Wilbur G. Kurtz: History in Gone With the Wind

The "Wilbur G. Kurtz: History in Gone With the Wind" temporary exhibit at the Atlanta History Center is a must-see for any and all fans of Gone With the Wind. 

The exhibit's unique exploration of the making of the Oscar-winning film, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, is also a glimpse into the golden era of Hollywood film-making, as well as a bit of insight into Margaret Mitchell's hand in the making of the movie.

Wilbur G. Kurtz: History in Gone With the Wind, Atlanta History Center

This relatively small exhibit--compared to others at the Atlanta History Center--is epic in content. One of my favorite artifacts is a collection of watercolor title cards that were used in creating the original opening credits in earlier versions of the film.

Although I love the one of Rhett Butler, the one of Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara is certainly my favorite of all the title cards on display. And speaking of on display, many of the artifacts in this exhibit are on view to the public for the first time. So, even if you're the greatest Gone With the Wind fan of all time, there's yet something new for you to see!

Wilbur G. Kurtz: History in Gone With the Wind, Atlanta History Center

The above pictured broken cherubs are a marvelous artifact. Remember the vase that Scarlett threw when in the library at Twelve Oaks Plantation? Kurtz collected the pieces and now, because of his love of history, we get to see the real thing.

The collection that comprises the exhibit is complements of the Atlanta History Center's Margaret Mitchell House, located in Midtown. They also house the portrait of Scarlett in the blue dress at which, later in the film, Rhett throws a whiskey glass. Seems there was a lot of throwing in Gone With the Wind.

Wilbur G. Kurtz: History in Gone With the Wind, Atlanta History Center

If you're from Georgia, lived in Georgia or even visited certain parts of Georgia, you're probably quite familiar with Georgia red clay. There's nothing else quite like it. Kurtz, a sample of his attention to detail, provided Hollywood with samples of Georgia red clay "to ensure that the red earth of Tara and Atlanta's dirt streets were truly authentic as the Technicolor cameras rolled." That's what any brilliant technical advisor would do, right?

It doesn't immediately come to mind, but Atlanta was all dirt streets during the American Civil War and the restoration era. In fact, there were still a lot of dirt streets in Atlanta approximately 75 years later when Gone With the Wind was published!

Wilbur G. Kurtz: History in Gone With the Wind, Atlanta History Center

Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With the Wind, did not go to California to ensure the details of her story, Atlanta, the Civil War, and reconstruction eras were accurate. Instead, at her recommendation, Selznick Studios hired historian and technical expert Wilbur G. Kurtz, with whom she corresponded quite often. That reminds me, I need to get some new personalized stationery...it's been years! 

Kurtz, also a painter and illustrator, was born in Illinois, but lived in Atlanta--documenting her history--for 55 years before passing away in 1967. Having a love for history myself, I'm grateful to Kurtz for his contributions to preserving Atlanta history. And to the Atlanta History Center, for that matter.

Wilbur G. Kurtz: History in Gone With the Wind, Atlanta History Center

Among the 40 images and artifacts in this high-impact exhibit are several Confederate bills. I wasn't sure I'd show any of them in this post, but then I realized that not everyone has seen Confederate currency. They're truly remarkable works of art.

Speaking of money, it'll cost you exactly the value of Confederate currency to see the exhibit...not a penny! Wilbur G. Kurtz: History in Gone With the Wind is free of charge. The exhibit is in the Kenan Research Center, the standalone building located to the right of the main building.

Of course, I recommend visiting the entire 33-acre complex, but if you're short on time and budget, do try to fit in a visit to the Atlanta History Center to see this magnificent little, yet historically significant exhibit.

Gone With the Wind Trail: Road to Tara Museum

On my drive to the Road to Tara Museum, the closer I drew to my destination, the more frequently I saw the word "Tara" on business signs, street signs, residential complexes... seriously, I think I saw "Tara" more times on a single spoke of road leading to the Museum than is mentioned in the book. It seemed that way, at least.

Road to Tara Museum

Why Jonesboro and not Atlanta, you ask? In Gone With the Wind, the Tara Plantation was set in Clayton County...specifically in Jonesboro, Georgia. And in 1969, Stephens Mitchell, brother of the Pulitzer Prize winning Margaret Mitchell, proclaimed Clayton County "the Official Home of Gone With the Wind."  You can imagine how proud Jonesboro citizen are.

The model above was built by Gone With the Wind enthusiast Dorothy Friedenreich. It took three years to build and lights in every room work and there's a cutaway on the back so you can see into each room. This is one of the best Tara models I've ever seen!

Road to Tara Museum

Alright, let me back up. The Road to Tara Museum is housed in an 1867 historic train depot, which is deceptively larger inside than you would think. Originally, the Road to Tara Museum opened in 1993, then moved to the depot in 2000. The Museum's collection today is a combination of the Museum's and Gone With the Wind aficionado Herb Bridges' collections.

Road to Tara Museum

The Museum is flanked by Civil War artifacts and displays. The artifact in the above photo particularly fascinated me. "Sherman's neckties" were named for General Sherman whose soldiers would heat sections of rail until they could be bent and twisted around trees, rendering the sections useless.

Road to Tara Museum

One of the more fun artifacts in the Museum—and it's not a replica—is the pantalettes that Vivien Leigh wore in the movie. Arguably one of the most memorable scenes of the film, Mammy, rather forcefully, pulls taught the pantalettes on Scarlett O'Hara, who is holding on to a bedpost for dear life. The things women go through to look attractive!

Road to Tara Museum

Surely you've figured out by now that I'm only giving you highlights of the Museum...there's way, way too much to tell about all of it. I'd say there's so much you could write a book about it, but that's the reason we're here, right? I know, I know...I couldn't resist.

The above 16' by 8' Road to Tara mural is an original oil by Atlanta artist Del Nichols. In the upper corners there are portraits of Margaret Mitchell and David O. Selznick, and somewhere in the painting is also rendering of Elvis Presley! Nichols is known to be something of a fun sort.

Road to Tara Museum

Among the Museum's impressive collection are a lot of different dresses from the movie, many created by the Road to Tara Costume Guild, some even crafted from original plans. 

Some of the dresses include the famous Green Drapery Dress, the Burgundy Dress, the Fur-trimmed Dressing Gown, Bonnie Blue's Riding Habit, and several others. So, in addition to being a destination that pleases Windies, Civil War buffs, and history fans, it's also great for fashion enthusiasts.

Road to Tara Museum

There are quite a few remarkable artifacts in this Museum—every Gone With the Wind enthusiast will be grateful for having visited. One of my absolute favorites is what was one of only four 200-pound brass marquees that graced the front of the Loew's Grand Theatre where Gone With the Wind premiered on December 15, 1939. Today, the Georgia-Pacific Building stands where the Loew's stood until 1978.

From the Loew's there are also some theatre chairs, carpet panels, railing, and one of the remnant bricks from the demolition of the Theatre.

Road to Tara Museum

As the second best-selling book in the world and one of the most-viewed movies of all time, there is an incomprehensible amount of merchandising...some of it licensed, some of it not. The Road to Tara Museum has quite a bit on view, including more Gone With the Wind dolls than I've ever seen! It's a collector's cornucopia of themed dolls—featuring all the major personalities from the  book.

Road to Tara Museum

I totally enjoyed my visit to the Road to Tara Museum. The Museum staff were hospitable and welcoming and quite knowledgeable about the book, Jonesboro, and the Museum. That doesn't always happen. I totally recommend a visit...and check out the other nearby tourist destinations!

Thank you for reading. Please enjoy the other installments in my Gone With the Wind Trail series (July 1-5, 2013)…

Gone With the Wind Trail: Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum

Gone With the Wind Trail: Margaret Mitchell House

Gone With the Wind Trail: Central Library

Gone With the Wind Trail: Oakland Cemetery

Gone With the Wind Trail: Road to Tara Museum

Fox Theatre's Terrace...A Little Known Treasure

The Terrace at the Fox Theatre,
Bank of America Plaza in background

If you've been to a performance at the Fox Theatre, you probably didn't see one of the Theatre's most unique vistas. If you've been to a special event in the Egyptian Ballroom at the Fox, it's possible you still didn't see it, but if you have visited the Grand Salon, either for an event or on a behind-the-scenes tour, then you've probably seen the grandness of The Terrace.

I remember the Terrace when it was merely a roof. I'd heard rumors of creating a rooftop event space, which was finally done following the 1996 fire...a fire that caused $2 million in damages, but might have caused more had Fox resident Joe Patten not been at home. Patten is the former Technical Director who was granted a lifetime lease in an apartment inside the Fox Theatre.

Fortunately, the damage caused to the Grand Salon was corrected and the Terrace is as gorgeous as one would expect at the Fox Theatre. 

The Terrace is modest in size. You can fit quite a few cabaret tables out there and there are some built in benches for seating, but the walls are high, so you don't really get a "skyline" view. But what you do get a view of is far more than a tease...it's fantastic!

The Terrace at the Fox Theatre

From the northeast corner of the Terrace, you can see the "onion" tower on the North Avenue side of the Fox, and you can see two condominium buildings, one modern, but older and one that's architecturally stunning.

Also, you can see the towering Bank of America Plaza--the tallest skyscraper in Atlanta, which is quite remarkable when lit at night! And best seen from the southeast corner, you can see the upper floors of the Georgian Terrace Hotel, where Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable resided while filming "Gone With the Wind." 

All in all, the Terrace at the Fox is a stunning space. I highly recommend spending a few minutes on it taking in the unique opportunity to explore it...should the opportunity arise.

Be sure to head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page and check out the other information and photos there. And thank you for stopping here.

The Terrace at the Fox Theatre

Margaret Mitchell House: Went With a Breeze

Margaret Mitchell House

The Margaret Mitchell House & Museum should be in the "must-see" category for Atlanta tourists, but I believe there should be substantially "more-to-see" before it receives that status. I personally expected and hoped for more. I indeed am glad I saw "the birthplace of Gone With the Wind," but the remainder of the museum space and exhibits barely constitute a breeze.

I certainly was appreciative for the free parking, directly behind the house. Or at least I thought it was the back of the house. The visitor entrance to the house is not well marked, but I assumed it was near the parking lot. I fortunately found it without walking around to the Peachtree Street side of the house just to be told to go to the back.

As I learned later, the house was originally built to face Peachtree Street. Years later it was moved 10 feet back and placed on a basement foundation, which became the first floor and the front of the house. The building received a Crescent Street address following the move.

Margaret Mitchell

The entrance/ticket desks to the house and museum are located in the gift shop (which I'm finding is more common a practice than I once thought). I was promptly and kindly greeted and provided a ticket and tour start time details.

I wasn't sure what to expect for the tour. I had assumed there was a self-guided option given there’s no mention of tour times on the website. Fortunately, I'd arrived at approximately 10:45 a.m. I'd originally planned to arrive at 10:00 a.m. when the house opens on Saturdays. The first tour is not until 11:00 a.m.

When the tour began, we were welcomed by our tour guide, Claire. A pleasant, enthusiastic young lady, I couldn’t figure out if she'd forgot to set her alarm clock and forewent the hair dryer and makeup mirror to be on time or if she was styling the latest product from Bed Head. Either way, she knows the house and was quite entertaining.

Claire gave us a brief background on the house, including the highly publicized two fires that almost destroyed the house. What she didn't tell us was that the tour would never leave the basement level.

In the museum are numerous, although modest, displays that tell who Margaret Mitchell was; how the book was published; and about the philanthropic work Margaret supported later in life.

Gone With the Wind Articles

The one display that grabbed my attention was the wall with magazine covers and other advertisements that covered the publishing of Gone With the Wind. This section also includes a cut sheet of other famous actresses who auditioned for the part of Scarlett O'Hara, the book’s main character. A few of the 32 actresses vying for the roll included Bette Davis, who had just finished filming Jezebel; Tallulah Bankhead; Susan Hayward and Lana Turner.

The museum also includes a few original artifacts including the actual desk that Margaret Mitchell used when she worked for the Atlanta Journal. Its legs had to be cut off to accommodate Ms. Mitchell's petite stature. She was a mere 4'11", actually two inches taller than my grandmother!

A larger collection of Margaret Mitchell artifacts are in a Gone With the Wind exhibit at the Atlanta Fulton County Public Library, Central Branch, which I'll write about in the not-too-distant future.

Next, we were on to the apartment where Margaret Mitchell lived while writing most of Gone With the Wind, a 10-year project. The apartment is a modest four rooms, which Margaret called "The Dump." It's on the 10th Street and Crescent Avenue corner on the basement (first floor) level.

The first room we toured was the living room, which is where Margaret did her writing next to a window facing Crescent Avenue. The artifacts and furniture in the apartment are not original to when Margaret lived there, save the wooden floors, but the style of the furnishing are true to the time.

The next room was the bedroom, which is modest in size. The bed Margaret slept in was more than ample for her size, but not so much for her husband John Marsh, but they made do.

The Kitchen features a gas stove and the museum organizers have added a Coca-Cola bottle opener to give it a true Atlanta flare (it's presumed that Margaret had a Coca-Cola or two during her time in the house). The bathroom also is small.

Margaret's Desk

The tour of the apartment let us out back in the museum where we were invited to take our time further exploring. I had actually wondered during the tour of the museum why there were so many placards when we weren't given the time to read them. Turns out we would have plenty of time.

As I was leaving, I asked the ticket agent if Margaret ever hosted book signings after the book and movie were released. He told me that she wasn't fond of doing them. It's said that she actually never expected Gone With the Wind to be published.

I also asked about the rest of the house. He invited me to have a look around the second floor, which he said was empty except for a portrait of Margaret Mitchell, commissioned by Trust Company Bank, which was a treat to see.

Margaret Mitchell's life was all too short. Born in 1900, she died in 1949 of injuries sustained when she was hit by a taxi cab only a few blocks from the Margaret Mitchell House.

Also nearby, Clarke Gable (Rhett Butler) and Vivien Leigh (Scarlett O'Hara) stayed at the Georgian Terrace Hotel during the filming of Gone With the Wind. The movie debuted in 1939 (not at the Fox Theatre as some believe) at the Lowe's Grand Theatre, which stood where the 52-story, pink granite Georgia-Pacific Tower stands today.

The Margaret Mitchell House is managed by the Atlanta History Center and visitors may purchase a discount dual ticket for both. Keep in mind that the ticket for the second site must be used within nine days. The Atlanta History Center is on Peachtree Road just a short five miles from the Margaret Mitchell House.

Do I have a desire to see Margaret's apartment again? Well, Prissy didn't "know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies" and until the museum expands or its management "learns somethin' 'bout excitin' museum space," I think I'll wait.

I do want to see the other historic houses and gardens managed by the Atlanta History Center, but the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum’s public space is modest enough that once was enough…for now.

Touring the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum

Date toured: Saturday, October 23, 2010
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Cost: Adults $13, Seniors/Students $10 , Children $8.50
Location: 990 Peachtree Street (enter at Crescent Avenue) (directions and map)
Parking: corner of 10-th Street and Crescent Avenue (behind the house)Website: http://www.margaretmitchellhouse.com/
Facebook: Margaret Mitchell House & Museum