In the history of Atlanta, there have been some contentious political arguments, but never has there been a night like the one a few days after Jonathan Norcross was elected mayor. The trouble began when the losing political party refused to accept their loss, and it ended when the other party donned white hoods and […]
Author Archives: Lance Russell
Lance Russell is an Atlanta-based filmmaker and media communicator who, for over three decades, has been entrusted by clients to tell their stories. A seasoned producer with an innate ability to cut to the heart of the matter, Lance’s instincts are tailor-made for today’s “media bite” culture. Brief, poignant and always entertaining, Lance’s current passion is bringing Atlanta’s colorful and inspiring past to life with his “rest of the story” style video series, Stories of Atlanta. “History’s best communicators,” says Lance, “have always been storytellers. It’s in our DNA. ‘Once upon a time’ is how we got to where we are now.”
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Growing Pains
Watching the Stories of Atlanta, one might be tempted to think that Atlanta’s history unfolded in a smooth, orderly fashion…one event after another in a precise and predictable manner, much like the hands on a clock. One should resist that temptation. The history of Atlanta was marked by challenges, setbacks, unexpected results and, as with […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Three Amigos
We look at three friends, all of whom lived in Atlanta. Each of the men are charter members of the history of Atlanta pioneers club and each left the city better than they found it. It’s the story of three amigos on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
Posted inStories of Atlanta
A Druid Hills Alum
He lit everyone’s candles for every bar mitzvah in New York City. At least, that’s what he said it felt like. He was named New York’s Most Popular Person…twice. They even named a sandwich after him at the Stage Deli. In high school he lettered in 4 different sports, received 125 basketball scholarship offers and […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The Trashcan Saga
Our story this week comes from Atlanta’s long-time Chief of Police Herbert Turner Jenkins. Chief Jenkins served on Atlanta’s police force from 1932 to 1972 and was named chief of Atlanta’s police force in 1947, a position he held for 25 years. In his book, Forty Years on the Force, Jenkins reminisced about his time […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
There and back again
Ask anyone who doesn’t live in Atlanta what they know about Atlanta and chances are pretty good that they’ll say they know Atlanta has a really busy airport. They probably won’t put it quite that gently, but who are we to presume. According to Airline Weekly, Atlanta took the title of “World’s Busiest” from Chicago […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
He scooped everyone
In the movie “Charlie Wilson’s War,” the character Gust Avrakotos, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, tells the story of a village boy who is given a horse. Everyone in the village says, “How wonderful, the boy got a horse,” everyone except the Zen master who just says, “We’ll see.” Two years later, the boy falls […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Making Radio Better
There are two main lessons to be learned from the movie “A Christmas Story.” First and foremost, don’t shoot your eye out. Running a close second, play your cards right, and you just might win a major award. Where we may have some disagreement is on just exactly what constitutes “a major award?” Perhaps we […]
Posted inUncategorized
Marketing in the 1800s
How many times every day do you have your picture taken? By some estimates, which include security cameras, it’s about 75 times. That’s a lot of pictures and it’s one of those 21st century statistics that wouldn’t even translate to Atlantans in the 1800s. Back in the day, having one’s image captured was a rare […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
He was only doing his job
Shakespeare had it right, “the play’s the thing.” And that was especially true of Atlanta in the 1890s. The theater was the dominant form of entertainment and, as you would expect, it was an industry that gave many people a chance to make money. One such Atlantan was Martin J. Dooley who made a nice […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
They deserved a monument
It is not hard to imagine how difficult life must have been for America’s early settlers. Most of us today would be ill-equipped at, best, to walk out into the wilderness and make a home for ourselves. In the 1800s however, it would have been expected of you. Tales abound in American history of the […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The Grand Master got the honor
A lot can happen in one year. Just look what has happened this year and the year is not even over. It may have taken a different form and a different pace back in the day, but innovation and change have always been a part of life. This week, we go back to 1928 and […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Turning defeat into victory
William Hartsfield lost the mayoral election of 1940. It would take an act of war to get him back in office.
Posted inStories of Atlanta
19th century self-promotion
In Washington, D.C., there is a memorial to Major General James B. McPherson. It was erected after his Civil War death in Atlanta. When McPherson fell, his 2nd in command led the charge. Several years later, John Logan’s wartime exploits were commemorated by Logan himself. The result of his efforts stands to this day and that is the […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
They would be seen no more
To everything there is a season. That is true of the little things as well as the big things. In 1918, Atlantans saw the end of a season that would never come again. It is a story we tell in this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The Merry Mutes
In the 1950s, a regular act at the Henry Grady Hotel was a comedy duo known for not talking. They called themselves The Merry Mutes and their deceptively simple act consisted of lip syncing to popular songs of the day. Though not as well-known as Martin and Lewis, Eric and Van did have talent to […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Change is a fact of life
As the saying goes, the fastest way from here to there is a straight line. But, sometimes, it is not that simple. These days, there are any number of possible impediments to a speedy trip: roadwork . . . detours . . . even street names. Over the years, many of Atlanta’s streets have gone through multiple monikers. This […]
Posted inUncategorized
The City Center
It is Atlanta’s most historic intersection. But in the early years of Atlanta, Five Points was the junction of Peachtree, Whitehall, Decatur, Marietta and Line Street. Two decades after the Civil War, though, things changed for Five Points, thanks primarily to the efforts of one man as you will see in this week’s Stories of […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The $1 Deal
Near the core of the Georgia State campus sits a Victorian structure that seems a bit out of place. Amid the multi-story buildings that line the street, it stands out in its uniqueness. With a gabled roof and turreted facade, what is today the home of the University’s Baptist Student Union resembles none of the […]
Posted inMedia
They called it Country
This week, it’s sort of a ‘road not taken’ tale, a story of what might have been. Atlanta in the early 1900s had developed quite the music scene. And that scene got a whole lot bigger when, in 1922, WSB radio signed on the air and immediately began looking for talent to fill air time. […]
