Daffodil Days at Oakland

Happening now at Historic Oakland Cemetery, Daffodil Days is absolutely beautiful and it's a vibrant signal that spring is well on its way to Atlanta!

Daffodil Days at Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

This year's Daffodil Days runs from February 20 to March 15, but don't worry if you don't make it by the 15th. There are still a number of daffodils in bloom and yet-to-bloom, so you have a little extra time, but not much. Don't wait too long and totally miss this celebration of the daffodil.

When you enter the main gate, look for a sign that has a QR Code to a map that shows the largest concentrations of daffodils. Some smartphone cameras are automatically QR Code readers, but if you have to download one you can do so for free. The map is also available on Oakland's website.

Oakland is 48-acres, but a map isn't absolutely necessary, unless you're here to see the daffodils and only the daffodils. My visits to Oakland are never for just one thing. Personally, I love exploring for fascinating architecture, interesting grave-marker designs, and read the epitaphs which are sometimes humorous...on purpose. I love reading the names, too. And let's certainly not forget the gorgeous stained-glass windows in some of the mausoleums.  

Daffodil Days at Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

If you can, and you're wanting make photographs, come by during the Golden Hour, which is about an hour before sunset (or an hour before sunrise). I find this time and date website an accurate resource. If you're seeking out that fabulous Golden Hour light, you might want to plan multiple trips...this particular light, as beautiful as it is, is fleeting.

Daffodil Days at Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

There are approximately 70 varieties of daffodils planted here! Look for as many as you can possibly find. They come in a variety of whites, oranges, and yellows, not to mention the vast array of shapes they proudly show off.

Daffodil Days at Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Not only is Oakland historic, so are many of its daffodils. Look on the map I mentioned earlier. Daffodil blooms mark where you'll find signage that shares the some of the history behind some of Oakland's beautiful yellow and white daffodils. You've heard of rescue dogs and rescue cats. Well, Oakland has rescue daffodils!

Daffodil Days at Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Be sure to check out the Cemetery's blog where you'll learn more about daffodils as well as an incredibly wide array of topics relative Oakland. It's truly fascinating!

Daffodil Days at Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

Did you know that Historic Oakland Cemetery is one of the few historic cemeteries that has a giftshop (currently open only online). It's in the Bell Tower which also serves as the Welcome Center for cemetery visitors.

Don't let that weird you out. In fact, cemeteries were basically the first public parks in the United States. While today we have many beautiful parks across Atlanta, Oakland has continued to be a place of gathering, many of its events being fundraisers that bring in funds to help care for and restore the cemetery grounds, and many of the events are also educational.

Daffodil Days at Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

If you'd like to do a little celebrity-spotting while you're here, check out the Famous Residents page on Oakland's website. There are dozens of former Atlanta Mayors, former governors, civic leaders, famous golfer Bobby Jones, and Gone With the Wind author Margaret Mitchell, to name a few.

Daffodil Days at Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

There's a lot more in bloom here than just daffodils, including other bulbs, other flowers, and flowering plants and trees! Of practically every color! It's truly a beautiful time to visit Oakland. I'll include more of the other flowers in bloom on the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page.

Daffodil Days at Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

There are benches on some of the gravesites for families of the deceased to use when visiting, but there are additional ones on pathways and gardens for general public use, including this one gifted to Oakland by the Piedmont Garden Club, which was founded in 1931...90 years ago!

You'll see a lot of rosemary throughout the garden, also in bloom right now. While many of us use rosemary in our cooking, it's also a symbol of remembrance, thus the reason you'll see it in so many cemeteries.

Daffodil Days at Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis Swann Taylor

If you'd like to learn more about the harbingers of spring, the beautiful daffodil, please visit the Georgia Daffodil Society's website. Founded in 1954, this is an excellent daffodil resource for our growing region.

Make your way to Historic Oakland Cemetery soon so you don't miss this year's Daffodil Days. As always, this event is self-guided and free, as is (limited) nearby parking. See you there!

Oakland Cemetery Photography Workshop

My first published photograph was in my senior year in high school in the largest newspaper in the state, on the other side of the state where I lived. I'd moved away from home on the East Coast and finished high school in Wyoming. Other than what my art teacher, Duane, taught me about photography when I was on yearbook staff, I've never had an actual photography class. I've picked up tips from others, learned a lot on my own, and have taken a webinar or workshop from time to time, but that's it.

Photography Workshop at Historic Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

These photos are from a Photography Workshop I went on not too long ago at Historic Oakland Cemetery, a stunning, picturesque example of a "rural garden" cemetery in the 19th century. 

Some think it's creepy to host events in a cemetery. I think they've watched too many zombie movies. There was a time when the only public land in small towns was the local cemetery, so it became a gathering place where citizens would socialize and honor their dearly departed. Nothing creepy about that! 

Photography Workshop at Historic Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

There's another Photography Workshop coming up at Oakland Cemetery later this month! Sunset is the BEST for beautifully dramatic photos. The golden hour, it's called.

Photography Workshop at Historic Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Oakland Cemetery dates to 1850 and started with only six acres. Today, it's 48 acres and is home to approximately 70,000 "residents", about the same number of spectators you'll see at an Atlanta United game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium!

Photography Workshop at Historic Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Among it's 70,000 residents, Oakland Cemetery is the final resting place of a few famous personalities and notable citizens, including Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With the Wind; Bobby Jones, golf legend; and Maynard Jackson, the first African-American mayor of the City of Atlanta.

Photography Workshop at Historic Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

There are many different tours of Oakland Cemetery. You could go all year and not take the same tour twice! To name a couple, there are the Sites, Symbols, and Stories tours and the Music Makers tours!

Photography Workshop at Historic Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

And there are many different annual events at Oakland Cemetery, including Tunes from the Tombs, Malts & Vaults of Oakland, and the Run Like Hell 5K, to name a few.

Photography Workshop at Historic Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

It's also a lovely setting for an evening stroll, camera or not, before or after dinner, perhaps. There are numerous nearby dining destinations, many flanking the cemetery including Six Feet Under Pub & Fish House, Tin Lizzy's Cantina, and Agave.

Photography Workshop at Historic Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

Locals love Oakland Cemetery for its beauty and events and visitors love it for its beauty and its celebrity residents. It's a magnificent piece of historical significance and it's a celebrated icon. I for one hope the art, architecture, history and gardens at Oakland will be around eons.

Photography Workshop at Historic Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

That first published photograph was of a toy drive for Toys for Tots. It was published in Wyoming's largest newspaper in Cheyenne, where I'd never even been. It was a journalistic shot, a career path I did not pursue, however, in Corporate Communications, my eventual career path, photography has become a cornerstone in what I do.

Photography Workshop at Historic Oakland Cemetery | Photo: Travis S. Taylor

After high school graduation, I returned to the East Coast, but a month later I moved back to Wyoming to live with my art teacher and his wife, Pip, for the summer. On their goat ranch, we'd get up every morning at 5:30am to milk their 40 goats, I learned how to bake, I jogged a lot getting ready for boot camp in the U.S. Navy, enjoyed an ample amount of MTV in its infancy, and there were many more photographs. 

I am ever grateful to Duane and Pip for their hospitality and for their generous contributions in shaping my future.

Sally Smith is "Margaret Mitchell"

It's my honor and with gratitude that I have the great pleasure of introducing Sally Smith, the personality behind "Margaret Mitchell" of Atlanta Movie Tours. Sally will grace the stage of The Fox Theatre this coming weekend to introduce two showings of Gone With the Wind, part of the 2014 Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival. 

A few days ago, Sally and I dined and talked for 3.5 hours at Livingston Restaurant + Bar in the Georgian Terrace, which of course has a significant role in Margaret Mitchell's and Gone With the Wind's histories.

I'd like to frame this writing around a recent "Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind Tour", through Atlanta Movie Tours. Sally was of course Margaret, it was my second time enjoying the tour, but my best friend Barry's first time—I was sure he would like Sally AND the tour. And that he did! It was great to see him fascinated and laughing so much.

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: Sally Smith as "Margaret Mitchell" at Oakland Cemetery, where Sally works and volunteers, when she's not giving tours for Atlanta Movie Tours.

Many "Windies"—uber fans of Gone With the Wind—know that Margaret Mitchell wrote the final chapter of her novel first. Ironically, I decided that I want to do the same in introducing you to Sally. The most important thing I learned about her was in her answer to the final question I posed, and it's the one thing that will likely define her for all of her days. 

Sally arrived at the Georgian Terrace as Sally Smith. I'd only seen her as "Margaret Mitchell", but there was no mistaking that smile. 

And I quickly noticed she was wearing the button that she wears on her tours, one that reads, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." That totally speaks to Sally's wonderful sense of humor, but mind you, she's incredibly sensitive to her audience and wholly respectful.

[Author's Note: Sally's quotes are my recollections from our interview. I brought my laptop to the meeting to capture her exact words, but quickly decided that enjoying her company would be considerably more indelible. And indeed it was.]

Starting with the question I asked Sally last...

wanderlust ATLANTA: What message or sentiment, that you share with Margaret Mitchell, would you like to share with your fans?

Sally: "I'd love to share one of Peggy's mottoes—Peggy was the name Margaret adopted when she went off to college—one that I share with her... 'Never give up'. 'Never give up on yourself or life'. There are certain things one should give up, of course, like toxic relationships, but stay the course. The storms don't last forever."

Sally went on to say, "Life has too much to offer to give up. Of course you have to take the bad with the good, but you have to make the best of the bad." As soon as Sally mentioned Auntie Mame, we quoted in unison, "Live, live, live! Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!" [Laughter...smiles...mutual understanding.] "Life is out there, you just have to get up off the sofa and be a part of it!"

Sally is full of life...she's living life! That's one of the things I adore and admire about her.

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: One of the desks on display at the Margaret Mitchell House, the one pictured above, is the actual desk that Margaret worked on while employed with the Atlanta Journal. She went by the pen name "Peggy Mitchell" while working there. The cool thing about the desk is that at a mere 4' 11" tall, the standard desk was considerably too high for Margaret, so they had to cut the legs down on this one to accommodate her stature. You can see in the photo above the desk just how diminutive she was in height, however she made up for it in personality.

wanderlust ATLANTA: You are fascinating! Please share with us some of your background. Where are you from? Where have you worked? What do you do for fun?

Sally: "I was born in the same hospital as Margaret Mitchell, St. Joseph's Infirmary. Today it's St. Joseph's Hospital, part of Emory Healthcare, and I was raised right here in Atlanta."

"I went to school at Woodward Academy and then went on to earn a Bachelors Degree in Agricultural Economics at the University of Georgia. I retired from Fulton County government after 30 years. Like Margaret, I didn't work for the sake of making a career, I just wanted to be independent."

"Chasing that independence was difficult for Margaret. She was born into a world where a woman stayed home and cared for her family. That she went to college and took a job at the Atlanta Journal as a reporter was unheard of at the time. She struggled with her 'role' as a woman. Margaret lived in a very different Atlanta."

"Today I manage the Visitors Center at Oakland Cemetery, where I still give tours. I'm the president of Fulton County Retirees Association and of course I'm "Margaret Mitchell" for Atlanta Movie Tours. Yes, I'm a busy woman!"

"You asked me about hobbies. I go to yoga practically every day...I miss it when I don't. I love reading and gardening. Oh, and I'm going to see Aretha Franklin at The Fox Theatre! And I remember seeing Tina Turner in Atlanta when it was 'Ike & Tina'!"

Sally wouldn't admit it, but it was shared with me by another source that at Sally's retirement party, Fulton County made an official Proclamation—"Sally Smith Appreciation Day"—well deserved after 30 years of dedicated service.

Noted in the Proclamation:

"Sally Smith is an exemplary public servant who is known among her colleagues for her dedication, knowledge, kindness, sense of humor, and willingness to help."

The Proclamation goes on and on, and for the short time I've known Sally, I see all of those things to be wonderfully true.

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: There are several areas within the Margaret Mitchell House complex where visitors can view exhibits that include original artifacts, photography and video, as well as the apartment where she and husband John Marsh lived when she wrote Gone With the Wind. The above photo includes the portrait of Scarlett O'Hara used in the movie.

wanderlust ATLANTA: Margaret Mitchell was a deeply private person, yet did so much for the community at large, volunteering in the public eye. But much of her most impactful philanthropy was anonymous. You're a volunteer, too. Why is volunteering important to you?

Sally: "When I retired I knew that I wanted to keep busy. My love of gardening drew me to Oakland Cemetery—it's a garden cemetery. Volunteering was so much more than I expected; I didn't realize how rewarding it would be."

"It opened me up to the world of Hospitality in Atlanta, I met a whole new group of Atlantans, and I was all of a sudden meeting people from all over the world! I recommend it for anyone. You know, if you want to make a difference in the world, volunteering is a great way to do it."

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: "In her personification of Margaret Mitchell, Sally captivates and immerses her audience in 'Peggy' Mitchell's Atlanta with the mellifluous ooze of charm expected of a Southern debutante, and the hilarious tongue-in-cheek humor of a rebel. You will either be on the edge of your seat hanging on every word or rolling in laughter," said Barry Holland, pictured above with Sally having fun at the Margaret Mitchell House. 

wanderlust ATLANTA: I've had the honor and privilege of meeting and talking with you several times now. I, personally, see distinct Margaret Mitchell qualities in you. What qualities do you feel you most personify in Ms. Mitchell?

Sally: "When you look at life, on a global scale, we're on top. We have life pretty good. But, as we know in looking at Margaret's life, 'Life can change in an instant'." That sentiment was a common thread in our discussion throughout the evening. 

"My life has changed, more than once, and I've kept on going. Margaret never let anything stop her...not being blackballed by the Junior League, not being roadblocked by the male-dominated journalism industry, and not sustaining a debilitating injury...she kept on going! You have to admire her for that!"

"I love to read and of course Margaret was an avid reader. It's said that she devoured the local library. Well, everything except for the reference section, as the story goes. My son reads a lot, too."

"Margaret wanted to be a travel reporter before she landed at the Atlanta Journal. Me? I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up."

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: Central Library in Downtown Atlanta, across from Margaret Mitchell Square and the Georgia Pacific Tower, which stands where the Loew's Grand Theatre once stood—the theatre where Gone With the Wind premiered in 1939. The Library has a fascinating collection of Margaret Mitchell and Gone With the Wind memorabilia, including the one millionth copy of the novel and Margaret's library card.

wanderlust ATLANTA: What about Atlanta Movie Tours have you enjoyed most so far?

Sally: "That they like me so much." [Laughter] "Like Margaret's mother told her, 'Life can change in an instant.' That's pretty much what happened with Atlanta Movie Tours. I'd been working at Oakland Cemetery and every Halloween they host tours led by different personalities whose final resting place is there. One year I portrayed "Margaret Mitchell". 

"When Patti and Carrie—the owners of Atlanta Movie Tours—approached Oakland about it being a stop on their new "Gone With the Wind Tour", my colleague asked who was leading the tour. They named a few personalities, but not Margaret. She suggested to them that she knew someone they might consider. I later found myself at lunch with Patti and Carrie, which turned out to be sort of an interview."

"When they asked, I said to myself, 'I'd be crazy not to try it.' And the rest is history, so to speak."

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: There were many Gone With the Wind premier events hosted at the Georgian Terrace, where the main actors stayed during the premier activities. The menu in the photo above—on display at Central Library—is from The Main Dining Room at The Georgian Terrace. The most expensive entree offered was "Filet Mignon with Green Peas and Asparagus Tips" for $2.25. For dessert, an "Ice Cream Mold 'Gone With the Wind' Open Book" was an offering.

The Georgian Terrace | Livingston Restaurant + Bar

Our 3.5 hour dinner and discussion took place at Livingston Restaurant + Bar, in The Georgian Terrace Hotel—the restaurant was originally the hotel lobby! We had a Peachtree Street window seat with a splendid view of The Fox Theatre, where Sally will introduce the film Gone With the Wind this coming weekend.

The staff and management treated Sally and I like VIPs...they were wonderful!

The hostess was pleasant and kindly accommodating. I wanted a window seat, that also had access to electricity—for the laptop, which I ended up not using. Sally is so captivating, writing notes made it much easier to enjoy the process of getting to know her better.

Justin was our server and provided superb service. We never wanted for anything! We both enjoyed a cold beverage and began with an assortment of appetizers. The Fried Green Tomatoes—delish, the Cauliflower Popcorn—a brilliant interpretation, and the Crispy Smoked Chicken Thighs with fresh sliced apple and red cabbage slaw in a blue cheese vinaigrette—amazing...I could eat those all day!

Ashley Dulgarian, Business Development Manager at Livingston, stopped by our table and bid us a delightfully charming welcome! She shared some Georgian Terrace history with us, and us with her, and she bestowed upon Sally good wishes for her Fox debut. She later brought us both a souvenir book of Georgian Terrace history—I can hardly wait to get into that one!

Later we were surprised again when Justin stopped by with two glasses of champagne and a virtual dessert buffet! Ashley had arranged for us to be treated. We enjoyed Carrot Cake "Twinkies" and a flight of ice cream that included the flavors of white peach, blood orange, and pomegranate—the latter being my favorite. Wow! 

What a wonderful treat. The Livingston staff and the deliciousness and presentation of the food that evening just reinforced all the more that it's my favorite Atlanta restaurant. And I've been saying that since long before they ever heard of me. Our experience at Livingston was the epitome of Southern Hospitality and I'm thrilled that they were so kind to Sally.

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: Part of the Central Library collection includes a wide array of foreign language editions of Gone With the Wind, as well as part of Margaret's reference library that she used when writing Gone With the Wind.

wanderlust ATLANTA: You will soon be on the stage of The Fabulous Fox Theatre! You give such a mesmerizing performance as "Margaret Mitchell" on the Gone With the Wind tours, I have to ask...do you have acting experience?

Sally: "No, not really. Of course we had to take Public Speaking in college, but it wasn't until years later that I spoke in public. When I was the Greenhouse Manger for Fulton County—I worked in several departments over the 30 years—various garden clubs would invite me to speak at their meetings."

"Well, the first one included a potluck dinner. Later when I got up to the podium, and I'd brought my husband, I started with, 'That's the best dinner my husband has had in ages!' The ladies laughed and laughed and I've been hooked on public speaking ever since."

"I later adopted the philosophy that if you can't do anything about your situation, then laugh. We all have rough times, and laughter can be quite a powerful thing." 

Sally and I laughed a lot that evening. She has a wicked sense of humor, but with a generous dose of discretion. 

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: Sally, as "Margaret Mitchell" sharing with the tour group the symbolism of some of the grave stones and plot designs.

On a personal note, Sally is one of those people that you can't help but to immediately admire—you've met those people in your own life—and I knew I wanted to get to know her from the onset. If I forget to thank her later for the amazing interview and for being so much fun, let me say it here. "Thank you, Sally! You're a wonderfully brilliant and inspiring human being. I'm so grateful and fortunate to know you."

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: Sally as "Margaret Mitchell" sharing more about Margaret's family life with our tour group. Oakland Cemetery is also where we had our souvenir group photo made!

wanderlust ATLANTA: I suspect you're a fan of Georgia tourism. In addition to Atlanta Movie Tours, Oakland Cemetery and the Margaret Mitchell House, are there other destinations on the "Sally's Must-See List"?

Sally: "One of my retirement plans was one international trip and one domestic trip every year. I also love a fun day trip. I'll claim memory lapse for the ones I should have mentioned [shared laughter], but here are a few:

• Black Rock Mountain,
• Milledgeville, Georgia,
• Panola Mountain,
• Social Circle, Georgia, which was not burned by Sherman, and
• Monastery of the Holy Spirit, to name a few.

In Atlanta, I love to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden [where I, Travis, am a docent, so I was thrilled it made the list!]. And although it's been a few years, I have fond memories of rafting on the Chattahoochee. If you didn't notice, I enjoy being outdoors and in gardens."

Sally Smith, AKA Margaret Mitchell, Atlanta Movie Tours

Photo: This is part of our tour group. I made the photo back at Atlanta Movie Tours' offices. To the left is a Brazilian family—the two on the far left live in Sau Paulo and the other two currently live in Philadelphia. That's "Margaret Mitchell" (Sally Smith) in the hat and dress with Barry on the right. The other tourees had departed when I made this photo. It was a fun group!

If you'd like to learn more about the Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind Tour, please see my post, "Through the Eyes of Margaret Mitchell".

Remember, Sally, as "Margaret Mitchell", will be introducing Gone With the Wind at The Fox Theatre this weekend—a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the movie. If you miss her then, you can experience Sally at Atlanta Movie Tours.

One more question...

wanderlust ATLANTA: In your experience, how vast is the Margaret Mitchell and Gone With the Wind fandom? Why do you feel it’s so widespread?

Sally: "The fandom is global, without a doubt! Margaret Mitchell was a student of the human condition. She observed people and had a keen sense for who they were. She understood that 'We're all human'. I think that's what people connect with in her writing. And I admire her for not changing after she became famous. She didn't change her lifestyle and being a celebrity wasn't all-important to her, but helping others was, as were her friends and 'living' life."

Stars Fall on Atlanta

December 1939 saw an unprecedented event in our fair and growing city. It was frenzy and fanfare unlike anything Atlanta had ever seen before...and perhaps since.

Once David O. Selznick made the decision to debut the film based on Margaret Mitchell's globally loved novel, the city excitedly engaged in preparations for Hollywood's soon-to-be most celebrated actors and actresses, and of course the author herself, who rarely made public appearances. 

Less than two months ago, to share the thrilling days leading up to the premiere, the Margaret Mitchell House opened the only exhibit of its kind, Stars Fall on Atlanta: Premier of Gone With the Wind.

Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House

This exhibit highlights the events and thousands of people in and visiting Atlanta surrounding the world premiere of the motion picture version of Margaret Mitchell’s novel, which sold a million copies in the first few months following its publication.

Modest in size, the exhibit is packed with volumes of information about the events leading up to the premiere. So, don't let its size mislead you into thinking that you won't need much time to explore and enjoy it to its fullest. 

Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House

The exhibition features video from the evening of the premiere, and you absolutely must see the clip of Clark Gable asking the roaring crowd of thousands to let him enjoy the premier "as a spectator." 

Watching that clip today, Gable's comments could easily come across as self-absorbed, self-important--that's not what I'm suggesting--but looking back, that was the heyday of Hollywood, when people were far more starstruck with actors than they are today. Unless you're talking about me meeting Kate Mulgrew...I'd be totally starstruck! And just for the record, Gable did note that the evening was for Margaret Mitchell.

Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House

This gallery is extremely well lit, which can create reflection issues on the glass covering artifacts when making photographs. But at the same time, this is also fantastic news for those who sometimes experience a lackluster visual experience at darkly lit exhibits. 

I'm not suggesting that you leave your camera at home...there's a LOT to make photos of at the Margaret Mitchell House, including the original door of Tara and the original portrait of Scarlett in her blue dress—both from the film.

Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House

The exhibit features tickets and programs from that evening, when approximately 2,000 lucky Atlantans and dignitaries saw the world premiere of Gone With the Wind at the Loew's Grand Theatre, where the Georgia-Pacific Tower stands today. 

Did you know that there are several rows of Loew's Grand Theatre seats in the balcony of The Fox Theatre? Did you know that Houston's Restaurant on Peachtree Street in Buckhead was built with bricks from the Loew's Grand Theatre? There's so much Gone With the Wind history here, for a fictional story that was filmed in California!

Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House

The Margaret Mitchell House itself has quite a history. The house where most of Gone With the Wind was written, was nearly lost. More than once. 

The house had been abandoned and fell into decline over the years. But local preservationists, fortunately, banded together to save the house. In 1989, the year that I first moved to Atlanta, Mayor Andrew Young designated the house as a city landmark.

The house burned in 1994, sustaining severe damage. Then, in preparation for the 1996 Olympic Games, hosted by Atlanta—I remember this so well—restoration had resumed, but it burned AGAIN, a mere 40 days before the Olympics. Atlanta was shocked and many of us devastated.

The Margaret Mitchell House officially opened to the public in May 1997 and has since been and forevermore will be an Atlanta treasure.

Stars Fall on Atlanta, Margaret Mitchell House

Without fail, when you visit the Margaret Mitchell House, whether visiting on your own or on a group tour, be sure to see Stars Fall on Atlanta: Premier of Gone With the Wind.

U.S.S. Atlanta

The USS Atlanta (CL-51), a light cruiser in the Untied States Navy, was the third ship to bear the name "Atlanta", named for Atlanta, Georgia. But she wasn't the last. Having served in the US Navy myself, I'm grateful to the Atlanta History Center for the USS Atlanta exhibit.

USS Atlanta, Atlanta History Center

USS Atlanta was commissioned on December 24, 1941, by none other than one of the newest household names at the time—and still today—Margaret Mitchell, famed author of the global sensation Gone With the Wind.

USS Atlanta, Atlanta History Center

This exhibition features a brief video showing the history of the USS Atlanta, including video footage of Margaret Mitchell's smashing a bottle of bubbly across the bow of the ship—I can't tell you how cool it is to see live footage of Margaret Mitchell! 

On a side note, just outside the USS Atlanta exhibit is a one-wall Gone With the Wind exhibit that features additional video footage of Margaret Mitchell, as well as the leading cast of Gone With the Wind, at the premier of the film at the Loew's Grand Theatre in 1939, which of course won an Oscar for "Best Picture" that year.

USS Atlanta, Atlanta History Center

Unfortunately, the USS Atlanta (CL-51) was sunk in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942. 

Margaret Mitchell and at-the-time Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield launched a campaign to rebuild the USS Atlanta. They were overwhelming successful, raising nearly enough money to build two ships!

Margaret also commissioned the new USS Atlanta (CL-104), which played a role in Pearl Harbor, and in October 1970 was sunk as a target. The champagne bottle Margaret used to commission the USS Atlanta (CL-104) is on display at Central Library in downtown Atlanta.

USS Atlanta, Atlanta History Center

The model of the USS Atlanta (CL-51) was a gift to the City of Atlanta from the United States Steel Corporation, and it was dedicated to the ship and her heroic crew.

USS Atlanta, Atlanta History Center

When visiting the Atlanta History Center, be sure to stop in to see the USS Atlanta in the Metropolitan Frontiers gallery, and please make time to view the brief video about the ship. And while you're there, Veterans Park, which is on the Center's complex, is a great place to honor the sailors who were lost on the USS Atlanta (CL-51).