The March Begins

     More Sesquicentennial history goodness, this time from Georgia Public Broadcasting and the Atlanta History Center.  Each week, for 37 weeks, there will be a short video detailing Sherman's march across Georgia.

     I had a great many ancestors' in Sherman's path, in both Georgia and in his return path through South Carolina.  Some families, such as those living in Emanuel County, Georgia, and Lexington County, South Carolina, were directly in Sherman's path.  This video series is of great interest to me and I hope to learn many new things.

     Right now, you can watch Week One (Apr 21-27) and Week Two (Apr 28-May 4), or view a list of all videos.

Signed Up For StoryCorps

     I've posted before about StoryCorps, which is "an independent nonprofit whose mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives."  The organization has permanent locations in Atlanta and San Francisco, as well as a mobile recording booth that is currently in Santa Fe, NM.

     The Atlanta location recently moved from their location at the WABE (an NPR affiliate) radio station to McElreath Hall at the Atlanta History Center.  I've been to the History Center a number of times and done research at the Kenan Research Center at McElreath Hall, so I thought that this would be the push I needed to sign up.  I can tour the museum and grounds in the morning and record an interview in the afternoon.

     I convinced my mom to let me interview her and have signed us up for an appointment on January 29th. Interview times are limited to certain hours on Tuesdays and Saturdays, though the Atlanta location currently only has Tuesday times open. Interviews are technically free, though a minimum donation of $25 is suggested.

     I've done some audio recordings with my mom before, using a digital recorder or my iPhone. The StoryCorps appointment is going to be a very different experience. We'll be in a professional recording booth with a facilitator, who will take notes and may or may not ask questions during the interview.  At the end of the interview, I'll receive a copy on CD, StoryCorps will keep a copy and they will send a copy to the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Our photos will also be taken and copies kept with our story at the LOC.

     I want to ask my mom about social and cultural events and experiences from her youth. We have three weeks before the appointment, which she wants to use to prep. I'm going to work on a topic list and give it to her in the next few days, so that she'll feel more prepared during the appointment. I'm very excited to try out StoryCorps. Who knows, maybe I'll end up interviewing a few more relatives in the future?

The Civil War at the Atlanta History Center

     Timed perfectly for the sesquicentennial, there are two Civil War exhibits now on display at the Atlanta History Center. One is a permanent exhibit called 'Turning Point: The American Civil War,' the other is a temporary exhibit called 'War in Our Backyards: Discovering Atlanta, 1861-1865.'

     'Turning Point' is an exhibit that covers the Civil War from a broad, two sided perspective, starting from before the war and running until the end of Reconstruction. Many of the displays give information through a North vs South perspective. Topics include the daily lives of soldiers, women's roles, emancipation, ammunition, and battle plans. This exhibit gives a great overview of the war in a way that would engage everyone.

     The temporary exhibit, 'War in Our Backyards,' is about the Civil War in Atlanta. I really loved this exhibit because of all of the maps. It's filled with maps, maps and more maps. It's great to explore historic maps, filled with information about Civil War battles and plans, and compare them to today. The best map was an interactive digital one that used Google Maps. You could pull up different types of civil war information and explore then on a contemporary map. Aside from maps, there were also photos and artifacts.

     If you are in the Atlanta area I highly recommend these exhibits. They provide a great perspective on the Civil War, especially for genealogist who have been researching their Civil War ancestors.