Atlanta History Center Announces Long Range Calendar

Wed, May 28, 2014 22:44 CET

Calendar Release Lists All Exhibits, Programs, and Performances Occurring Months June 2014 through January 2015

TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS:

Wilbur G. Kurtz: History in Gone With the Wind

On display July 2, 2014 – April 4, 2015

Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center

Atlanta illustrator Wilbur G. Kurtz served as the historian to the motion picture, Gone With the Wind. Created by the Atlanta History Center, Wilbur G. Kurtz: History in Gone With the Wind reveals Kurtz’s involvement and influence on the historical accuracy and depiction of Atlanta in the film.

This exhibition is free to the public; available to view Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am – 5:30 pm; Sunday, Noon – 5:30 pm. For more information, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com or call 404.814.4000.

Confederate Odyssey: The George W. Wray Jr. Civil War Collection

On display July 18, 2014 – March 15, 2015

Atlanta History Center

To commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial, the Atlanta History Center is exhibiting the incredible collection of Confederate artifacts assembled by Atlanta collector George W. Wray Jr. On public display for the first time, this collection includes the rarest of the rare: Southern–made uniforms, flags, firearms, bayonets, and small-caliber artillery pieces, many of which are one-of-a-kind items. This exhibition uses these objects to tell the story of how a pre-industrial Confederacy managed to sustain a modern industrial war for four long years.

Discover the amazing personal stories of those who carried or wore these objects into battle. Here you see the blood-spattered coat of a seventeen-year-old Georgia boy killed at the Battle of Chickamauga, the flag carried by Georgia regiment as it advanced into a hail of bullets along what is now Peachtree Street, and a sharpshooter rifle made by a New Hampshire gunsmith who worked for the Confederacy before returning to his native state in 1866. Also on display will be the patent model and prototype of George W. Morse’s breech-loading gun, the direct predecessor of all modern firearms.

Confederate Odyssey will be accompanied by a richly-illustrated full-color catalogue of the Atlanta History Center’s George W. Wray Jr. Civil War Collection, to be published by the University of Georgia Press in October 2014.

This exhibition is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. For more information or to purchase admission tickets, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com or call 404.814.4000.

American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music

On display November 15, 2014 – February 8, 2015

Celebrate and savor the impact of Latinos in American popular music in a stirring bilingual exhibition. Move to the rhythm of American Sabor and discover the diversity, creativity, and innovations of Latin musicians.

FAMILY AND ADULT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING

Programs and dates are subject to change. Please call 404.814.4033 to confirm program dates.

June 2014

Atlanta History Center Summer Camp 2014

History comes to life as AHC summer campers explore the past through games, historic simulations, performances, and hands-on activities. Join the fun with games, stories, crafts, and outdoor expeditions, as well as interactive exhibitions. Each weekly session has a new theme, so campers enjoy a variety of immersive camp experiences all summer long. The museum is our playground. Every week has a new theme, so choose one and join us!

Globe Trekkers and Trailblazers; June 2-6; Ages 6-8 and 9-11
History of Medicine; June 16-20; Ages 6-8 and 9-11
1964; June 23-27; Ages 6-8 and 9-11

Camp fees are $225 for members; $275 for nonmembers. Camp hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. To register your camper, please call 404.814.4018. For more information on these or Margaret Mitchell House summer writing camps, visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/SummerCamp.

Margaret Mitchell House Summer Writing Camp 2014

Margaret Mitchell House writing camps provide an opportunity for youth to discover the power and excitement of writing while honing their skills in a fun, interactive environment. With 10-15 participants per camp, each young author receives individual attention while learning how to create meaningful prose through a variety of techniques, like stream-of-consciousness writing, games, journaling, free verse poetry, and other forms. The camp has a new theme every week, so choose one and join in the fun!

Mystery in the City: On the Case; June 2-6; Ages 9-11 and 12-14
From Page to Stage: Playwriting; June 9-13; Ages 9-11 and 12-14
Write On: The Essentials; June 16-20; Ages 9-11 and 12-14
Extra! Extra! Write All About It!; June 23-27; Ages 9-11 and 12-14

Camp fees are $325 for members; $375 for nonmembers. Camp hours are Monday through Friday, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm. To register your camper, please call 404.814.4018. For more information on these or Atlanta History Center summer camps, visit MargaretMitchellHouse.com/SummerCamp.

Meet the Past: Gallery Performances Inspired by The Kinsey Collection

Weekends April – July 13, 2014

History comes to life through engaging and interactive Meet the Past museum theatre performances based on a few of the influential African American artists and writers featured in The Kinsey Collection. Written by the award-winning Atlanta History Center playwright, Addae Moon, performances include Ignatius Sancho, Phililis Wheatley, and Hale Woodruff.

This program is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. For more information or to purchase admission tickets, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Civil War 150 Lecture: Jeff Shaara, Smoke at Dawn

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

8:00 pm

Location: Atlanta History Center

New York Times bestselling author Jeff Shaara returns to the Civil War terrain he knows so well, with the latest novel in the series that started with A Blaze of Glory and A Chain of Thunder. In The Smoke at Dawn, the last great push of the Army of the Cumberland sets the stage for a decisive confrontation at Chattanooga that could determine the outcome of the war.

Blending evocative historical detail with searing depictions of battle, Jeff Shaara immerses readers in the world of commanders and common soldiers, civilians and statesmen. From the Union side come the voices of Generals Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, and George Thomas—the vaunted “Rock of Chickamauga”—as well as the young private Fritz “Dutchie” Bauer. From the Rebel ranks come Generals Bragg, Patrick Cleburne, and James Longstreet, as well as the legendary cavalry commander, Nathan Bedford Forrest. A tale of history played out on a human scale in the grand Shaara tradition, The Smoke at Dawn vividly recreates the climactic months of the war in the West, when the fate of a divided nation truly hangs in the balance.

Admission for all lectures is $5 members, $10 nonmembers, and free to AHC Insiders unless otherwise noted. Reservations are required. Call 404.814.4150 or reserve tickets online at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Lectures.

Support: Civil War 150 lectures are presented through the generous support of Vicki and Howard Palefsky.

Cherokee Garden Library Lecture: Philip Juras, Searching for the Southern Frontier: Landscapes Inspired by Bartram’s Travels

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

7:00 pm

Location: Atlanta History Center

Juras is an artist and author focused on natural landscapes that offer a glimpse of the Southeast before European settlement. In conjunction with an exhibition of his paintings, the book Philip Juras: The Southern Frontier: Landscapes Inspired by Bartram’s Travels was published by Telfair Museums and is distributed by the University of Georgia Press. In 2012 The Southern Frontier earned Juras the Georgia Author of the Year Award in the Specialty Book category from the Georgia Writers Association. His lecture is followed by a book signing, an exploration of Following in the Bartrams’ Footsteps, and refreshments.

Admission is free for Cherokee Garden Library Donors and AHC Insiders. Admissions is $5 members; $10 nonmembers. Reservations are required for all lectures; call 404.814.4150 or purchase online at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com. All lecture ticket purchases are nonrefundable.

Bernard Kinsey, What You Didn’t Learn in High School History

Friday, June 6, 2014

Reception 6:00 pm, Lecture 7:30 pm

Location: Atlanta History Center

Experience a dynamic evening of enlightenment and inspiration as historian and renowned art collector Bernard Kinsey takes you on a journey of discovery through many untold stories of African American history, accomplishments, and contributions. Kinsey debunks the more than 400-year-old “myth of absence” in American history, drawing from the extensive collection of artistic and historical treasures amassed in The Kinsey Collection. He reveals long ignored stories of the roles African Americans played in the making of America.

Afterwards, Professor Cliff Kuhn from Georgia State University, a noted local expert on Atlanta history joins Bernard Kinsey for a panel discussion moderated by Condace Pressley of WSB AM/FM.

Evening program also includes a reception and pre-lecture viewing of Wells Fargo’s nationally traveling exhibition The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, Where Art and History Intersect. The Kinsey Collection exhibition is on display at the Atlanta History Center through July 13, 2014.

Book signing follows the lecture. Copies of The Kinsey collection book are available before and after the program.

Finding Billy Yank and Johnny Reb: Researching your Civil War Ancestor

Saturday, June 7, 2014

10:30 am – Noon

Atlanta History Center archivist Sue VerHoef offers tips, techniques, and effective strategies for researching Civil War ancestors. This workshop is for skill level intermediate.

This program is held at the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Admission is $10 members; $15 nonmembers. Space is limited; reservations are strongly suggested. To reserve, call 404.814.4150. For information about program content call 404.814.4042 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Peter Heller, The Painter

Monday, June 9, 2014

7:00 pm

Location: Margaret Mitchell House

Peter Heller, the celebrated author of the breakout best seller The Dog Stars, returns with an achingly beautiful, wildly suspenseful second novel about an artist trying to outrun his past.

Jim Stegner has seen his share of violence and loss. Years ago he shot a man in a bar. His marriage disintegrated. He grieved the one thing he loved. In the wake of tragedy, Jim, a well-known expressionist painter, abandoned the art scene of Santa Fe to start fresh in the valleys of rural Colorado. Now he spends his days painting and fly-fishing, trying to find a way to live with the dark impulses that sometimes overtake him. He works with a lovely model. His paintings fetch excellent prices. But one afternoon, on a dirt road, Jim comes across a man beating a small horse, and a brutal encounter rips his quiet life wide open.

Peter Heller is the best-selling author of The Dog Stars. He holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop in both fiction and poetry. An award-winning adventure writer and a longtime contributor to NPR, Heller is a contributing editor at Outside magazine, Men's Journal, and National Geographic Adventure, and a regular contributor to Bloomberg BusinessWeek. He is also the author of several nonfiction books, including Kook, The Whale Warriors, and Hell or High Water: Surviving Tibet's Tsangpo River. He lives in Denver, Colorado.

A Conversation with Janet Evanovich, Top Secret Twenty-One

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

7:00 pm

Location: Atlanta History Center

Trenton, New Jersey’s favorite used-car dealer, Jimmy Poletti, was caught selling a lot more than used cars out of his dealerships in #1 New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich’s newest Stephanie Plum adventure, Top Secret Twenty-One. Now he’s out on bail and has missed his date in court, and bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is looking to bring him in. Leads are quickly turning into dead ends, and all too frequently into dead bodies. Even Joe Morelli, the city’s hottest cop, is struggling to find a clue to the suspected killer’s whereabouts. These are desperate times, and they call for desperate measures. So Stephanie is going to have to do something she really doesn’t want to do: protect former hospital security guard and general pain in her behind Randy Briggs. Briggs was picking up quick cash as Poletti’s bookkeeper and knows all his boss’s dirty secrets. Now Briggs is next on Poletti’s list of people to put six feet under.

With over 75 million books sold worldwide in more than 27 languages, Janet Evanovich is one of the most successful novelists of our time, delivering edge-of-your-seat thrills and laugh-out-loud moments with every book.

Tickets are $35 members; $40 nonmembers. Each ticket includes program admission and a copy of Top Secret Twenty-One. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 404.814.4150 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Lectures.

Graeme Simsion, The Rosie Project

Friday, June 20, 2014

7:00 pm

Location: Margaret Mitchell House

The art of love is never a science: Meet Don Tillman, a brilliant yet socially inept professor of genetics, who’s decided it’s time he found a wife. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which Don approaches all things, he designs The Wife Project to find his perfect partner: a sixteen-page, scientifically valid survey to filter out the drinkers, the smokers, the late arrivers.Rosie Jarman possesses all these qualities. Don easily disqualifies her as a candidate for The Wife Project (even if she is “quite intelligent for a barmaid”). But Don is intrigued by Rosie’s own quest to identify her biological father. When an unlikely relationship develops as they collaborate on The Father Project, Don is forced to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie―and the realization that, despite your best scientific efforts, you don’t find love, it finds you.

Graeme Simsion is a former IT consultant and the author of two nonfiction books on database design who decided at the age of fifty to turn his hand to fiction. The Rosie Project is his first novel, and was featured on several Best of 2013 lists. The screen adaption has been optioned by Sony Pictures. Graeme lives in Australia with his wife, Anne, and their two children, and is currently working on a sequel to The Rosie Project.

Juneteenth: The First Day of Freedom

Saturday, June 21, 2014

11:00 am – 4:00 pm

This weekend celebration focuses on the appreciation and commemoration of emancipation from slavery in the United States. Explore the themes of freedom and family history through a variety of genealogy workshops, gallery character performances, kid-friendly activities, and self-guided explorations of exhibitions.

This program is held during a Wells Fargo Free Admission Weekend. For more information, visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support:Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of Fulton County Arts Council, and Wells Fargo.

Juneteenth: The First Day of Freedom

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Noon – 5:00 pm

This program is held during a Wells Fargo Free Admission Weekend. For more information, visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Support:Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of Fulton County Arts Council, and Wells Fargo.

Mary Alice Monroe and Patti Callahan Henry, The Summer Wind and The Stories We Tell

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

7:00 pm

Location: Margaret Mitchell House

Join the Margaret Mitchell House for an evening with two beloved Southern authors as we celebrate the release of their addictive summer reads.

The Summer Wind is the much anticipated follow-up to Mary Alice Monroe’s New York Times bestseller The Summer Girls. Monroe draws readers back to the unspoiled beauty of Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina for the second installment in an emotional trilogy about sisterhood, second chances, and lifelong bonds. Mary Alice Monroe is the author of over a dozen award-winning and critically acclaimed novels, several non-fiction titles, and children's books. Her body of work reflects her commitment to the natural world through literature.

In The Stories We Tell, Patti Callahan Henry returns with a tense family drama about secrets and lies, and the cost of finally telling the truth. Patti Callahan Henry is a full-time writer, wife, and mother, and the New York Times bestselling author of eight novels, including Between the Tides, And Then I Found You, and The Perfect Love Song: A Holiday Story. Patti lives with her husband and three children in Mountain Brook, Alabama, where she is working on her next novel.

Elson Lecture: Daniel Vermilya, The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain

Thursday, June 26, 2014

8:00 pm

Location: Atlanta History Center

In the summer of 1864, Georgia was the scene of one of the most important campaigns of the Civil War. William Tecumseh Sherman’s push southward toward Atlanta threatened the heart of the Confederacy, and Joseph E. Johnston and the Army of Tennessee were the Confederacy’s best hope to defend it. In June, Johnston managed to grind Sherman’s advance to a halt northwest of Atlanta at Kennesaw Mountain. After weeks of maneuvering, on June 27, Sherman launched a bold attack on Johnston’s lines. The Confederate victory was one of the bloodiest days of the entire campaign. And while Sherman’s assaults had a frightful cost, Union forces learned important lessons at Kennesaw Mountain that enabled the fall of Atlanta several months later.

Daniel Vermilya is a Civil War historian who works as a park ranger at Antietam National Battlefield and Gettysburg National Military Park. In 2012, he was the first recipient of the Save Historic Antietam Foundation’s Joseph L. Harsh Memorial Scholar Award. Daniel received his bachelor’s degree from Hillsdale College, where he studied both history and politics. He also holds a master’s degree in history from John Carroll University.

Support:The Elson Lectures are made possible with generous funding from Ambassador and Mrs. Edward Elson.

July 2014

Atlanta History Center Summer Camp 2014

Adventures in History; July 7-11; Ages 4-5
Southeastern Indians; July 7-11; Ages 6-8 only
Science Fiction Prediction; July 14-18; Ages 6-8 and 9-11
The Battle of Atlanta; July 21-25; Ages 6-8 and 9-11
The Great War; July 28- August 1; Ages 6-8 and 9-11

Margaret Mitchell House Summer Writing Camp 2014

Writing camps provide an opportunity for youth to discover the power and excitement of writing while honing their skills in a fun, interactive environment. With 10-15 participants per camp, each young author receives individual attention while learning how to create meaningful prose through a variety of techniques, like stream-of-consciousness writing, games, journaling, free verse poetry, and other forms.

Mystery in the City: Haunts and Habitats; July 7-11; Ages 9-11 and 12-14
Sci-Fi and Fantasy; July 14-18; Ages 9-11 and 12-14
Write On: The Essentials; July 21-25; Ages 9-11 and 12-14
Write On: The Next Step; July 28-August 1; Ages 9-11 and 12-14

Meet the Past: Gallery Performances Inspired by The Kinsey Collection

Weekends April – July 13, 2014

This program is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. For more information or to purchase admission tickets, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Elson Lecture: Amanda Lindhout, A House in the Sky

Monday, July 14, 2014

8:00 pm

Location: Atlanta History Center

The New York Times bestseller A House in the Sky tells the story of Amanda Lindhout, as a child escaped a violent household by paging through issues of National Geographic and imagining herself visiting its exotic locales. At the age of nineteen, working as a cocktail waitress, she began saving her tips so she could travel the globe. Aspiring to understand the world and live a significant life, she backpacked through Latin America, Laos, Bangladesh, and India, and emboldened by each adventure, went on to Sudan, Syria, and Pakistan. In war-ridden Afghanistan and Iraq she carved out a fledgling career as a television reporter. And then, in August 2008, she traveled to Somalia—“the most dangerous place on earth.” On her fourth day, she was abducted by a group of masked men along a dusty road. Held hostage for 460 days, Amanda survives on memory—every lush detail of the world she experienced in her life before captivity—and on strategy, fortitude, and hope. When she is most desperate, she visits a house in the sky, high above the woman kept in chains, in the dark.

Amanda Lindhout is the founder of the Global Enrichment Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports development, aid, and education initiatives in Somalia and Kenya.

Support:The Elson Lectures are made possible with generous funding from Ambassador and Mrs. Edward Elson.

Jo Baker, Longbourn

Thursday, July 17, 2014

7:00 pm

Location: Margaret Mitchell House

The servants take center stage in this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice. While Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters fuss over balls and husbands, Sarah, their orphaned housemaid, is beginning to chafe against the boundaries of her class. When a new footman arrives at Longbourn under mysterious circumstances, the carefully choreographed world she has known all her life threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended. Mentioned only fleetingly in Jane Austen’s classic, here Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Regency England and, in doing so, uncovers the real world of the novel that has captivated readers’ hearts around the world for generations.

Jo Baker was born in Lancashire, England, and educated at Oxford University and Queen’s University Belfast. She is the author of the novels The Undertow, Offcomer, The Mermaid’s Child, and The Telling. She lives in Lancaster.

A Sweet Strangeness Thrills My Heart: The World of Sallie Independence Foster, 1861-1887, featuring Dolores Hydock and Bobby Horton

Friday, July 18, 2014

8:00 – 10:00 pm

Sallie Independence Foster lived in a world of high-top shoes, inkwells, and mail carried on horseback. But storyteller Dolores Hydock and music historian Bobby Horton have brought her into the 21st century.

Sallie Independence Foster was 12 years old and living in Florence, Alabama in 1861 when the War Between the States began. She was keeping a diary at the time, and kept on keeping a diary for 26 years. This performance, based on Sallie's diaries, papers, and letters from her brothers off at war, presents a funny, touching, and uniquely personal look at the life and times that Sallie shared with her paper "dear Companion." Hydock and Horton interweave Sallie’s story with camp songs, period favorites, and original tunes to create a poignant, powerful, humorous, and honest picture of a world of innocence turned upside-down.

This program is $15 for members, $20 for nonmembers. For more information or to purchase admission tickets, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com or call 404.814.4000.

The Battle of Peachtree Creek

Saturday, July 19, 2014

11:00 am – 4:00 pm

One hundred and fifty years ago today marked the eve of one of the most pivotal battles of the Civil War – the Battle of Peachtree Creek. Visit the farmhouse and kitchen at the 1860s Smith Family Farm to hear how Atlanta women and children dealt with shortages and other war-related hardships. Encounter soldiers encamped and hear their stories as they make preparations for the upcoming battle. The event is complimented with a keynote lecture with Robert D. Jenkins, author of The Battle of Peach Tree Creek: Hood's First Sortie, July 20, 1864.

This program is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. For more information or to purchase admission tickets, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Civil War after Dark

Saturday, July 19, 2014

6:30 – 9:30 pm

On the eve of the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Peachtree Creek, join the Atlanta History Center for a Civil War program 150 years in the making.

Guests travel back in time to the 1860s Smith Family Farm to meet soldiers, from both sides of the conflict, and residents of a small Georgia farm as they prepare for the Battle of Peachtree Creek. Inside the Atlanta History museum, experience Weird History tours of the signature exhibition Turning Point: The American Civil War, curator led tours of the new exhibition Confederate Odyssey, Civil War Improv complete with audience participation, and a concert featuring the Americana band with Southern charm, Little Country Giants. Enjoy barbecue dinner and libations available for purchase.

This program is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. For more information or to purchase admission tickets, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Battle of Peachtree Creek Live Blog

Sunday, July 20, 2014

4:00 – 7:00 pm

Watch the drama of the Battle of Peachtree Creek unfold as we post real-time updates, personal accounts, images and artifacts from the Battle of Peachtree Creek. To follow the battle, visit AtlantaHistoryCenter/Tumblr.com.

Civil Rights 50 Lecture: Clay Risen, The Bill of the Century: The Epic Battle for the Civil Rights Act

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

8:00 pm

Location: Atlanta History Center

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the single most important piece of legislation passed by Congress in American history. It gave the government sweeping powers to strike down segregation, to enforce fair hiring practices, and to rectify bias in law enforcement and in the courts. The journey of the Civil Rights Act was nothing less than a moral and political epic, a sweeping tale of undaunted activism, political courage, historic speeches, backroom deal-making and finally, hand-to-hand legislative combat. The larger-than-life cast of characters ranges from Senate lions like Hubert Humphrey and Strom Thurmond to NAACP lobbyist Charles Mitchell, called “the 101st senator” for his Capitol Hill clout, and industrialist J. Irwin Miller, who helped mobilize a powerful religious coalition for the bill. Looming over all was the figure of Lyndon Johnson, who deployed all his legendary skills to steer the controversial act through Congress.

Clay Risen is an editor at The New York Times op-ed section. Before that, he was an assistant editor at The New Republic and the founding managing editor of the noted quarterly Democracy: A Journal of Ideas. His recent freelance work has appeared in such journals as The Atlantic, Smithsonian, and The Washington Post. His is the author of A Nation on Fire: America in the Wake of the King Assassination and American Whiskey, Bourbon and Rye: A Guide to the Nation’s Favorite Spirit.

Support:Civil Rights 50 lectures are presented through the generous support of Vicki and Howard Palefsky.

August 2014

Homeschool Day: Open House

Monday, August 11, 2014

10:30 am – 5:30 pm

The Atlanta History Center offers special monthly programs for homeschool students and their families. Each month explores a different subject through exhibition tours and a variety of activities geared toward kids from toddler to teen.

Join us for our annual open house! Homeschooling families are invited to explore the Atlanta History Center’s museum, historic houses, and gardens free of charge.

For more information, email Homeschool@AtlantaHistoryCenter.com, or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Homeschool.

Nimrod Frazer, Send the Alabamians: WWI Fighters in the Rainbow Division

Thursday, August 21, 2014

8:00 pm

Location: Atlanta History Center

In Send the Alabamians, author Nimrod Frazer tells the story of the 167th Infantry, an Alabama National Guard regiment, whose heroic service in World War I helped break the bloody stalemate on the battlefields of eastern France and turn the tide of war. Part of the famous Rainbow Division, whose units hailed from 26 States and the District of Columbia, the Alabama regiment served under young Colonel, soon to be Brigadier General, Douglas MacArthur. Having already earned reputations as tough fighters on the Mexican border, the 167th Infantry fought from the trenches of Lorraine to the plain of the Champagne where they were among the units that thwarted the German drive on Paris. Their greatest success was cracking the Hindenburg line at Côte de Châtillon on October 16, 1918, after which German forces fell back to the Rhine and signed the Armistice on November 11, 1918.

Nimrod Frazer grew up in Alabama, volunteered during the Korean War, where he earned a Silver Star in combat, before receiving an MBA from Harvard University. A member of the Alabama Business Hall of Fame, he remains active in business while contributing extensively to the history of Alabamians in the service of their country.

Meet the Past Festival

Saturday, August 23, 2014

11:00 am – 4:00 pm

This family program invites guests to experience the best of Meet the Past offerings through interactions with characters that bring to life the stories of people from Atlanta and Georgia. Explore the galleries of the museum, the Smith Family Farm, and Swan House and engage in activities, discussions with historical interpreters, and become personally involved in the region’s past.

This program is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. For more information or to purchase admission tickets, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/.

September 2014

Homeschool Day: Georgia Farm Life

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

1:00 – 4:00 pm

Become a Georgia Pioneer and enter into a real working farm to find out what it was like to live during the 1800s. Immerse yourself in a first-person experience as you meet people from the era and help with the chores needed to survive.

Admission to Homeschool Days is $8.50 nonmembers; $6.50 children of members; and free for adult members. Discounted rates are available for groups with 10 or more children. For more information, or to make group reservations, please call 404.814.4018, email Homeschool@AtlantaHistoryCenter.com, or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Homeschool.

The Civil War and the Forging of Character Lecture Series: Stephen Davis, Ph.D.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

6:00 pm

Location: The Lovett School; Hendrix-Chenault Theater

The Atlanta History Center is pleased to be in partnership with the Lovett School for their four-year lecture series “The Civil War and the Forging of Character” which commemorates the sesquicentennial of the Civil War and the Battle of Atlanta.

This lecture series features Atlanta speakers and scholars who can engage all of us—students, teachers, parents, alumni, and the community at large—on critical matters of character and integrity as demonstrated during this defining period in our nation’s history. Atlanta's preeminent Civil War historian, Stephen Davis, Ph.D., will speak on the 150th anniversary of Atlanta's fall.

This lecture is held at the Hendrix-Chenault Theater located at The Lovett School and is free to the public. Reservations are required; please call 404.262.3032, ext. 1717.

Support: The Lovett School is presenter of “The Civil War and the Forging of Character”, made possible by The Jack and Anne Glenn Character Education Speakers Fund, through the generosity of the Jack and Anne Glenn Charitable Foundation and brothers Jack, Alston, Bob, and Lewis Glenn, and in cooperation with the Atlanta History Center.

This Land is Whose Land? Researching Family History Using Land Records

Saturday, September 6, 2014

10:30 am – Noon

Atlanta History Center senior archivist Sue VerHoef offers tips, techniques, and effective strategies for using land records in your family history research. Course is appropriate for intermediate skill level.

This program is held in McElreath Hall at the Atlanta History Center. Admission is $10 members; $15 nonmembers. Space is limited; reservations are strongly suggested. Call 404.814.4150 or reserve tickets online at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com. For information about program content call 404.814.4042.

Magic Mondays: World of Color

Monday, September 8, 2014

10:00 am – 1:00 pm

This monthly program for toddlers and preschoolers (18 months to five years) engages our youngest visitors in activities that introduce them to history in creative ways. Each Magic Monday has a unique theme and includes a guided exploration of one of our exhibitions, historic houses, or award-winning gardens, as well as demonstrations, arts and crafts projects, and story time. Join us for another exciting year and connect with old friends while meeting new ones.

Love making art? Then participate in different ways to create with color through paintings, drawings, and sculptures. Young ones will enjoy seeing and playing with the wide world of color.

Members are admitted for free. Admission is $6.50 adults; $5.50 children. Discounted rates are available for groups with ten or more children. For more information, please call 404.814.4110 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Evening for Educators

Thursday, September 11, 2014

5:00 – 8:00 pm

During this special evening, teachers are invited to meet our education staff and learn about all of our school tours and outreach programs, as well as other resources available for educators.

Admission is FREE for all teachers with current school ID and one guest; guests must be 21 or older to attend this program. A host bar and light refreshments are part of this fun evening. RSVP by calling 404.814.4110 or email SchoolTours@atlantahistorycenter.com

Fall Folklife Festival

Saturday, September 27, 2014

10:30 am – 4:30 pm

Traditional crafts, Southern foodways, and environmental sustainability are at the center of the Atlanta History Center’s Fall Folklife Festival. This annual family program celebrates all things Southern with an assortment of scheduled and ongoing events in the museum and at the Atlanta History Center’s 1860s Smith Family Farm.

This program is free to members; included in the cost of general admission for nonmembers. For more information about this program or to purchase admission tickets, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Family.

October 2014

Homeschool Day: Villains of History

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

1:00 – 4:00 pm

Get the real story behind the larger-than-life reputations of some of history’s most famous bad guys like Benedict Arnold, Jesse James, and Blackbeard, as well as the historic origins of modern-day monster myths.

Magic Mondays: Historic Halloween

Monday, October 13, 2014

10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Kids can show off their favorite costumes in a Halloween parade, costume contests, and trick-or-treating throughout the museum. Crafty creatures make Halloween-themed art projects and listen to spooky tales.

Cherokee Garden Library Lecture: Lynden B. Miller, Parks, Plants, and People: Beautifying the Urban Landscape

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

7:00 pm

Location: Atlanta History Center

Miller’s debut appearance in Atlanta will be based on her 2009 book, Parks, Plants, and People: Beautifying the Urban Landscape, winner of the 2010 American Horticultural Society Book Award. It chronicles over 25 years of experience and gives practical guidance on designing and maintaining public gardens as well as how to raise public and private funds to support them.

Her message resonates with park lovers, city planners, architects, landscape architects, civic leaders, and elected officials. She makes the case that “good parks make good cities” and argues that beautiful parks and gardens transform lives, encourage economic development, reduce crime, and change the ways people feel about their city. “It’s about quality of life,” she says. “In bad economic times it’s even more important that you keep your parks in good shape because people need them so much.”

Admission for this lecture is $25. All lecture ticket purchases are nonrefundable.

November 2014

Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Noon – 5:00 pm

Visitors of all ages will learn about and experience a Day of the Dead Festival. Guests enjoy storytelling, crafts, and authentic Mexican food and entertainment. View a display of altars honoring lost family and friends that are decorated with flowers, favorite foods and beverages.

This is a free admission day at the Atlanta History Center. Guests are invited to enjoy the outdoor festival, and if time permits, to continue their free day adventures with a variety of Atlanta History Center offerings from discoveries of signature and traveling exhibitions to historic house experiences and explorations of beautiful gardens and trails. Food and drinks are available for purchase.

For more information about this program, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Family or call 404.814.4000.

Support:Funding for this program is provided by the Institutio de Mexico and the Mexican Consulate.

Homeschool Day: WWI

Wednesday, November 6, 2014

1:00 – 4:00 pm

As Armistice Day approaches, mark the 100thanniversary of ‘the war to end all wars.’ Learn about the causes and consequences of WWI as you fight in the trenches, protest in Russia, and make peace in Versailles.

Magic Mondays: Fall on the Farm

Monday, November 10, 2014

10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Fall in love with the farm as it gets ready for the autumn weather. Experience life as it was during the 1860s by making a rag rug, watching open-hearth cooking demonstrations, and learning how to take care of the sheep and chickens.

Southeast Indians Heritage Program

Saturday, November 22, 2014

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Discover Southeastern Indians’ heritage and culture through demonstrations, performances, and discussions led by Native American artists and experts.

December 2014

Homeschool Day: Holidays in History

Friday, December 5, 2014

1:00 – 4:00 pm

Enjoy our annual holiday program and experience how Christmas was celebrated in years past, from the 1860s Smith Family Farm, to the 1930s Swan House, and beyond.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Researching Family History Using Newspapers

Saturday, December 6, 2014

10:30 am – Noon

Atlanta History Center senior archivist Sue VerHoef offers tips, techniques, and effective strategies for using newspapers in your family history research. Course is appropriate for beginning to intermediate skill levels.

Magic Mondays: O’ Christmas Tree

Monday, December 8, 2014

10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Help the Atlanta History Center gets ready for the holidays. Make ornaments, decorate Christmas trees, and hear holiday stories to get into the Christmas spirit.

Candlelight Nights

Friday, December 12, 2014

6:00 – 10:00 pm

Step back in time and experience Christmas past with a candle-lit stroll through a crisp wooded trail that transports you to the warm glow of the holidays. Visit each of the three historic houses to experience how Southerners celebrated Christmas during the pioneer days, the Civil War era, and the 1930s. Guests experience holiday traditions of years past with interpreters and special activities. Enjoy food for purchase and visit one of several cash bars for your favorite libation.

This special holiday program is $10 for members; $15 for nonmembers; $8 for children. For more information on this program, please visit online at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

Gone With the Wind Live Blog

December 15, 2014

Celebrate the 75thanniversary of the Atlanta premiere of Gone With the Wind by reliving the glitz and glamour of the 1939 world premiere through real-time updates and photos chronicling the event. To follow the evening’s events, visit AtlantaHistoryCenter/Tumblr.com.

Candlelight Nights

Friday, December 19, 2014

6:00 – 10:00 pm

This special holiday program is $10 for members; $15 for nonmembers; $8 for all children. For more information on this program, please call 404.814.4000 or visit online at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

January 2015

Three Kings Day, Dia del los Reyes

Sunday, January 4, 2015

1:00 – 5:00 pm

Kick off the New Year with the Three Kings Day Festival held in collaboration with the Mexican Consulate and the Instituto de Mexico.

This program is free to the public, but does not include museum admission. For more information about this program, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/Family.

Support:Funding for this program is provided by the Institutio de Mexico and the Mexican Consulate.

Homeschool Day: The Middle Ages

Monday, January 5, 2015

1:00 – 4:00 pm

The Middle Ages is one of the most romanticized and disparaged time periods in history. From gallant knights to the black plague, sift through the many myths and misconceptions of this not-so-dark age.

Magic Mondays: Music Mayhem

Monday, January 12, 2015

10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Discover the sounds of music! Play with musical instruments, join in on sing-a-longs, and learn favorite dance crazes that will have your tiny tot singing and moving all day.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center

(Atlanta History Center, McElreath Hall)

Wednesday – Saturday; 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

The Kenan Research Center’s archives and special libraries collections comprise the research component of the Atlanta History Center’s study, exhibition, education, and public program activities. Housed in McElreath Hall on the Atlanta History Center’s Buckhead campus, the holdings contain resources for the study of Atlanta and Southern regional history and culture, including 34,000 volumes and 15,000 cubic feet of historic photographs, prints, maps and architectural drawings, business records, private papers and documents, as well as 7,700 microfilm rolls of newspapers, Atlanta city directories and census records. Admission to the Kenan Research Center is free to the public, attracting such researchers as genealogists, educators, scholars, historic preservationists, print and broadcast media, popular and academic authors and students from grade school to postgraduate studies. The Research Center staff answers more than 13,000 reference requests a year, assisting private individuals, nonprofit institutions and commercial firms. Through the research facilities, individuals and media can purchase copies of historic photographs, prints, maps, and other archival images.Terminus, the Research Center public access catalog, can be accessed online at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com. Researchers can quickly find information due to the expanded space and division of rooms devoted to special interests including

Decorative Arts: The Philip T. Shutze and Harvey M. Smith collections of design and decorative arts resources.

Genealogy: The genealogy and family history collections contain resources for tracing family history throughout Georgia and the South.

Military History: The Beverly M. DuBose Jr. and Thomas S. Dickey resources on the Civil War and military ordnance.

Southern Gardens: The Cherokee Garden Library composed of publications and rare books on gardening, botany, landscape design and agriculture.

Special events facilities at the Kenan Research Center include the Woodruff Auditorium, a theater-style auditorium seating 400, and the Draper Members Room, perfect for a 120-person seated dinner.

ABOUT THE ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER:

Founded in 1926, the Atlanta History Center is an all-inclusive, thirty-three-acre destination featuring the Atlanta History Museum, one of the nation’s largest history museums; two historic houses, the 1928 Swan House and the 1860 Smith Family Farm; the Centennial Olympic Games Museum; the Kenan Research Center; the Grand Overlook event space; Chick-Fil-A at the Coca-Cola Café, a museum shop, and 22 acres of Historic Gardens with paths and the kid-friendly Connor Brown Discovery Trail.

In addition, the History Center operates the Margaret Mitchell House located in Midtown Atlanta. For information on Atlanta History Center offerings, hours of operation and admission call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

ADMISSION/HOURS:

The all-inclusive general admission allows access to the Atlanta History Center, including the Atlanta History Museum, the Centennial Olympic Games Museum at the Atlanta History Center, the 1860s Smith Family Farm, the 1928 Swan House, and 22 acres of gardens. Atlanta History Center admission including sales tax is $16.50 for adults, $13.00 for students 13+ and seniors 65+, $11.00 for youth 4 -12, and FREE for children 3 and under and Atlanta History Center members. The Atlanta History Center is open Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 5:30 pm and Sunday, Noon – 5:30 pm (ticket sales stop at 4:30 pm daily).

The Atlanta History Center is proud to be a CityPass destination. Purchase a CityPass on site and receive admission to six famous Atlanta attractions for one low price! For more information, please visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

The Atlanta History Center is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, the Atlanta History Center is open Noon – 5:30 pm on Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day.

The Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center is open Wednesday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm. The Research Center is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

MEMBERSHIP:

Members play a crucial role in supporting Atlanta's history. Become a member and receive unlimited free admission to both of the Atlanta History Center’s campuses, experience exclusive sneak previews, engage in the real stories of the South, and enjoy a host of additional privileges. Our memberships

accommodate individuals, couples and families. For more information, please call 404.814.4101 or email to Membership@AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

FAMILY REUNIIONS:

The Atlanta History Center and Margaret Mitchell House offer a great location for groups big and small.Among the variety of engaging activities, your group experiences stories of African American life in the South through permanent and traveling exhibitions; revisit Olympic glory with interactive displays in the Centennial Olympic Games Museum; discover the traditions of Southern culture in Shaping Traditions: Folk Arts in a Changing South; and explore Atlanta's past through tours of 3 historic houses and 6 beautiful gardens. Trace your family's heritage through a wealth of resources available for free at our Kenan Research Center. Complete your visit with “one of a kind” Atlanta souvenirs available in our museum gift shop.

Enjoy special group tour discounts for groups of 20 or more adults or ten or more children, great picnic areas, on-campus dining from Chick-fil-A, bus accommodations, and free parking. In addition, we are conveniently located near a variety of Atlanta hotels offering shuttle services. For more information, please call 404.814.4062 or visit online at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

GROUP TOURS:

Specialized guided tours and self-guided tours are available for groups of 20 or more adults or ten or more children. Enjoy special great picnic areas, on-campus dining from Chic-fil-A, bus accommodations and free parking. To schedule a group or school group tour, or for more information about school groups, please call 404.814.4062 or visit online at AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

ACCESSIBILITY:

The Atlanta History Center and McElreath Hall are accessible to people with disabilities. Paved and unpaved pathways through the Atlanta History Center's Gardens lead to Swan House and Smith Family Farm. Large‑print reading materials are available for some exhibitions in the Atlanta History Center. Video presentations at the Atlanta History Center are subtitled in English.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

One of the most valuable components of the Atlanta History Center experience, volunteer docents bring the collections and signature offerings to life for visitors. Men and women, 18 years and up, of all backgrounds, guide school groups, local visitors and tourists every day through the Swan House, the Smith Family Farm and the Atlanta History Center. Other volunteer opportunities include assisting at the admissions desk or in the Museum Shop, hosting various special events and helping in the membership office. As preparation, volunteers are given hands-on training and attend enrichment sessions. If you would like more information about Atlanta History Center volunteers, please call 404.814.4115.

FACILITY RENTAL:

The Atlanta History Center is available for wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations, corporate meetings and special events. Visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com/rentals to preview an events video detailing Atlanta History Center event space offerings.

For information on available space, including the 6,400-square-foot Grand Overlook, please call 404.814.4088 or email RDefoe@AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

DIRECTIONS TO THE MUSEUM:

By car:

FROM NORTH OF ATLANTA GOING SOUTH ON I-75: Take I-75 South to the West Paces Ferry Road exit (#255). At the end of the exit ramp, turn left onto West Paces Ferry Road. Go approximately 2.7 miles. The Atlanta History Center will be on your right.

FROM NORTH OF ATLANTA GOING SOUTH ON I-85:

Take I-85 South to the Cheshire Bridge/Lenox Road exit (#88). At the end of the exit ramp, turn right onto Lenox Road. Go approximately 1.9 miles until Lenox intersects with Peachtree Road. (Landmark: Lenox Square Mall) Turn left onto Peachtree Road. Go approximately two miles. At the intersection of Peachtree, Roswell and West Paces Ferry Roads, turn right onto West Paces Ferry Road. Go through two traffic lights. The Atlanta History Center will be on your left.

FROM SOUTH OF ATLANTA GOING NORTH ON I-75 (OR FROM DOWNTOWN):

Take I-75 North to the West Paces Ferry Road exit (#255.) At the end of the exit ramp, turn left onto Northside Parkway. At the very next light, turn right onto West Paces Ferry Road. Go approximately 2.7 miles. The Atlanta History Center will be on your right.

FROM SOUTH OF ATLANTA GOING NORTH I-85:

Take I-85 North. (I-85 and I-75 come together in downtown Atlanta.) When I-85 and I-75 split, follow I-75. Take I-75 North. Then follow the directions listed above as "From South of Atlanta going North on I-75."

FROM DOWNTOWN ATLANTA WITHOUT TAKING THE INTERSTATE:

Go north on Peachtree Street (towards Buckhead). After approximately six miles, you will see a stone cathedral (St. Phillip's) that looks like it's in the middle of the road. Turn left onto Andrews Drive

immediately before the cathedral. (Peachtree Road will curve sharply to the right at this point.) Stay on Andrews Drive for almost one mile. The Andrews Drive entrance to the Atlanta History Center is the last driveway on the right. If you get to the intersection of the West Paces Ferry and Andrews, you can turn right and the Atlanta History Center main entrance will be on your right.

FROM 400 GOING SOUTH:

Take the Buckhead/Lenox exit. Turn right at the end of the exit ramp. At the second red light, turn left onto Piedmont Road. Turn right onto Peachtree Road. Go about one mile and turn right onto West Paces Ferry Road. After the second light, the Atlanta History Center will be on your left.

By public transportation:

MARTA:

Take the MARTA train to the Buckhead Station; transfer to the #110 bus; exit bus at Peachtree and Roswell Road. Make a right on West Paces Ferry Road and proceed two blocks. History Center is located on the left.

FREE PARKING:

Access to the Atlanta History Center’s parking deck is free for all guests. The deck is located near the West Paces Ferry Road and Andrews Drive entrances.

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