Gone With the Wind Trail: Marietta GWTW Museum

The capstone of my Gone With the Wind Trail writings is one I've very excited to bring you. I have the great honor and pleasure of interviewing Connie Sutherland, Director of the Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum: Scarlett on the Square, who also has been a personal friend of some of the cast of the movie. 

Connie Sutherland

By time I left the Museum, I felt like we'd become fast friends...she's just that kind of person.

I'd visited the Museum in 2011—what a great find! Over the last couple of years, in following the blog's analytics, that post has been read more people than any of the other more than 570 posts! 

That's what made me want to write about the Gone With the Wind Trail and I wanted to include an interview. And did I get lucky! 

Connie was wonderful...we talked for an hour and she gave me more material than I can possibly use—so you may see some of that another time. And  it was great to learn so much about the Museum. 

Gone With the Wind

What's your favorite scene/line from Gone With the Wind?

My favorite scene in the film is when Ashley has been wounded during the raid on Shanty Town and Rhett has taken the men to Belle Watling's place as a temporary refuge. He apologizes to Melanie for not having thought of a "more dignified alibi." Her response to him is amazing. As she's tending Ashley, she stands up and turns to Rhett with the most genuine look of gratitude in her eyes and says: "This isn’t the first time you've come between me and disaster, Cap’n Butler. Tisn’t likely I'd question any device of yours." I think it's the most beautifully written line in the film and it speaks volumes about both characters.  

Bengaline Honeymoon Dress
Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum

What’s the most unique/rare artifact in the Museum? What’s your favorite artifact? 

My favorite artifact in the Museum is the photograph of Clark Gable in his twenties. The complete metamorphosis into Rhett Butler had not taken place and it isn't his best photograph where handsome is concerned. But, the history of the photo is wonderful because Gable signed it and gave it to his father. The sentiment says, "Six foot one inch, a copy of the original” and it’s signed “Clark." What a treasured piece of Gable's personal history and how lucky we are to have it on display. I would regard the Bengaline Honeymoon Gown as the rarest and most important item in the collection. There are so few remaining costumes in existence from Gone With the Wind and even fewer on display in the world. To have one in such good condition that was worn by the number one character is quite a coup. I’m so happy we can share it with fans of Gone With the Wind and of history in general.

[Editor's Note: The Bengaline Honeymoon Gown is the only Gone With the Wind dress on permanent display in the United States...a rare and wonderful opportunity for Museum visitors.]

Gone With the Wind Museum

What’s your favorite aspect of being the leader of such an important and greatly loved Museum?  

Well, it isn't working on the budget every year, so can we rule that out. LOL. Seriously, it once again ties back to those who visit the museum on a daily basis and who attend our special events.  During events the work is very hard. There is a great deal of planning and expense involved not to mention the time element. I work so many hours leading up to the actual event date and by that time I always think I'm too tired to enjoy it. But, as the fans and special guests (authors and cast members) arrive, my sense of purpose is clearly defined. There is no greater joy than that which you provide to others. It might sound like a cliché, but it’s true. Even the day-to-day visitor who is overheard reading a chat box out loud to the person with them shows the excitement the museum provides. How can that not give me pleasure as well?  

Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum

If we knew Scarlett 40 years after the book, what kind of woman do you think she would have become? 

Scarlett in her sixties or seventies would still be Scarlett; just older. She would be more seasoned in her thought processes I think, but not in her actions. And, I would not want to imagine her any other way. It was her grit and drive that defined who she was. Why would we want that to change? And, Rhett?  Rhett would likely remain much the same also.  He would be more inclined to learn from his mistakes than Scarlett would, but the charisma and stubbornness would still be a part of him.  

Gone With the Wind Museum

What celebrity today do you think could portray the Scarlett we know and love?  

If you asked this question of a thousand people who love Gone With the Wind, you would probably get the same answer from all of them. Vivien Leigh is the one and only Scarlett.  Always was, always will be.

[Editor's Note: I have to agree with Connie on this one...the more I've learned about the book, movie, and actors, and especially after watching some of the screen tests, there was no other person who was as perfect as Vivien to portray Scarlett.]

Gone With the Wind Museum

Is Gone With the Wind’s legacy (book, movie, Margaret Mitchell) intact for the next 100, 500, 1,000 years?

That question is one that can't be answered by you or me because we won’t be around then. I can only answer that Gone With the Wind (book and movie) has survived more than 75 years already. As proof, you’re interviewing the director of a Gone With the Wind museum that has just celebrated its 10 year anniversary. Gone With the Wind has a life all its own. There is no logical answer as to why its popularity continues to thrive, other than that of Margaret Mitchell herself. She was once asked whether her book was a love story or a Civil War novel. She answered that it was both, but to her it was a story of survival. She said it was about those who had gumption enough to pull themselves up by their bootstraps in the face of adversity. We know that survival is universal because we've all been there in one regard or another. We relate to the underlying message of Gone With the Wind. It makes us believe we can get through anything. So, I guess from that perspective, it could be intact for as long as that message is needed.

The Museum recently celebrated its 10 year anniversary. Where do you see the Museum in the next five years? 

The Museum is an example of the Field of Dreams determination…if you build it, they will come. Every day I meet people who visit the museum from other cities, states and countries. So many times they've told me they came to Marietta just to see the museum or they've waited a year or two years to make the trip. You can't imagine the excitement in their eyes as they pay for their tickets and start their tours. There are those who would laugh at my words, but there is something magical about their affection for Gone With the Wind. Their anticipation is remarkable as they enter and they leave (gift bag in hand) with a look of contentment and release having spent an hour or so inside the heart of their favorite book and movie. I would like to see the Museum continue to open its doors to these lovers of history by sharing Chris Sullivan’s one-of-a-kind artifacts with them. 

Ten more years?  I would like for the museum to one day be the focal point of a larger Hollywood experience to include film festivals and other famous movie collectibles. Marietta has become such a popular location for filming movies that It would be a win-win situation for all involved.

Gone With the Wind Museum

If you had unlimited funds and resources to build the ultimate Gone With the Wind Museum, what would that look like, inside and out?

Museum, what would that look like, inside and out? Keeping the last answer in mind of my "growth" wish, the facade would look like Tara--complete with columns. The interior would be state-of-the-art with phone app guided tours and other technology that would be user-friendly and offer the visitor a trip back in time. The collection would be divided into separate rooms (i.e., the Margaret Mitchell Library, the David O. Selznick Film Studio, etc.).  And, there would be a media room that would show the making of Gone With the Wind and other documentaries about Mitchell and the film. I would include an interactive area whereby visitors could act out scenes from the film or have a photograph taken in front of a green screen that placed them in a scene with Rhett or Scarlett. A souvenir such as this would keep the memories of their visit alive forever. We would also have a larger facility for Gone With the Wind weddings and receptions.  We do rent our current facility for dinners and receptions but we aren't able to accommodate the wedding itself. That would be a dream for us due to the number of requests we receive for wedding ceremonies. Romance doesn't get any better than Gone With the Wind.

Gone With the Wind Museum

How much of the Museum’s collection is on exhibit? How may fans contribute memorabilia to the Museum?

The majority of the museum's artifacts on display are from the collection of Chris Sullivan. Chris is a retired doctor who lives in Ohio and who began collecting Gone With the Wind memorabilia after seeing the movie when he was a teenager. There are a handful of items on display that were donated by fans or individuals whose parents or grandparents had passed away and left a collection. We must always obtain permission from Chris when accepting a donation unless it is something we have permission from the donor to sell in the gift shop. One example is a reproduction of the burgundy dress that Scarlett wore to Ashley’s birthday. A gentleman from Hixson, Tennessee (Mike Goodson) took a tour of the Museum when he was in town a couple of years ago. Mike and his wife Sarah are costumers and the dress was made from the exact specifications that were used by Hollywood Icon and Gone With the Wind designer Walter Plunkett. The dress is beautiful and Chris felt as I did that it would be a wonderful addition to the already extensive collection. A lot of fans have items such as collector plates and figurines that they want to donate to us. We can accept these items to resell in the museum gift shop, but we just don’t have the space to display them. In fact, we have a few plates and dolls on display, but not many. The revenue from gift shop sales for these type items helps the Museum and gives the donor a tax deduction as well as the knowledge that their loved one's items went to someone else who loves Gone With the Wind.

A great big wanderlust ATLANTA "Thank you" to Connie and her helpful staff...I'm very much looking forward to my next visit! 

I've had so much fun working on this Gone With the Wind Trail series...I hope you enjoy visiting each of the places. So, this week I covered the five main Gone With the Wind Trail destinations. There are other recommendations and I'll be covering some of them in the not too distant future, so keep your eyes peeled!

Now, head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page for more photos.

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

Gone With the Wind Trail: Margaret Mitchell House

The Margaret Mitchell House is the first "artifact" of Gone With the Wind that I ever glimpsed. That was in 1987, a time that it lay in disrepair having suffered the effects of abandonment and age, and it would burn twice prior to being restored to its current day grandeur. 

Today, the Margaret Mitchell House stands as a beacon for all tourists and especially Gone With the Wind fans—or "Windies," as I've heard them called. 

Margaret Mitchell House

Now then, the House, as an attraction, doesn't have a huge amount of original memorabilia, but the ones it does have are quite significant. The portrait of Scarlett O'Hara used in the Gone With the Wind film, for example, is a treasure they're proud to have. I absolutely love this piece!

The portrait, however, is not in the Margaret Mitchell House itself, but in an exhibition space in another building on the House property. But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Margaret Mitchell House

This is the Peachtree Street view of the House. Visitors actually enter from the Crescent Avenue entrance at the rear. As a matter of fact, the house used to be called Crescent Apartments, but even before that it was a single family home. 

The house was build by Cornelius J. Sheehan in 1899—the year before Margaret was born—and not converted into apartments until 1919. Margaret Mitchell and her husband John Marsh moved in on their wedding day in 1925. There were 10 apartments and they lived in Apartment #1, which looking from Crescent Avenue is the bottom left unit.

There's a lot more history to share, but I'll leave some of that to the docents—it's a great tour. On my most recent visit our tour guide was an enthusiastic woman named Margaret, which made it rather a special tour.

Margaret Mitchell House

There are self-guided tours and guided tours—and you'll want to do both because they don't fully overlap. Both are included with admission, but the guided tours are timed. 

Let me add a note here...if you're in a time crunch, I recommend calling ahead to make sure that the tour time you want is on schedule. The tour I arrived for had been cancelled and the next one would be 40 minutes later—they're on the half hour. No worries...I availed myself of the self-guided tour and the opportunity to make some exterior photos of the House before the guided tour portion of my excursion.

The neighboring exhibit space is in the structure in the photo above. Many wonders of Gone With the Wind awaited my wanderlusting curiosity inside...

Margaret Mitchell House

The centerpiece of the detached exhibit space is the portrait of Scarlett O'Hara in a blue dress—the original painting that was used in the movie! (first photo in the post) The life-size portrait was painted in 1939 by Helen Carlton and after the premier of Gone With the Wind, it hung in a department store and later in the Margaret Mitchell Elementary School cafeteria! It's now here at the Margaret Mitchell House, on loan from the Atlanta Board of Education.

Also in this exhibit space are a number of drawings of costumes, sets, and landscapes from the film, some of which were used for portions of the opening credits.

Margaret Mitchell House, Door of Tara

Another of the super-cool artifacts here is the original door from Tara! That's right...this beauty has survived nearly 80 years of the elements, storage, change of ownership, and who knows what else. 

Following the film, the door was left in the elements for 20 years, and it was used in at least one other movie. In 1959, the door was disassembled, but cataloged for future reconstruction. The door disappeared for another 20 years—mostly in storage during that time—and then was purchased by former First Lady of Georgia Betty Talmadge. 

For the 50th anniversary of the film, 1989, the Atlanta History Center had the door fully restored, using practically all the original material.

I've mentioned this in other posts, but it was in 1989—the 50th anniversary of the film—that I first saw Gone With the Wind. And I saw it at the Fox Theatre, across the street from the Georgian Terrace where Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable stayed during the 1939 premier.

Margaret Mitchell House

There are a number of placards throughout the exhibit space that tell of various aspects of the book and the film...take time to read these.

And speaking of the film, there's a two-hour documentary, playing on a loop. "The Making of a Legend" (1988), was produced by the sons of David O. Selznick, Jeffrey and Daniel. The film chronicles the making of Gone With the Wind and includes some super-fun-to-watch screen tests of actors and actresses including Bette Davis and Lana Turner!

Margaret Mitchell House

Back to the House...the exhibit space is part of the self-guided and the guided tours. The actual apartment is guided-only. 

In the House exhibit space are a number of fascinating artifacts that tell of the life of Margaret Mitchell, her journalism career, and her experience of writing Gone With the Wind. Among the artifacts is Margaret Mitchell's desk from her time at the Atlanta Journal. Just above the desk is  photograph of Margaret conducting an interview, which clearly shows her modest stature—she was a mere five feet tall. 

You'll notice that her desk was of a size to accommodate her small frame, but not by design...it was by saw. That's right...they cut off the legs of her desk to make it more "ergonomic" for her size. That was a simpler time.

Margaret Mitchell House

Although there are two typewriters in this space, neither belonged to Margaret Mitchell, but they're both from the same era. 

The one pictured immediately above comes with an invitation to try it out. I didn't get it at first...this thing is an antique! But then it dawned on me. There's more than one generation out there that has never worked on a real typewriter! So, the what seemed to me to be way over simplified instructions of how to use a typewriter is actually rather progressive thinking.

Margaret Mitchell House

There are also photographs, magazine covers, manuscripts, and lots of copies of international book covers—made into a game—also on display! 

Margaret Mitchell House

After touring the exhibit space, we headed to the apartment where Margaret and John lived for quite a few years. As a matter of fact, Margaret wrote approximately 90 percent of the 1,037 typed pages of Gone With the Wind, her only novel, while living in this house. 

The apartment wasn't quite what Margaret was used to—it's really small, by most standards—and she affectionately dubbed it, "The Dump." Their apartment is there on the bottom left, Apartment #1.

Photography is not allowed inside the apartment, but that's alright...very little is original—a fixture here and there—although the furnishing are period, and I need to leave something for you to experience in person! 

Actually, there's a lot to experience...even though I feel like I've been writing this post for days, I've barely scratched the surface. So, be sure to allot lots of time for your visit to explore the home of Margaret Mitchell and the birthplace of Gone With the Wind.

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

Gone With the Wind Trail: Central Library

The Central Library & Library System Headquarters of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System is home to an impressive Margaret Mitchell and Gone With the Wind collection. While the display isn't exactly museum quality, the artifacts totally are...a fantastic addition to the Gone With the Wind Trail.

Margaret Mitchell at Central Library

Among the attention-grabbing artifacts at the Central Library exhibition is the Remmington typewriter that Margaret Mitchell used to write Gone With the Wind. Even though I learned to type on a typewriter, it's ridiculously unfathomable that she type a novel as long as Gone With the Wind on a manual device! But then again, I suppose it was considerably quicker that writing it out by hand. We're so spoiled today!

Okay, so to give you an idea of how extensive the collection is, Central Library has nearly 1,500 artifacts, including 73 editions of 35 translations of Gone With the Wind, as well as more than 500 of Margaret's personal books, many of which she used for research. And there are many, many other artifacts, some of which I'll share with you now.

Margaret Mitchell at Central Library

Of all the artifacts on display, the one that made me gasp, literally, is Margaret Mitchell's library card...her actual library card! And it looks like it got a great deal of use, which historical accounts confirm as factual.

You'll see that the card says "Carnegie Library of Atlanta," which was the first public library in Atlanta opening in 1902. And it was a beautiful library. Unfortunately, it was demolished to make way for Central Library—this one—which opened in 1980. 

If you'd like to catch a glimpse of what's left of Margaret Mitchell's library—Carnegie Library of Atlanta—you won't have to go too far...it's walking distance for most.

At the other end of Peachtree Street in Downtown Atlanta, where Peachtree Street and West Peachtree Street converge, and across the street from the SunTrust Plaza, there stands a memorial constructed from the facade and columns of the Carnegie Library. 

It's the "Carnegie Education Pavilion," a monument to higher education in Atlanta, and it bears the emblems of eight local higher education institutions.

Margaret Mitchell at Central Library

While a lot of Margaret Mitchell attractions have paintings of her, you're not always looking at the originals. This one (above) at Central Library is in fact original and it's rather extraordinary. 

This particular portrait was painted by Constantin Chatov (1904-1993), a Russian immigrant and concert pianist-turned-artist. He also painted portraits of Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.

One of the charming points of this painting is just behind her left shoulder, your right. Have a look. Yes...yes, that's Tara!

Margaret Mitchell at Central Library

Having served in the U.S. Navy, this next artifact I personally found ultra fascinating. Who else should commission the U.S.S. Atlanta (CL 104) other than the consummate Atlantan?! 

That's right, Margaret Mitchell christened the fourth ship to bear the name "USS Atlanta," and this is the christening bottle. That ship entered service in 1944 and served during World War II, and was eventually used for target practice and sunk in 1970. This whole display case features artifacts from that ceremony.

Margaret Mitchell at Central Library

Among the prestigious artifacts in the Central Library collection are Margaret Mitchell's 1936 National Book Award and her 1937 Pulitzer Prize (above). See, I told you this is an impressive collection! And how cool to see a real Pulitzer Prize.

Margaret Mitchell at Central Library

So, not only does Central Library have this brilliant Margaret Mitchell collection, it's across the street from Margaret Mitchell Square, which is modest, but features abstract sculptures of the Carnegie Library (which I just realized as I'm writing this—you'll see what I'm talking about when you see the Carnegie Education Pavilion) within water features.

It's been decades since I've been in an actual library. Visiting Central Library was a pleasant experience and quite refreshing to see so many people reading and researching...and reading...reading books! Real, paper books! 

When was the last time you saw that?! I love my technology—and would never give it up—but I do love cracking the cover of a paper book...there's no replacement for that. Does that make me sound nostalgic or just old?

So, we're halfway through my Gone With the Wind Trail series. Come back tomorrow and Friday for writings about the final two of the five main destinations (and see the last couple of days for the first two writings), and I'll cover some others over the weekend. I hope you're having as much fun with this as I had researching it.

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

Gone With the Wind Trail: Oakland Cemetery

To be a final resting place, Historic Oakland Cemetery is beaming with life. I recently visited for the second time, specifically to see the grave site of the world famous Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With the Wind. The first time I went, there was a film crew in the area and I couldn't get so close.

What a gratifying experience...as much as I've been studying her, being at her grave site gave me an odd sense of connection—more so than through some of the artifacts I've had the great pleasure of seeing up close.

Margaret Mitchell's grave site, Historic Oakland Cemetery

Margaret Mitchell's final resting place is fairly modest, especially compared to some of the other ornately sculpted and gargantuan grave markers. But actually, of all who are buried at Oakland Cemetery, I would venture to say that Margaret Mitchell has the greatest global celebrity—not that it's a competition. 

She is, however, in some great company, including golf legend Bobby Jones, Atlanta's first African-American major Maynard Jackson, six Georgia governors, and 3,000 unknown Confederate soldiers...and thousands more.

Historic Oakland Cemetery, final resting place of Margaret Mitchell

One of the very cool aspects of where Margaret Mitchell is buried—which is a family plot where her husband was later laid to rest next to her—is that you can also see the Georgia-Pacific Building (above photo, building on the left), which is where the Loew's Grand Theatre once stood—home of the premier of Gone With the Wind.

Historic Oakland Cemetery

Historic Oakland Cemetery is a beautiful Victorian garden cemetery, and so much more—and I highly recommend exploring it, fully—but right now I'd like to talk a bit about Margaret's life.

Historic Oakland Cemetery

So many people connect with Margaret Mitchell through Gone With the Wind the book or the movie, but she was a fairly complex person, well beyond the complexities of being a 1937 Pulitzer Prize winning author alone.

Hers is a wonderful story. 

Gone With the Wind very likely would not have come about had it not been for multiple injuries, beginning with a horse riding injury Margaret sustained as a child.

Historic Oakland Cemetery

But, before I go further, let me clarify the various names Margaret went by throughout her life. She was baptized Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell, which is what her family and friends knew her as up until the time she went to college.

Not too long after returning to Atlanta after a year a Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, she secured a writing job at the Atlanta Journal and went by the pen name "Peggy Mitchell." She later married John Marsh and was then known as Margaret Mitchell Marsh, although it's said by her friends that she really preferred to be called Mrs. John Marsh.

Historic Oakland Cemetery

Although a prolific writer—she'd been writing since she could hold a pencil, known for her plays and poetry at a very early age—and a voracious reader—she read practically everything at her nearby public library—she was a far cry from an introvert. 

As a matter of fact, she loved to entertain and she loved adventure...she was fearless as far as I can figure. For example, when she took the job at the Atlanta Journal, she once let herself be swung out of a window in a sling to see how the workmen would feel who were carving the Confederate Memorial on the face of Stone Mountain. Now that's gumption!

Historic Oakland Cemetery

Even more importantly, and probably the thing that I admire most about her, Margaret Mitchell was a very caring and compassionate person. She cared for all kinds of people—particularly people in distress—and not just with her words. Actually, a lot of her generosity and charity went unknown until well after her death.

For the longest time, a local federal prison held an annual Margaret Mitchell Memorial Contest, for prose and poetry—she obviously had an impact on the inmates' lives. Another count of her generosity was funding scholarships for African-American medical students at Morehouse College—with the stipulation that they practice medicine here in Atlanta. She never met any of the recipients, but again, made a significant contribution. These stories go on and on!

Historic Oakland Cemetery

Margaret was very modest about her celebrity...she always wanted to be just a regular Atlanta citizen. As starstruck as I would be if I had met her, I know I would have loved her even more upon discovering that she was just a regular citizen. What an amazing feat that was to have achieved when Hollywood was at its height of celebrity fanfare!

Historic Oakland Cemetery

Small in stature—she was all of 5-feet tall (My grandmother was 4'9", so I know just how tiny Margaret was!)—she is even this many decades after her passing one of the biggest celebrities the world has ever known...I wonder if she knew just how famous she was. Certainly, selling more than a million copies of her book in the first 1.5 years was an indicator, and that had not been done before, so...her modesty was truly admirable.

Margaret Mitchell's grave site, Historic Oakland Cemetery

You know, Margaret Mitchell totally sounds like someone I would have loved to have known. Her kindness, her modesty, her sense of adventure—in life and in writing...what a great friend she must have been. 

Margaret's remains may be at rest, but she is alive and well in the hearts of millions of fans around the world. 

Now, back to reading Gone With the Wind...

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

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