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Margaret Mitchell House Museum, Inc. Visual Arts Collection

 Collection
Collection number: ahc.VIS140

Scope and Contents of the Records

These visuals were acquired by the Margaret Mitchell House, Inc. to document the life of Margaret Mitchell; the creation of her book, Gone with the Wind; the movie, Gone with the Wind; the Margaret Mitchell House; and Atlanta, Georgia, in the early half of the 20th century. Most of the images are copy prints and negatives. There are some significant original prints, however, including a series of photographs featuring Mitchell and her friend Henry Angel. Other original prints include Mitchell's 1922 wedding portrait; two prints of Mitchell with World War I servicemen, an 1863 ambrotype of Mitchell's grandfather, Russell Crawford Mitchell; and several images documenting the filming of the movie, Gone with the Wind. The collection also includes Gone with the Wind postcards, a Gone with the Wind movie poster, and sketches of characters from the movie.

Most of the photographs depict Margaret Mitchell during her adolescent years engaged in recreational activities with friends, including Madeleine Baxter, Alice Robinson, Henry Angel, Courtney Ross, Red Upshaw, and several other unidentified people. Also included are portraits of her standing outside her home at 1149 Peachtree Street and several publicity photographs of her after Gone with the Wind was published. In addition to the ambrotype of Russell Crawford Mitchell, there are many other images of Ms. Mitchell's family, including her second husband, John Marsh, and several members of the Stephens family on her mother's side, including Annie, Eugenia, and Alexander Hamilton Stephens. Photographs of other relatives in the collection include images of the Holliday family of Fayette County. The collection also documents several generations of the family of Cornelius Sheehan who first lived on the house on Peachtree Street. The remainder of the collection relates exclusively to the production of the movie Gone with the Wind, and includes images of the premiere in Atlanta, along with movie stills and photographs of property and houses in Georgia that could have been used as set design.

Dates

  • 1863-1997, undated, bulk 1916-1936

Creator

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright law. (Title 17, U.S. Code) Permission for use must be cleared through the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Licensing agreement may be required.

Administrative/Biographical History

The Margaret Mitchell House and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia is a historic site dedicated to help interpret the life of author Margaret Mitchell (1900-1949), and facts surrounding the writing of the novel, Gone with the Wind. From 1985 to 2004 the site was administered by the Margaret Mitchell House, Inc., a not-for-profit organization founded by Mary Rose Taylor. Mrs. Taylor, a retired journalist and civic volunteer, served as Chairman of the Board of the foundation and Executive Director of the house until August 1, 2004 when the organization merged with the Atlanta Historical Society, Inc. The house features docent-led tours of exhibits based on archival objects and artifacts, and also hosts the Center for Southern Literature, a programming division that sponsors literary events and creative writing classes. The structure where Margaret Mitchell once lived was built as a two-story, single family home for publisher Cornelius J. Sheehan. In 1910 it was converted to an apartment building. Mrs. Mitchell lived in a ground-level apartment with her husband John Marsh from 1925 to 1932. After years of neglect, the house was declared a city landmark in 1989 and fund raising began in an effort to preserve the structure. The house was opened to the public as a historic site and museum in May 1997. It is located on 990 Peachtree Street and is included on the National Regeister of Historic Places.

Extent

440 image(s)

Language

English

Arrangement of the Papers

This collection is organized into four sub-groups: (1) Photographic Prints and Negatives; (2) Postcards; (3) Posters; (4) Sketches.

General Physical Description note

440 black and white and color photographic prints, postcards and posters

Processing Information

Collection processed in 2007.

Title
Margaret Mitchell House Museum, Inc. Visual Arts Collection, 1863-1997, undated, bulk 1916-1936ahc.VIS 140
Author
Inventory prepared by Helen Matthews
Date
July 2009
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center Repository

Contact:
130 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta GA 30305
404-814-4040