility of theatre, building community in real-time, the daily operations of the theatre, and how Theatrical Outfit can enhance Atlanta as a city. 

It's like we were already heading in the same direction, just getting there in different ways. Tom wanted someone to come in and continue, but things are rapidly changing, but we're adapting. Now we're focused on how we can be a home for Atlanta, how we can be a home for artists.

MADE IN ATLANTA - This is a new play program. Theatrical Outfit is taking advantage of the disruption to their mainstage season to devote more time and resources to developing new work. 

In a press release Torney said, “What better way to spend this time than focusing on the future, investing in great plays about Atlanta and helping to develop ideas and writers. Our hope is that we will find amazing plays to premiere in future seasons that will make a big impact both here in Atlanta and around the country.”

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wanderlust ATLANTA: Do you feel it is important to keep a theatre downtown?

Matt: Yes, absolutely. It's the beating heart of the city. We want to offer Atlanta a place that is open to everybody, particularly to be a theatre that creates conversations so that those conversations and ripple outward and create change. As downtown adapts and grows, it's important for theatre to be here. This theatre is going to show up and engage with Atlanta and the South as a whole. We aim to show that the South is a living, growing place, not a place stuck in time. We're looking at ways to invest in the community and to create conversations about who we are and who we can be.

THE WELCOME TABLE - Theatrical Outfit is honored to host a special one-night event to benefit organizations that serve the downtown homeless community. The Welcome Table will raise awareness of the most vulnerable among us, shining a light on how the homeless community has been impacted by COVID-19 while raising funds to support the wonderful organizations working to mitigate that impact. Watch for future announcement about this event.

UNEXPECTED PLAY FESTIVAL - In January, Theatrical Outfit is excited to once again partner with Working Title Playwrights (WTP) for the Unexpected Play Festival. This month-long festival celebrates brand new work by local playwrights, all being heard for the first time. Each digital reading will be immediately followed by a discussion led by WTP Artistic Director Amber Bradshaw in which the audience will offer essential feedback that will help the playwright take the work to the next level.

MAIN STAGE – Then in Spring 2021, Theatrical Outfit plans to return to the mainstage with three smart, authentic, and vital live productions. As previously announced, Tiny Beautiful Things, based on the book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, will take to the stage rearranging TO in a bold new way. The season will also see a powerful partnership with Theatre J in Washington DC on a co-production of Fires In The Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other Identities by Anna Deavere Smith. A third title will be announced shortly.

In a press release Torney said, “We had two requirements for our return to live performances - the plays had to be excellent, and the productions had to be safe for both the artists and the audiences. We are reworking every aspect of how we produce to factor in the latest safety guidelines and will be re-evaluating constantly as we get new information. With flexible ticketing, filmed performances, and a highly trained front of house staff, we are confident that we can offer excellent theatre that embraces the challenges of COVID-19 and offers both flexibility and security to our patrons.”

Matt: We're confident that we can find a way to return to the theatre safely, while incorporating some digital alternatives. We're listening to medical experts, listening to the City, and we're taking our time to do it right. We're doing this in alignment with our Core Values and we're excited to start some new amazing conversations!

Travis: You may recall that I've lived in Atlanta twice. The first time for 15 years, then 9 in D.C., and I've been back for 10 years. While in D.C., I attended shows at Studio Theatre many, many times, AND my former boss when I was at Intelsat is on the Board of Trustees at Studio Theatre. Don't you love small world stories?!

Neil Armstrong's Spacesuit

Here's something to be excited about when the Fernbank Science Center reopens ... one of only 15 exact replica's of Neil Armstrong's spacesuit—the one he was wearing when the first human stepped onto the Moon—is on display here!

Neil Armstrong Spacesuit | Fernbank Science Center | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Last year, in 2019, the distribution and exhibition of these suits were part of NASA's Moon Landing 50th Anniversary celebrations. As huge a space geek as I am, I don't know how I missed this, other than the fact that I was in the middle of writing my book, which includes the Fernbank Science Center—otherwise I would have been at Truist Park to see this! 

Fortunately for us, after the Apollo in the Park program, the 15 suits found permanent homes in space centers and museums (full list here), one of them right here in Atlanta! 

Neil Armstrong Spacesuit | Fernbank Science Center | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

The plaque with instructions for retrieving exclusive content is posted next to the statue. Presumably (I didn't check when I shot this earlier this year), it still works. I certainly hope so because I'll totally be snapping a selfie with Armstrong's suit! #SnapTheSuit

There's also a Moon Rock and a few other artifacts with this exhibit.

Check out the video above and this page on the Air & Space Museum's website to learn more about how NASA digitized Neil Armstrong's spacesuit, preserving it forever in the digital world! 

After being off display and years of restoration, Neil Armstrong's spacesuit is again on display at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, where I was once a volunteer. If you've never been to this museum and you're a space enthusiast or a space geek like me, you absolutely must go. And make time to visit their annex museum, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, not too far away.

Jim Lovell Spacesuit at Dragon Con 2013 | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Oh, and the Fernbank Science Center isn't the only place to see spacesuits in Metro Atlanta, although they are rare here. You're quite likely to see one or a few Dragon Con—this one was from 2013. It's designed after a suit worn by Astronaut James A. "Jim" Lovell who was the backup Commander to Neil Armstrong on Apollo 11 and he was the Commander on the Apollo 13 mission.

I met the guy who made it—YES, he made this suit!!!—but didn't get to know him. I only know that he lived in Alabama at the time, presumably near or at the aerospace facilities in Huntsville, Alabama.

A little closer to home, you can see a spacesuit or two at Tellus Science Center in Cartersville, Georgia, less than an hour from Atlanta.

Keep an eye out for when Fernbank Science Center reopens so that you can go get that selfie with Astronaut Neil Armstrong's spacesuit! #SnapTheSuit

INTERVIEW: Joe M. Turner, Magician

I had the great pleasure of seeing Joe M. Turner perform a magic show at a corporate event a number of years ago. Loved his show and I've followed his career since! It was a magic show, but he was also the keynote speaker. What an unexpected, wholly remarkable combination! People were watching and listening to the show, not bowing to their Blackberries and iPhones. The man is brilliant, I tell you!

I recently learned that while much of the performing arts world is on lockdown due to the pandemic—Joe is a musical theatre fan and performer, so he feels the pain doubly—Joe has taken to digital entertaining. And, he has not only graciously granted me an interview, he's offering my friends and fans a great deal on his next show, Sunday, September 27 at 7pm ET. See the deal at the end of this post!

Joe M. Turner, Magician, Mentalist, Keynote Speaker

Let's get into the interview with Joe M. Turner, Magician, Mentalist, and Keynote Speaker, and be sure to watch the videos interspersed along the way—to get a sneak peek at the awesome entertainment you'll get when you join me online at his show this weekend!

wanderlust ATLANTA: Share with us a little about who you are, where you’re from, and how you landed in Atlanta.

Joe: I was born in Jackson, Mississippi and grew up in Brandon, a small suburb. Brandon is also the hometown of Mary Ann Mobley, who was Miss America 1959, and Jerious Norwood, who played for the Atlanta Falcons. I studied physics and theatre at Mississippi State University, then took a job designing and delivering corporate training at a management consulting firm in Atlanta. I moved here in 1993.

wanderlust ATLANTA: What was the catalyst that got you into magic? 

Joe: I got a magic kit for Christmas when I was five and that held my interest for several months. I also had some children’s books about magic, and I remember being fascinated by Doug Henning and David Copperfield on television. I started performing magic for real audiences when I was 10...talent shows, birthday parties, and so on. I left it aside in high school and college, and came back to it as an adult in the mid-1990s. It sort of took over my life after that.

Joe M. Turner, Magician, Mentalist, Keynote Speaker

wanderlust ATLANTA: What’s the difference between magic and mentalism?

Joe: That definitely depends on who you ask! I tend to group them both under an umbrella called “mystery arts” or “illusion arts,” as they are both a form of performance art dealing with the theatrical creation of illusions. Magic tends toward visual illusions—such as appearances and disappearances and transpositions, while mentalism is more about psychological illusions—simulations of ESP, predictions, and such. 

Some mentalists—not all—like to leave the question of whether it’s an illusion or not unaddressed, and are perfectly happy to have people believe that they can actually read minds or predict the future. They maintain, correctly, that the people who truly believe their mind has been read are getting an experience that cannot be replicated by a visual illusionist, because nobody in the developed world believes a coin can literally disappear by magic, but they might still actually believe you can read their mind or predict the future if you frame the presentation properly. 

Leaving this claim unaddressed is not my style ethically, but I have good friends who fall in that camp. I am aware that some mentalists really resist being “lumped in” with magicians, holding that magicians who do mental effects are just doing “mental magic” and not really mentalism. Then again, I asked Max Maven, probably the preeminent mentalist in the world today, the difference between mentalism and mental magic, and he said it was a meaningless distinction.

Joe M. Turner, Magician, Mentalist, Keynote Speaker

wanderlust ATLANTA: When and how did your love of magic and mentalism turn to corporate stages?

Joe: I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a corporate stage for magic! When I was a kid and interested in magic I used to see the magazines and I thought everyone was either doing local parties, or they were in Las Vegas at a casino. I didn’t really understand the whole concept of corporate events and large hotels with ballrooms and such.

After I regained my interest in magic in the mid '90s, I joined the local magic clubs and found out then that people were being hired to perform magic at corporate events, cocktail parties, and other occasions. Having worked in the management consulting and training world, I was really comfortable in front of audiences of adults and realized then that that was where I wanted to take my performances.

Joe M. Turner, Magician, Mentalist, Keynote Speaker

wanderlust ATLANTA: Harry Houdini performed at the Wimbish House, today home of the Atlanta Woman’s Club on Peachtree Street, nearly 100 years ago (ch. 44 in my book). On what stage(s) have you or do you want to perform on that people 100 years from now might be talking about?

Joe: I have performed for a large event at the London Palladium and took a bow on that stage. I have every confidence that a century from now that will still be meaningful. I’ve done some off-Broadway appearances, but it would be wonderful to be hired for a touring show that did a Broadway stint. Locally, I have worked the Egyptian Ballroom at the Fox Theatre and I love that room dearly.

Joe M. Turner, Magician, Mentalist, Keynote Speaker

wanderlust ATLANTA: How has your show developed over the years? What transformation in your show was the most “magical” for you?

Joe: In magic there is a saying that amateurs perform an ever-changing set of routines for a consistent audience, while professionals perform a consistent set of routines for ever-changing audiences. I think the most important transformation for me was to focus on developing a core repertoire that fit me well, and not try to be everything. Early in your career it is all so amazing and intoxicating that you think you should be a sleight-of-hand expert one day, an escape artist the next, and turn ladies into tigers on the weekend. Focusing on my authentic personality and the things I can credibly present to audiences—and learning to focus on my strengths—this was the primary transformation in my business. If you see me perform, I’m likely to perform at least one thing you’ve seen me do before, or something that is related to it. I do still create custom work and custom illusions for clients, but I have worked hard to develop my core in a way that it gives me a solid foundation on which to build and grow.

Joe M. Turner, Magician, Mentalist, Keynote Speaker

wanderlust ATLANTA: With the outbreak of COVID-19, most people's careers and lives changed or were affected otherwise, some significantly. How have you adapted? Are these changes permanent, fully or in part?

Joe: In February I was performing magic on a cruise ship in the South China Sea. After departing from Guam, the pandemic spread and every port we were scheduled to visit closed. After nearly two weeks at sea with no stops, we finally landed in Singapore and I flew home. I spoke at a conference and did a couple of other corporate events, but by mid-March my entire 2020 calendar was emptied by the virus.

Soon after that, I attended my first couple of Zoom meetings and realized immediately that there was an opportunity to develop a unique kind of interactive theatre in that space. My constant goal through the whole crisis has been to keep finding ways to be creative and productive, so I decided to create and produce a virtual magic and mentalism show.

I launched my first virtual show on April 3, and a couple of weeks later I received an email from a New York Times arts reporter asking to see my show for a story on how magicians across America were using technology to perform. My show was included in the article, and then two weeks later I was having coffee one Sunday morning when a friend in Manhattan messaged me to congratulate me for being in the Times. I thought she was mistaken because the story was already old news. But I had gotten an additional mention – a recommendation of my show in the Sunday Times!

None of this would have happened if I hadn’t been one of the very first in the country to develop an online performance.

I have resisted using the term "pivot" during this time because I think it implies a change of direction. I haven’t really changed my direction, but I’ve certainly added a lane, and added new skills, and am able to deliver my work in additional ways. I do expect that I will continue to offer online offerings in the future.

wanderlust ATLANTA: You’re more than a magician. What other talents to you share with public audiences?

Joe: I have a reasonably deep background in musical theatre. I did some professional performing and continued to act and sing in Atlanta after I moved here. I have also worked as a pianist and conductor. During the pandemic I’ve done a lot of Facebook Live-streaming of showtunes from my piano, just for fun. I have taken the odd piano gig here and there, too. I never really marketed it much in past years, leaving it mostly for people who just knew I had that background, but more recently I did finally put together a web site: Atlanta Pianist. I have combined that with my magic for another little project: Vaudeville on Demand! 

wanderlust ATLANTA: There have been a LOT of them…what is your favorite magic/magician movie? Why?

Joe: The favorite of many magicians is the Tony Curtis Houdini movie, but I think my favorite is The Illusionist with Ed Norton, Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel. I think The Prestige may be a better film, but when The Illusionist came out I was doing my one-man show “Shenanigans” at the Grand Hyatt in Buckhead and the distribution company called me to do a cross promotion between my show and some previews of the film. So I’ll go with The Illusionist. 

Also, Jessica Biel.

wanderlust ATLANTA: When you have time to play tourist, where/what are some of the destinations in Atlanta that you most enjoy?

Joe: You mentioned Atlanta Magic Night in your book. That is a local magic show with a rotating cast, and I've co-produced the show since 2014. It takes place at the Red Light Café in Midtown, which is someplace I'd recommend for anyone to check out when they have their live shows up and running again. It could be country one night, rock the next, comedy the next, burlesque the next, and magic the next! It is a wonderful venue. Check out their streaming—Wednesday night is Jazz Night!

I have surely enjoyed the College Football Hall of Fame since it came to Atlanta.

If you’re up for a little drive, High Shoals Falls in Paulding County is a beautiful little waterfall and a quiet place to contemplate your blessings.

SPECIAL OFFER: Joe is offering wanderlust ATLANTA friends and fans $5 off tickets (You only need one ticket for the entire household!) to his upcoming show—Joe M. Turner's Remotely Entertaining—on Sunday, September 27, at 7pm...use promo code "social".

I'll see you at the show and if you're a person who schedules speakers for your company, consider Joe. I highly recommend him!

Follow Joe M. Turner on…

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | and on his website! 

(All photos and videos courtesy of Joe M. Turner. All opinions are my own.)

Jimmy Carter Statue

Engraved on the front of four low, granite benches—because it takes that many—are descriptives of the 39th President of the United States, James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. Those engraved words read: State Senator, Governor, Naval Officer, Man of Faith, Farmer, Conservationist, Global Citizen, Humanitarian, Peacemaker, Teacher, Author, Poet, and Founder, The Carter Center. And he's so much more.

Jimmy Carter Statue at Georgia Capitol Building | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

At the north corner of Washington Street SW and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive is a slightly larger than life-size statue of the only president of the United States of America from the state of Georgia, situated in a granite plaza underneath the offices of the Governor. 

Jimmy Carter Statue at Georgia Capitol Building | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

Jimmy Carter, the only living Georgian (there have been only two) to ever win a Nobel Peace Prize, and one of only four U.S. presidents, was awarded the prestigious award in 2002 "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development."

A reporter in a 1994 article in The Atlanta Constitution theorized that the bronze of President Carter could be the last life-size monument to grace the grounds of the Georgia State Capitol. He was wrong. In 2017, a statue of fellow Georgian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was unveiled on the east side of the Georgia State Capitol Building.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, with Travis, at The Kennedy Center

In the early 2000s, I had the great pleasure and honor of meeting President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalyn Carter. It was a speaker program at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. My company was a sponsor of the series and we not only had box seats for the speaker portion of the program, we also enjoyed dinner with the guests of honor and got to have photos taken with them. I'm the third from the right in the back row, just behind President Carter.

I have met President Carter twice since at book signing events at The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum. He truly is as remarkable and humble as people say.

Jimmy Carter Statue at the Georgia Capitol Building | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

The James Earl Carter, Jr. Tribute Commission was created by The Georgia Legislature and Governor Zell Miller, which is engraved on the left side of the eleven-foot-high Georgia granite monolith. 

Also noted here is that the celebrated sculptor was Atlanta-born Frederick E. Hart, who is famous for the Creation Sculptures at Washington National Cathedral, and The Three Servicemen (also known as The Three Soldiers), at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The sculpture of President Carter was dedicated on Tuesday, June 7, 1994.

Jimmy Carter Statue at the Georgia Capitol Building | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

Sculptor Frederick E. Hart, at the dedication ceremony, said, "I am greatly honored to have been selected to sculpt President Carter, a man who served our country in so many ways. From the Camp David Accords and SALT II treaty, that were among the achievements of his presidency, to the myriad projects he has since undertaken on behalf of human and environmental needs."

He further commented that the informal pose, with sleeves rolled up refer to Carter's generosity, his vision of justice, and his unpretentious delight in "spreading a message of brotherhood."

East Point Historical Society Museum

The East Point Historical Society was founded in 1979 and today they're the stewards of its museum's growing historical collections documenting life in East Point, Georgia, prior to its charter to modern day. It's open and free (donations gratefully accepted) to the general public.

East Point Historical Society Museum | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

Housed in the 1913 Historic Morgan House, which was donated to the City of East Point and moved from its original location on East Point Street, the East Point Historical Society Museum is currently in the process of reorganizing its collections into a chronological display, a format adapted by many museums for more fluid storytelling.

On a personal note, I lived in East Point for a year in the early 1990s, when I worked in Alpharetta, during a time before the GA-400 Connector was open! So, I had to make my way to I-285 from East Point and take it to GA-400 and then up to Alpharetta. I was more than happy to pay the $.50 toll when the 400-Connector opened. The toll was only supposed to be in place for 10 years...but, that's another story for another time. 

East Point Historical Society Museum | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

The artifacts on display are wide in range. These baby booties date back to East Point's pioneer days. Also, there are architectural elements from East Point's 1916 Russell Theater. And be sure to notice the architecture of the Historic Morgan House, home of the museum. I particularly like the coffered ceilings!

East Point Historical Society Museum | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

In 1992, longtime resident and railroad enthusiast Bill Cooper founded the East Point Railroad Museum—at 71 years old! He secured a space for the museum, a 1910 vintage building that once housed the police department's communications operations in downtown East Point. 

Unfortunately, it seems, not quite enough citizens caught what Mr. Cooper coined as "railroad fever". Perhaps one day there may again be an East Point Railroad Museum. 

In the meantime, many of the artifacts are today at the East Point Historical Society Museum, including the above pictured locomotive steam whistle and the original 1992 East Point Railroad Museum plaque, which bears the mayor's name and the names of then East Point City Council members, including Bill Cooper's son, Timothy Cooper.

East Point Historical Society Museum | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

To say that Marie Tyre Glauzier was a highly active East Point citizen would be a gross understatement. While involved in many organizations, in addition to being a career-woman with the U.S. Department of Transportation, she was active with the Dahlia Society of Georgia, the Southern States Dahlia Society, and the American Dahlia Society. Further, Marie was a certified judge of dahlias and did so across the globe, including the United States, England, France, and Australia! 

The above pictured shirt is one of two that Marie made from ribbons she and her husband, Ranson Osborne Glauzier, won at competitions for dahlia's they grew in East Point. Marie and Ranson wore theses shirts to competitions across the South. Known as "East Point's Dahlia Lady", Marie passed away in January 2004. She was also a charter member of the East Point Historical Society.

East Point Historical Society Museum | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

Lots of school memorabilia is on display including brightly colored school band and cheer leading uniforms from "The Highlanders" of Headland High School. Headland High School and Briarwood High School were merged, as were their names, to create Woodland High School, which was closed in 1988 and merged with other schools. Also on display is the last American flag to wave over the campus of Headland High School before it closed.

East Point Historical Society Museum | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

Being former U.S. Navy, I was immediately drawn to the signature gray model ship on display. This particular model is of the SS East Point Victory, hull number 645. Its keel laying date was February 5, 1945 and it was launched on March 26, 1945...these ships, critical to U.S. victory in World War II, were built expeditiously!  

Mrs. Ennis Glenn Laney, wife of the mayor of East Point 1941-1946, sponsored the ship, its christening displayed in photos above the model.

Victory ships, a type of cargo ship, were produced in large numbers in the United States during World War II to replace losses caused by German submarines. A total of 531 Victory ships were built, only two named for cities in Georgia.

Brass plates from the ship were delivered to East Point after the ship was decommissioned. They are encased in cement markers and were the inspiration for Victory Park, dedicated 1971, at Church Street and Linwood Avenue. The modest park features the markers, lamp posts, benches, and a WWII cannon.

East Point Historical Society Museum | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

The museum honors fallen heroes from East Point including Jack Robert Boatright who was the first citizen of East Point to die in World War II. He had served a tour in the U.S. Navy and had returned home with an honorable discharge, but was still on reserve duty when war was declared. Boatright was lost aboard the USS Juneau when it was sunk at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942. 

Of the 699 souls aboard the USS Juneau, 685 were lost. Jack was 25 years old. 

The white Navy uniform leggings on display are from his first tour or duty.

East Point Historical Society Museum | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

Currently growing their African-American collections, the museum already has some remarkable artifacts.

The above pictured 1910 travel trunk belonged to Pattie Lee Reaves Holmes, wife of Dr. Hamilton Mayo Holmes, East Point's first African-American physician, who began his East Point practice in June of 1910, a month after their marriage. He had an office and made rounds in a horse-and-buggy through 1922 when he purchased a Lincoln. Mrs. Holmes was one of the founders and a charter member of the National Nurses Association in 1910.

Their grandson, Dr. Hamilton E. Holmes, brought further distinction to the family by following in his grandfather's footsteps by becoming a physician. Hamilton E. Holmes and Charlayne Hunter became the first African-Americans to enroll at the University of Georgia, ending racial segregation at the university in 1961. After his graduation in 1963, Holmes went on to become the first African-American to be admitted to the Emory University School of Medicine.

Hamilton E. Holmes Elementary School in East Point is named in his honor.

East Point Historical Society Museum | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

If you look at East Point on a map, you'll see that it's actually southwest of downtown Atlanta, directly south of Westview Cemetery, and directly north of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. So, how did East Point get its name? According to a 2015 article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, it was initially a notation in an engineer's report of where a railroad into west Georgia would start. 

Years later, the name stuck and the area officially became East Point when a U.S. Post Office opened a location here in 1851.

East Point Historical Society Museum | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

When you visit, be sure to make time to visit the lovely grounds. 

In 2019, very detailed 1987 Landscape Master Plan of the Historic Society Complex produced for the City of East Point were uncovered. The East Point Historical Society immediately began working with Trees Atlanta, which has made a number of plantings, and a community garden was being planned.

East Point Historical Society Museum | Photo by Travis Swann Taylor

I do not know the future plans for an East Point Railroad Museum, but their 1910 engine and 1976 caboose found their (temporary or permanent) home at the East Point Historical Society, displayed on rails behind the Historic Morgan House.

There's also a time capsule that was buried 1997 somewhere on the complex to be opened on the city's 150th birthday in August 2037...only 17 years to go!