Over the past

few decades, there has been a revival of interest in Southern furniture

and antiques, with the collection at colonial Williamsburg showcasing

the nation's largest assemblage. The Southern culture of the period was

influenced by Welsh, Irish, Swiss, German, French and Caribbean immigrants

and their diverse cultures. Two centuries later, it is still evident that

the furniture made by this varied population mirrors the original influence

of British Isle and European cultures. Now, for the first time, the exhibition

will be available for viewing in parts of the "new South."

Rebecca Moore,

curator of decorative arts at the Atlanta History Center, believes that

the revival of antiques and collectibles makes the exhibition's educational

and historical importance all the more appealing. "The Atlanta History

Center's display of 'Furniture of the American South' brings the unique

pieces in this collection to one of the more centrally located Southern

cities," she said. "It is an opportunity to see Southern pieces

in a Southern metropolis and an exhibition many people will find appealing

from dedicated antiques collectors to creative homemakers."

Robert M. Balentine,

chairman and chief executive officer of Balentine & Company, presenting

sponsor of the exhibition along with parent company Wilmington Trust,

agrees that Atlanta is a prime venue for "Furniture of the American

South."

"Balentine

& Company and Wilmington Trust are proud to assist the Atlanta History

Center in bringing this traveling exhibition to the city of Atlanta,"

said Balentine. "Having founded Balentine & Company in Atlanta,

we're pleased to see early Southern style and culture on display and support

bringing quality cultural collections to our city's residents and guests."

Varying in

taste, technology and cultural influence, the furniture in this exhibition

stems from three primary regions of the early American South:

Cheaspeake.

The Chesapeake region includes eastern Maryland and Virginia and northeastern

North Carolina. Wealth and craftsmanship found a home in the region when

English, Scottish and Irish craftsmen settled in growing agricultural

marketplace cities such as Annapolis, Williamsburg and Norfolk. Artifacts

from this Southern region reflect a "neat and plain" style seen

in Britain, but later influenced by Northern American counterparts.

The Low

Country. Known today as coastal North and South Carolina, the Low

County region attracted various immigrants Dutch, French Huguenots, Swiss,

Germans, welsh, Scots, Scot-Irish and Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal

all settled in the area and shared new cultural ideas. Cities like Charleston

benefited from direct trade with the West Indies, where tropical hardwoods

like mahogany were found. Strong, structured neoclassical furniture forms

define this region.

The Backcountry.

Western Maryland and Virginia, typical Backcountry regions, benefited

from the influx of settlers from Germany, Switzerland, France, England,

Ireland, Wales and Scotland, as well as Northerners from states such as

Pennsylvania. In the Backcountry, many furniture forms illustrate the

"Old World" conservatism of social traditions, while others

demonstrate the creativity and fashions of the "New World."

Founded 75

years ago as the Atlanta Historical Society, the Atlanta History Center

includes the Atlanta History Museum featuring permanent and traveling

exhibitions, the 1845 Tullie Smith Farm, the 1928 Swan House mansion,

a research library/archives and 33 acres of gardens. The center is open

Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon until 5:30

p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for students over 18 and seniors,

$7 for youths 4-17 and free for children 3 and under.

The Atlanta

History Center is in the heart of the Buckhead district at 130 West Paces

Ferry road, just 2.6 miles east of I-75. For more information, call 404-814-4000

or visit the center's Web site at www.AtlantaHistoryCenter.com .

Back

to Home & Garden Home Page