On March 8, Georgia Institute of Technology officially opened its newest permanent art installation, “Pathway of Progress: Celebrating Georgia Tech Women,” to the public. The “pathway” is a winding mosaic sheet at the heart of campus, made up of nearly 3,000 mirrored tiles that catch the light. If you look closely, you’ll notice dozens of […]
Tag: History
Posted inAtlanta Way 2.0
Walking Through History: How Oakland Cemetery Connects Atlanta’s Past, Present, and Future
A walk around Oakland Cemetery is a trip through Atlanta’s history and also a journey into the heart of the civic fabric of our city.
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Why Atlanta?
During the early days of America’s founding, having access to water was one of the primary prerequisites in choosing a location for a community. It’s not a difficult concept to understand. In addition to the obvious health benefits, having access to water provided a source of power for industry and, for many, water equaled mobility, […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
An Atlanta Alamo Connection
It is a safe bet to say that there were no Atlantans who fought at the Battle of the Alamo. Safe because the battle was over and done with a year before the terminus stake was ever driven into the ground. And yet…there is a connection between Atlanta and the Alamo. Not surprisingly, the connection […]
Posted inColumns, Media, Stories of Atlanta
The Tall Wagging Tale
Sounds good…you be the judge. That’s the deal we’re offering this week, as we tell the tale of a well-known Atlantan who decided to try his hand at event promotion. It’s a tale that has all the makings of a “top notch” Story. Sky-high, death-defying action, a high stakes bet, a puppy dog in danger, […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Connecting the Dots
This week we play a game of “connect the dots” as we trace the relationship of two famous Georgians who each played a role in Atlanta’s young but stellar past. We start with the birth of Crawford Long in 1815 and take a brief look at why we all owe him a major debt of […]
Posted inColumns, Media, Stories of Atlanta
Atlanta’s Hoo-Hoos
As the story goes, a journalist in the timber industry named Johnson was describing a most peculiar tuft of hair, greased and twisted to a point atop the otherwise bald head of a man named McCarer. Using a phrase of his own concoction to describe Mr. McCarer’s signature coiffure, Mr. Johnson pronounced it to be […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
The Unknown Origin of Fulton County
We know the last name but apparently no one bothered to write down the first name. It’s a cautionary tale about the value of taking notes on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
Posted inStories of Atlanta
Was Atlanta the First?
In the mid-1880s, George Eastman invented a process for coating a photographic emulsion onto a flexible material…put more simply, he invented film. Not only was that a giant leap in the evolution of photography, but the new medium also opened the door for the development of motion pictures. A decade later, Thomas Edison unveiled the […]
Posted inStories of Atlanta
It Took A Village
Build a better mousetrap and the world will be a path to your door. Given that the U.S. Patent Office says there have been over 4,400 patents issued for various types of mousetraps, many people must have taken that epigram to heart. And though, it is unlikely that you will find the mousetrap high-up on […]
Posted inColumns
From presidents to punk rock, new book documents a metro Atlanta photographer as ‘Witness’ to history
The photo of Hank Aaron’s record-breaking home run in 1974 is so literally iconic it hangs in the Baseball Hall of Fame: the Hammer running the bases while two teens who sneaked onto the field congratulate him. It’s one of many historic moments captured by metro Atlanta photographer Ron Sherman in more than a half-century […]
Posted inColumns, John Ruch
Atlanta History Center’s Stone Mountain film is right medium for a myth-busting message
“I think it’s an innovative approach to the museum working outside its walls,” said the Atlanta History Center president and CEO.
Posted inColumns, John Ruch
Atlanta’s overlooked labor union history may show the future of changing times
Unions have a long local history, and more is being made right now with such organizing successes as Atlanta Starbucks staffers.
Posted inColumns
‘Adaptive reuse’ of older buildings adapts to pandemic real estate trends
“Adaptive reuse” – the repurposing of older buildings for modern uses – is doing some successful adapting itself as the pandemic shakes up real estate. The urban trend is spreading into suburbs, remaking troubled malls and hotels, and the surge in industrial uses like delivery-oriented ghost kitchens.
Posted inLatest News
Atlanta’s pioneering construction and demolition of public housing the focus of markers, exhibit
Atlanta has played a key role in America’s history of affordable housing: It was the city that pioneered federally funded public housing complexes – and also was the first to demolish them all.
Posted inLatest News
Oakland Cemetery: New visitors center, restored Bell Tower part of major upgrade
Oakland Cemetery is embarking on its largest rehabilitation program in memory. The $12.5 million project is to begin Tuesday, with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms scheduled to lead a ceremonial groundbreaking at the 1899 Bell Tower building.
Posted inLatest News
Thanksgiving Day 1621, 2021: Looking back, looking around
As the nation marks the 400th anniversary of Thanksgiving Day, on Thursday, new views on the history of the day and role of Native Americans merge with reports on Georgia’s agricultural bounty.
Posted inHannah Jones
Archive Atlanta podcast sifts through the city’s unknown history
Victoria Lemos is on a search for Atlanta’s least known stories. With an unwavering appetite for history, she produces and hosts the podcast “Archive Atlanta,” which dives into the history of people, places and events that shaped the city. Lemos has always been fascinated in what makes a place unique, and her interest was only […]
Posted inLatest News
Lost graveyard of zoo animals at Prison Farm may get a memorial
A lost graveyard for zoo animals may be memorialized in perhaps the strangest outcome of the debate over the future of the former Atlanta Prison Farm.
Posted inLatest News
Teach-in at ‘Indian War’ cannon in Decatur displayed inclusive history lessons
The “Indian War” cannon in Decatur is in the national spotlight as advocates for the cannon’s removal gathered Sunday at an event organized with input from teenagers who wanted a “teach-in” to help show the types of history lessons they want in school.
