Thursday, September 30, 2010

Victorian Mourning at the Holliday Dorsey Fife Museum October 16

Once you hear how many occasions and how often women during the Victorian Age had to wear black and remain in mourning, you'll rejoice that those old customs are not in vogue. Of course, it made picking out clothing really simple. 

October 16
11 am

Holliday Dorsey Fife Museum
140 W Lanier Ave
Fayetteville, GA

Travel back centuries to the Victorian Age on October 16.  Come see and hear Betty English and Carolyn Balog share the past as they discuss mourning rituals, clothing and jewelry. 

Reservations are required, but there is no extra fee to see this fantastic glimpse into the past.  The presentation is included with the price of the Museum entry fee.

With a love of history that runs back to the American Revolution, English and Balog are members of the James Waldrop Chapter DAR in Fayetteville.

Photo by Ann Eldredge
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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Atlanta History Center Holds Fourth Annual Fall Book Sale

Saturday, October 23, 2010
9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Draper Members Room of McElreath Hall

Over 2,000 titles will be available, including books on American history, world history, fiction, biography, and genealogy. Proceeds from the sale of books support the mission of the archives and library in promoting the preservation, conservation, and care of the permanent collections. Donations of books prior to the sale are welcome.

Proof of purchase from the sale provides visitors a $5 discount on admission to the Atlanta History Center on October 23. The admission provides access to all exhibitions, including With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition. One coupon per person.

For more information, call 404.814.4049 or email.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Seven Islands Artifacts Day

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm at The Indian Spring Hotel, Indian Springs, Ga. 30216
Sponsored by the Butts County Historical Society


The Public is invited to bring their artifacts to be identified and dated by members of The Ocmulgee Archaeological Society. Archaeologist Stephen Hammack and other members of the Ocmulgee Archaeological Society will be on hand to identify Indian Artifacts from all periods and historic artifacts from the earliest days of settlement. Of special note, Georgia Paleoindian Recordation Project Coordinator Jerald Ledbetter and John Whatley, author of “An Overview of Georgia Projectile Points and Selected Cutting Tools,” will be on hand to identify and record Clovis, Dalton, and other early projectile points. There will be several collections on display, flintknapping demonstrations by Dave Swetmon and atl-atl, primitive weapons and friction fire demonstrations by Ken Ruff. Also this year we will have “PICKINING ON THE PORCH”, so come out, and join in the acoustic jam on the back porch.

Seven Islands Artifact Day is sponsored by the Butts County Historical Society, The Village at Indian Springs and Generations Gallery. For more information contact W.J. Shannon at wjshanon123@bellsouth.net or call 770-361-7185.

Have you seen Abraham Lincoln Bicentenniel Exhibition at Atlanta History Center?

Atlanta History Center Only Southern Venue is Hosting Nationally Traveling Exhibition
Before he became President of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln was an Illinois country lawyer, an antislavery state legislator, a member of the United States House of Representatives who opposed the Mexican War, and twice was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the U.S. Senate. With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition commemorates the 200th anniversary of the birth of our nation’s most revered president. Significantly more than a chronological account of the life of President Lincoln, this exhibition reveals a very personal side of Abraham Lincoln the man, whose intellect and thought, words in speeches and writings, and his occasionally difficult actions in a desperate time of war were deeply affected by his personal experiences and the pivotal historic events brought upon him by the advent of war and loss of life.

On display at the Atlanta History Center through November 7, 2010, the exhibition features interactive computer stations, multimedia presentations, important documents, books, broadsides, and newspapers, as well as prints and photographs, notable artifacts, and historical maps. The exhibition and accompanying programming is designed to provide a glimpse into Lincoln’s presidency and address the storm of controversies he faced, including demanding challenges to individual civil liberties and our national Constitution, as well as controversies over slavery and race, and the defiance of the South leading to the dissolution of the Union and the Civil War. For more information, call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com.

The Atlanta History Center is the only venue in the South to host this important national traveling exhibition organized by the Library of Congress. With Malice Toward None and its national tour are made possible through the generous support of Union Pacific Corporation, which was founded by President Lincoln after he signed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862. For more information on Lincoln and Union Pacific, visit UPCelebratesLincoln.com. The exhibition is presented in Atlanta by The John and Mary Franklin Foundation, Southern Company, Atlanta Gas Light, and the Georgia Humanities Council. With Malice Toward None is presented as part of the Atlanta History Center’s Civil War to Civil Rights exhibition series, presented by the Scott Hudgens Family Foundation, Macy’s, and The Atlanta Foundation.

The exhibition opens with a multimedia presentation that explores both the mythic Lincoln and the honorable man as revealed by his stirring and unifying words. It also charts Lincoln’s dramatic ascent from a simple prairie politician to our country’s preeminent statesman and provides a window into the Lincoln presidency, his life’s struggle to keep the Union intact, and as the war drew to a close his last attempts to heal the nation’s wounds before his death.

Video commentaries appear throughout the exhibition from distinguished Americans, including Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, actor Sam Waterston, and others that reveal personal connections to the documents Lincoln wrote. Interactive programs trace the president-elect’s celebratory journey by rail from Springfield to Washington and his return to Illinois by funeral train as the nation mourned his death.

By placing Lincoln’s words in historical context and presenting such bedrock American documents as Lincoln’s First and Second Inaugural Addresses, the Gettysburg Address, and the Emancipation Proclamation, the exhibition provides a deeper understanding of how remarkable Lincoln’s decisions were for their time and why his words resonate today.

The exhibition draws on the extensive collection of Lincoln material in the Library of Congress and includes letters, photographs, political cartoons, period engravings, speeches, and artifacts. The actual grammar book studied by Lincoln in his boyhood effort to master English, the notes he prepared in advance of his seminal debates with Senator Stephen A. Douglas, and the personal scrapbook of newspaper clippings of the debates he assembled help to bring Lincoln to life.

The exhibition includes a caned rocking chair from the Springfield office of the Lincoln and Herndon law firm, on loan from the Union Pacific Railroad Museum, and the contents of Lincoln’s pockets on the night he was assassinated. The exhibition also includes a seldom-seen exchange of letters written during the 1860 presidential campaign between the Republican candidate and Miss Grace Bedell. The two corresponded concerning the positive effects that growing a beard could have on Lincoln’s presidential campaign. The letters are on loan from the Benjamin Shapell Family Manuscript Foundation and the Detroit Public Library. Aspiring poets will enjoy Lincoln’s early attempts at this difficult art form, as well as Walt Whitman’s Civil War diary and his verse written at the time of Lincoln’s assassination, “Oh Captain, My Captain.”

Other items include campaign and election ephemera and such treasures as an autobiography that Lincoln supplied to admiring biographers; his Farewell Address written as he boarded the train from Springfield the Bible upon which he took the oath of office on March 4, 1861, and which was also used by President Barack Obama in 2009; his Gettysburg Address, considered our nation’s preeminent speech; and his impassioned letter to Albert G. Hodges, editor of the Frankfort, Kentucky, Commonwealth, in defense of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Military enthusiasts have the opportunity to see the highly critical letter Lincoln wrote but never sent to General George G. Gordon Meade following the Battle of Gettysburg, the signed commission of General Ulysses S. Grant as Lieutenant General, several inquiring and sometimes reprimanding letters to General George B. McClellan, and the letter of thanks to General William T. Sherman for the capture of Savannah, Georgia. The exhibition also includes one of the most significant military documents of the Civil War, General Robert E. Lee’s “lost order,” which was found by Union forces prior to the Battle of Antietam. Lee’s ensuing retreat following the battle provided Lincoln with the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

The exhibition concludes with a moving selection of emotional artifacts related to Lincoln’s assassination and examines his overwhelming and enduring legacy to our nation and the healing of the nation’s wounds brought on by the Civil War.

Visitors also have the opportunity to tour the Atlanta History Center’s award-winning permanent exhibition, Turning Point: The American Civil War. At 9,200 square feet, Turning Point is the largest Civil War exhibition in the South that tells the story of the war from beginning to end and beyond. Included are over 1,400 original Union and Confederate artifacts, plus photographs, vignettes, videos, and interactive components that deal with the causes of the war, soldiers’ lives, wartime manufacturing, the home front, and the bloody, decisive campaigns of 1864. A final section encourages guests to search for the consequences and meaning of the war, which claimed 670,000 American lives, more than the combined number of Americans killed in all other wars from the American Revolution through the Vietnam conflict. The heart of the exhibit is the DuBose Civil War Collection, one of the world’s largest collections of Civil War artifacts. Displays include materials from the Thomas Swift Dickey Civil War Ordnance Collection, the Confederate States flag that flew over Atlanta at the time of the city’s surrender, a Union supply wagon used by Sherman’s army, General Patrick Cleburne’s sword, the logbooks of the CSS Shenandoah, the diary of a Union soldier who died at Andersonville prison, uniforms from both armies, and firearms, artillery, soldiers’ personal items, letters, diaries, medical equipment, civilian clothing, veterans’ memorabilia, and much more. Free Turning Point audio tours are available.

The DuBose Gallery is made possible by a gift from Mrs. Beverly M. DuBose, Jr. The exhibition is sponsored by an anonymous donor and by Mr. and Mrs. W. Barrett Howell. Installation of Turning Point: The American Civil War was supported by Balentine & Company.

Both exhibitions, With Malice Toward None and Turning Point, are free with general Atlanta History Center admission.

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 Southeast’s largest interactive history museums; two historic houses, the 1928 Swan House and the 1860 Tullie Smith Farm; the Centennial Olympic Games Museum; the Kenan Research Center; the Grand Overlook event space; Chick-Fil-A at the Coca-Cola CafĂ©, a museum shop, and 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, the two-acre campus features tours of the apartment where Margaret Mitchell wrote her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Gone With the Wind, an exhibition highlighting the life of Margaret Mitchell, a Gone With the Wind movie exhibition, and a museum shop.

For more information on Atlanta History Center offerings, hours of operation, and admission, please call 404.814.4000 or visit AtlantaHistoryCenter.com. 


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Monday, September 27, 2010

Researchers at Georgia Archives Soon to Have Limited Hours

Recently, the Georgia Archives announced on their website the reduction of hours due to budget concerns.  While this is disappointing to the many researchers who spend the day gleefully digging up family history buried deep in the vaults there, it is good the Archives will remain open on Saturdays.


Here is the announcement from the Georgia Archives:

Effective October 1, 2010 the hours available for public visitation to the Georgia Archives will change to Thursday through Saturday 8:30am to 5:00pm.  This is an unfortunate action we must take to meet the difficult budget environment facing all State Agencies.

With the reduction in public hours the Archives staff will now be deployed to fulfill different functions on different days.  When the Archives is open to the public, most or all employees will serve the public in the Reference Room.  When the Archives is closed to the public, most or all of the employees will work with state agencies to bring records into the Archives, catalog them, and shelve them.  To provide better and timelier service for research requests outside the core duties of the State Archives, i.e. genealogy requests, a list of other sources of information can be provided.  In this way the Archives will maintain its critical functions with reduced staffing.

Lunch and Learn lectures, normally held on the second Tuesday of each month, have been rescheduled (where possible) for the second Thursday of each month.  Please see the website for a revised schedule.

Source:  http://www.sos.ga.gov/archives/?utm_source=Georgia+Historic+Preservation+Division+e-newsletters&utm_campaign=809271607f-Preservation+Georgia+Online+-+Sept+18-24%2C+2010&utm_medium=email


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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Shapell Manuscript Foundation In Conjunction With The Library of Congress Presents: With Malice Toward None: The National Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition

On Exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, Atlanta, Georgia, September 4 through November 7, 2010

Exceptional Lincolniana on Public Display for the First Time


The Grace Bedell Letter on growing a beard


Lincoln's condolence letter to Miss Fanny McCullough


Lincoln's physician's record of the President's deathbed and autopsy

/PRNewswire/ -- With Malice Toward None: The National Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition is a landmark exhibit of letters, photographs, documents, and artifacts, which opened at the Library of Congress on Lincoln's 200th birthday, February 12, 2009.

The Shapell Manuscript Foundation is pleased to announce the loan of several rarely seen autographed letters, manuscripts and photographs from its Lincoln Collection for this important exhibition.

The exhibition will include the first public pairing of 11-year-old Grace Bedell's letter to Lincoln suggesting that he grow a beard, together with Lincoln's reply, just four days later. Also on exhibit is his famous condolence letter to Miss Fanny McCullough on the death of her father at the battle of Fredericksburg. An extraordinary assassination-related piece from the collection will also be featured: the blood-stained notes of Lincoln's family physician describing the President's tragic final hours—his decline, death, and autopsy.

While the scope and outreach of the Shapell Manuscript Foundation has included the lending of manuscripts to international exhibitions, this will be the first time that so many of its Lincolniana treasures have been publicly displayed in one place.

With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition has already traveled to the California Museum in Sacramento, California, the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois and the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana. After the Atlanta History Center in Atlanta, Georgia, the exhibition will make its last appearance at the Durham Western Heritage Museum in Omaha, Nebraska (Jan. 15–Mar. 20, 2011).

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CITGO Provides Free Admission to More Than 1,000 Museums on Smithsonian Magazine's 6th Annual Museum Day

Editor Note:  Georgia has many museums participating in this wonderful event.  To see the list of 40 museums across our great state who are part of this wonderful excursion into history, click http://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/museum-search/?state=Georgia .

/PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Petroleum Corp. and its network of local marketers and retailers are proud to continue their support of Smithsonian Magazine's 6th Annual Museum Day. On Sep. 25, 2010, more than 1,000 participating museums and cultural institutions across the country will open their doors free of charge. As a supporting sponsor of this program, CITGO encourages people to visit a local museum or historical site to help keep history and culture alive.

"CITGO and our network of local marketers and retailers are committed to historical preservation, scientific advancement and cultural education in each of the local communities we serve," said Gustavo Velasquez, vice president of supply and marketing with CITGO. "As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the CITGO brand this year, we look back at the milestones and events that have helped shape who we are and the people we serve. The Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day is a great way for local families to join us in celebrating this rich history."

More than 1,000 museums, galleries and historical sites will open their doors free of charge on Sep. 25, including the network of 19 Smithsonian museums and 168 affiliate museums. Families can experience a wide range of fascinating institutions at no charge, including the Boston Children's Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Miami Zoo and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City. To accesses a local attraction for free, visitors can simply go to www.SmithsonianMag.com/MuseumDay and print an admission ticket. Across 27 states and the District of Columbia, the network of nearly 6,500 locally owned CITGO stations will help families fuel their day as they learn about the history and culture that has made America great.

"We know that many families are looking for value these days. We are pleased to be able to give our customers a great way to make memories without having to spend a lot of money," added Gustavo Velasquez.

CITGO is joined in their support of the Smithsonian Magazine's 6th Annual Museum Day by its network of local marketers and retailers. In alignment with the social development principles of the CITGO shareholder, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, CITGO marketers and retailers support a wide range of charity and educational programs in local communities across the country.



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Monday, September 20, 2010

Apollo Discovery Tells a New Story

A University of Haifa/Hebrew University excavation team is taken by surprise as it discovers a ring revealing a Hellenistic elite lifestyle.

Newswise — A rare bronze signet ring with the impression of the face of the Greek sun god, Apollo, has been discovered at Tel Dor, in northern Israel, by University of Haifa diggers. "A piece of high-quality art such as this, doubtlessly created by a top-of-the-line artist, indicates that local elites developing a taste for fine art and the ability to afford it were also living in provincial towns, and not only in the capital cities of the Hellenistic kingdoms," explains Dr. Ayelet Gilboa, Head of the Department of Archaeology at the University of Haifa, who headed the excavations at Dor along with Dr. Ilan Sharon of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

When the ring was recovered from a waste pit near Hellenistic structures, it was covered with layers of earth and corrosion, and the archaeologists had no indication whatsoever that it would reveal the shape of a legendary figure. Only after the ring was cleaned up at the Restoration and Conservation laboratory at the Hebrew University's Institute of Archaeology, was the profile of a beardless young male with long hair, clean shaven and adorned with a laurel wreath, revealed. The ring was examined by Dr. Jessica Nitschke, professor of classical archaeology at Georgetown University in Washington DC, and by Dr. Rebecca Martin, assistant professor of art at Southeast Missouri State University, both of whom are partners in the Tel Dor excavations. Both confirmed that the image is that of Apollo – one of the most important of the Olympian gods in Greek mythology, god of the sun, of light, music and song.

The archaeological context and style of the signet ring date it back to the 4th or 3rd century B.C.E. This type of ring was used as a seal or was dedicated to the temple of the god imprinted on the ring. Since it was found in an urban context and at an orderly archaeological dig, the discovery is of great significance: Most of the small pieces of art originating in the Near East until now are of unknown origin, having been displaced through illegal antique trade, or purchased by museums and collectors before scientific archaeological research began.

The ring also testifies to the cosmopolitan character of this region as far back as 2,300 years ago. Despite the damage caused over the centuries, its high quality is easily recognizable. The precious object was found in the same area as a small gemstone with an engraved image of Alexander the Great and a rare, exquisite Hellenistic mosaic floor that were unearthed during earlier excavation seasons. All these discoveries are very likely to be linked to a nearby structure which is currently being excavated, the architectural features of which indicate that it is a grand elite structure.

These finds indicate that the circulation of fine art objects was not limited to the capital cities of the Hellenistic kingdoms in the east, such as Alexandria in Egypt or Antioch and Seleucia in Syria, where the main populations were Greek, but also spread to smaller centers, such as Dor, which was primarily populated by local Phoenician inhabitants.

The town of Dor was an important port on the Mediterranean shore from 2000 B.C.E. until 250 C.E. Pieces of Greek-style art, such as signet rings and miniature gems, began to appear in the east at the time of the Persian Empire (6th-4th centuries B.C.E.) and became more common after Alexander the Great conquered the region, passing through Dor on his journey from Tyre to Egypt in 332 B.C.E. Subsequently, the town of Dor became one of the centers of Greek culture in the land of Israel, and that culture left its mark even after Dor was conquered by Alexander Jannaeus, King of Judea, around 100 B.C.E. and its impact is evident well into the Roman era.

Tel Dor is located next to the Dor (Tantura) beach, between Haifa and Tel Aviv. It has been excavated continuously for some thirty years and is in the process of being declared a National Park by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. University of Haifa and Hebrew University teams collaborate in the excavations, along with a team headed by Prof. Sarah Stroup of the University of Washington in Seattle and a team directed by Dr. Elizabeth Bloch-Smith of St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia. Some 130 researchers, students and volunteers from Israel and the U.S.A. participated in the 2010 season of excavations. The ring was discovered in an excavation area directed by Yiftah Shalev and Hagar Ben-Best, a PhD candidate and a graduate student of the University of Haifa's Department of Archaeology. The Tel Dor excavations are supported by the Goldhirsh Foundation, USA, by the Berman Foundation for Biblical Archaeology and by the Israel Science Foundation.

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Coca-Cola Enterprises donates antique soda fountain to UGA College of Pharmacy

Coca-Cola Enterprises donated a historic soda fountain to the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy on September 17. The 1907 soda fountain, manufactured by Liquid Carbonic Co., is valued at $15,000.

Featuring a mirrored frame, marble counter tops and dispensing unit, the massive oak fountain has 13 flavoring dispensers. It was operational for many years at the Brightwell Store in Maxeys, before eventually moving to Coca-Cola Enterprises in Atlanta. The soda fountain now has a new home in the College of Pharmacy’s Alumni Suite, which was recently dedicated as part of the Pharmacy South Building project and renovations to the Robert C. Wilson Pharmacy Building.

Laura Brightwell, vice president of public affairs and communications at Coca-Cola Enterprises, is a descendent of the Maxeys Brightwell family. She and her colleagues at Coca-Cola Enterprises, Bill Douglas, executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Joe Cunningham, Coca-Cola facilities manager in Athens, officiated at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, along with Svein Oie, dean of the pharmacy college, and Dana Strickland, director of development.

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Friday, September 17, 2010

Presidential Proclamation--Constitution Day, Citizenship Day, Constitution Week

Editor's Note:  Know your Constitution.  Read your Constitution.  Be prepared to defend it everyday.  

Enjoy the nationwide celebrations today as all Americans celebrate the Constitution and its signing 223 years ago.

The summer of 1787 was a watershed moment in our Nation's history.  In the span of four short months, delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia established a Constitution for the United States of America, signing the finished charter on September 17, 1787.  With their signatures, and subsequent ratification of the Constitution by the States, the Framers advanced our national journey.

On Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and during Constitution Week, we commemorate the legacy passed down to us from our Nation's Founders.  Our Constitution, with the Bill of Rights and amendments, has stood the test of time, steering our country through times of prosperity and peace, and guiding us through the depths of internal conflict and war.  Because of the wisdom of those who have shaped our Nation's founding documents, and the sacrifices of those who have defended America for over two centuries, we enjoy unprecedented freedoms and opportunities.  As beneficiaries, we have a solemn duty to participate in our vibrant democracy so that it remains strong and responsive to the needs of our people.

Each year, thousands of candidates for citizenship commemorate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day by becoming new American citizens.  These individuals breathe life into our Constitution by learning about its significance and the rights it enshrines, and then by taking a solemn oath to "support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America."  In so doing, they voluntarily accept that citizenship is not merely a collection of rights, but also a set of responsibilities.  Just as our Founders sought to secure the "Blessings of Liberty" for themselves and their posterity, these new Americans have come to our shores to embrace and impart the fundamental beliefs that define us as a Nation.

In the United States, our Constitution is not simply words written on aging parchment, but a foundation of government, a protector of liberties, and a guarantee that we are all free to shape our own destiny.  As we celebrate this document's profound impact on our everyday lives, may all Americans strive to uphold its vision of freedom and justice for all.

In remembrance of the signing of the Constitution and in recognition of the Americans who strive to uphold the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, the Congress, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106), designated September 17 as "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," and by joint resolution of August 2, 1956 (36 U.S.C. 108), requested that the President proclaim the week beginning September 17 and ending September 23 of each year as "Constitution Week."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 17, 2010, as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and September 17 through September 23, 2010, as Constitution Week.  I encourage Federal, State, and local officials, as well as leaders of civic, social, and educational organizations, to conduct ceremonies and programs that recognize our Constitution and reaffirm our rights and obligations as citizens of this great Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Yellow Fever! Savannah’s Epidemic of 1820

Living history interpreters lead participants on a 50-minute experience through the historic site as voyeurs facing the frightful time of pestilence when the city was stricken by an epidemic of unknown cause but what we now know as mosquito-borne yellow fever. Performers will convey the fear, apprehension and anguish that characterized those who witnessed the deadly disease.

Friday and Saturday nights in October 2010 (October 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30)
7:30, 7:50, 8:10, 8:30 and 8:50 p.m.

Admission: $15 in advance for adults, $10 in advance children (ages 8-17) and $17 for adults and $15 for children at the time of the Reservations recommended. Limited attendance.

Location: Davenport House, 324 E. State Street, Savannah, GA

Not appropriate from children under 8 years of age.
The performance requires that guests be able to walk up and down stairs and maneuver in the candlelit rooms.

The Davenport House is a property of Historic Savannah Foundation.

Tennessee Child History Buff and Author Gets Surprise Book Deal

Titanic Museum Attraction visit inspires Sevierville boy
Publish Post

Earlier this summer, 9-year old Luke Copas toured the new Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. with his mother and father, Sabrina and Robby Copas. The fourth grader at Northview Primary School in Kodak, Tenn. was no stranger to the world’s most famous luxury liner; in fact, he had already written a book about it – but his visit to the museum would lead to a huge surprise for the young writer.

Last school year, then 8-year old Luke had been selected to participate in the “Child Authors’ Conference.” An avid reader who loved learning about the past, Luke wanted his book to create a passion in other children for history.

Sabrina Copas said, “Luke became a walking encyclopedia of all things Titanic. He was literally consumed by it. When it came time for him to actually write his book for the Child Authors’ Conference, it took him less than one week to write it because he knew the subject matter so well.”

Luke took his book to the Titanic Museum Attraction and showed it to co-owner Mary Kellogg-Joslyn. Impressed with the boy’s talent and driven by his enthusiasm, Kellogg-Joslyn secretly made a few phone calls and landed the boy a book deal.

“He has an amazing talent,” Kellogg-Joslyn said. “The first time I read his book, I couldn’t believe my eyes. He writes so well and researched this book so deeply that I simply wanted to share it with others.”

On Thursday, Sept. 16, Luke’s entire class at Northview Primary School was summonsed to the school library, where Kellogg-Joslyn and Titanic Museum Attraction First Class Maid Jaynee made a surprise appearance. At first, Luke didn’t know why they were there – but when he saw the first copy of Facts For Kids About the Titanic his face changed expressions.

“That’s MY book!” Luke proudly proclaimed to his classmates and Cub Scout friends who had joined him for his special surprise. Luke Copas’ new book Facts For Kids About the Titanic was released this week and is now available at the Titanic Museum Attraction gift shop.

On Saturday, Sept. 18 from noon until 2 p.m. Luke Copas will sign copies of his new book Facts For Kids About the Titanic in the gift shop at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge. The gift shop is always open to the public.

Since opening last April, nearly 500,000 visitors have been welcomed aboard Titanic Museum Attraction. The Titanic Museum Attraction – which is conveniently located to all areas of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville – is now open every day from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. ET. Tickets are available online at www.TitanicPigeonForge.com and visitors are strongly urged to purchase tickets in advance or make reservations by calling 1-800-381-7670. The museum has something special for each and every member of your family.

Cedar Bay Entertainment, which owns and operates Titanic Museum Attraction, is a privately owned entertainment and development company headquartered in Branson, Missouri, the site of Cedar Bay’s first Titanic Museum Attraction. Since its April 2006 grand opening, it has welcomed more than 2,700,000 guests.
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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Ancestry Day in Atlanta Scheduled for September 18 at National Archives

Saturday, September 18, 2010
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA South East Region),
5780 Jonesboro Road; Morrow, GA 30260

9:00am–4:00pm (doors open 8:30)
$10.00 Registration includes a box lunch at noon.


Free parking, seating is limited.

Presentations:    - Getting the Most from your Ancestry.com Membership
- Online Member Trees: Ancestry's Powerful Tool Keeps Getting Better
- Ancestry World Archives Project and You
- African American Collection at Ancestry
- Southern Claims Commission Records (Presented by Reginald Washington from the National Archives - Washington, DC)

Have you seen recent TV shows focusing on family history? If so, you may be wondering how you can get started on your own family history. Or you may be a long time user of Ancestry.com and are wondering how to get more from your membership. Register today to attend our Ancestry Day in Atlanta and learn about the premier family history website from a true insider.

Sponsored by: The Afro-American Genealogical Society Inc., Metro Atlanta Chapter (www.rootsweb.com/~gaaahgs) in partnership with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) South East Region (www.archives.gov/southeast/) are excited to host Ancestry.com at this event!

Your presenter, Lisa Arnold is a content manager for Ancestry.com and has been involved in genealogical research, teaching, and lecturing for more than 15 years. She holds a B.S. in Family History from Brigham Young University and is currently a Master's Degree candidate at the University of Limerick. From the Philadelphia area originally, she is the former Director of the Family History Center in Valley Forge, PA, and author of "Finding Your Quaker Ancestors". Lisa is the Chapter Coordinator for her local chapter for the Association of Professional Genealogists and is the proud grandmother of 5 (and counting!).



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Friday, September 3, 2010

Tour Atlanta's Historic Homes & Landmarks During The Georgia Trust's Fall Ramble, Sept. 10-12

/PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation will host its annual Fall Ramble Friday-Sunday, Sept. 10-12, in Atlanta, where guests will have the opportunity to tour more than 25 historic properties not usually open to the public.

During the weekend, 'Ramblers' will tour grand private homes in Inman Park, Ansley Park, and Grant Park. Ramblers will also discover the rich heritage of Sweet Auburn Avenue, and enjoy special tours of the Fox Theatre, St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and other Midtown landmarks.

Ramblers will begin the weekend Friday night at Rhodes Hall, headquarters of The Georgia Trust and one of the last remaining mansions on Peachtree Street, with a special reception and a behind-the-scenes tour.

On Saturday morning, Ramblers will enjoy breakfast and an orientation at historic St. Luke's Episcopal Church, where its gorgeous windows were created and installed over a sixty year period and were the work of three world renowned stained glass studios.

Saturday afternoon Ramblers will enjoy a luncheon at Inman Park United Methodist, a Romanesque style church completed in 1898, while exploring residential gems in Atlanta's oldest neighborhoods. That evening guests will experience a rare opportunity to dine at the exclusive East Lake Golf Club, the home course of legendary golfer Bobby Jones.

Sunday's Ramble will begin with a delicious brunch at Oakland Cemetery, the final resting place of many Atlanta notables, followed by a tour of beautifully restored Victorian homes in Grant Park. The tour will conclude with an exploration of Sweet Auburn, birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.

Check-in and registration for the Fall Ramble will be on Friday, Sept. 10, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Rhodes Hall, 1516 Peachtree Street NW, and at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 11.

A wide variety of registration options is available. For more information or to register, visit www.GeorgiaTrust.org or call 404-885-7812.

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Wednesday, September 1, 2010

'History with Elizabeth' at The Carnegie Topic Mill Villages (Newnan)

Come to The Carnegie for an intimate discussion with local Historian Elizabeth Beers to learn more about Newnan and its history. The event will be September 8 at 10 A.M.

“This program is a favorite with both newcomers and Newnanites alike as you can always learn something new about the city you live in from,” says Amy Mapel, Carnegie Coordinator.

A fourth generation Coweta Countian, Elizabeth is a descendant of early settlers. Proud of her heritage and always imbued with a strong sense of history, Ms. Beers has been actively involved in various professional, civic, community, church, and historical organizations. With her knowledge of the county and its people, she is a resource person, and has become known as the "unofficial local historian."

Please call the Carnegie at 770-683-1347 to reserve a spot today

About the Carnegie

Carnegie is one of the most historically significant structures in downtown Newnan and was built in 1904. The building served as a library until 1987 when a new facility was constructed on Hospital Road. With its iconic lighted sign that states the ‘City of Homes’ on top of the building, citizens recognize the Carnegie when they drive through historic downtown.

The Carnegie was funded by the city of Newnan’s General Fund and partly by 2007 Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST). The Carnegie’s cost to be renovated was over $1.5 million dollars to the city. For more information on the Carnegie, please visit www.newnancarnegie.com or email amapel@cityofnewnan.org

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