Issue 58, Fall 2000

The image appears to be the cover of a magazine or journal titled “ALABAMA HERITAGE.” The background features a muted purple color, creating an elegant and subdued tone. Here are the key elements: Main Title: The prominent white capital letters spell out “ALABAMA HERITAGE” at the top of the cover. Inset Architectural Image: Below the title, there’s an inset photo capturing detailed architectural elements. These elements are painted in a similar muted purple tone. The architectural details include ornate carvings and embellishments on the building’s exterior. The craftsmanship is evident, showcasing the historical significance of the structure. Additional Text: Smaller white text appears below the main title. It likely indicates the issue number or date of the magazine. The specific text reads: “ISSUE 57 / FALL 2000.” The overall composition exudes a sense of heritage, celebrating Alabama’s rich history and architectural legacy. The choice of colors and the inclusion of intricate architectural details evoke a feeling of nostalgia and reverence.

Issue 58, Fall 2000

On the cover:  Birmingham’s restored Zinszer Building, 1889. [Photo by Robin McDonald]

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Features

Ornate Porcelain Tableware: The image showcases a set of exquisite porcelain tableware. Included in the collection are: A large plate with scalloped edges adorned with intricate designs. A gravy boat accompanied by an attached underplate. A covered dish, all featuring delicate floral patterns. The color palette includes red and gold accents, lending an opulent feel. Design Elements: The large plate: Features red borders with gold detailing. In the center, a colorful bouquet of hand-painted flowers graces the porcelain. The gravy boat and underplate: Mirror the design elements of the larger plate. Also incorporate red and gold accents and floral motifs. The covered dish: Complements the set, maintaining the same design theme. Setting: The tableware rests on a dark wooden surface. In the background, part of an elegant curtain or drapery adds to the luxurious ambiance. Overall, this porcelain ensemble exudes elegance and sophistication.
This graceful sauceboat, covered butter dish, and cake plate are from a magnificent dinner service of Paris porcelain acquired about 1850 by John Richardson Mason and his wife, Glorvinia Beaty, of Athens, Alabama. [From A Private Collection]

Paris Porcelain in Antebellum Alabama

By Edward Pattillo

“The mantelpieces of affluent antebellum Alabama houses,” writes Edward Pattillo in the Fall 2000 issue of Alabama Heritage, “were decorated in the rococo taste that reflected the Cotton Kingdom’s love of the opulent.” That love grew in sentimentality after the Civil War. As Pattillo points out, the post-war South saw an increase in demand for European porcelain, in part because such refinery served as a poignant reminder of a lost southern past.

In his article, Pattillo recounts the history of porcelain-from its roots in China to its rich glory days in King Louis XV’s court in France and beyond. Replete with photographs and detailed descriptions of various exemplary items and services of “Paris” porcelain, the article is required reading for collectors of fine china.

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Suffer the Children: Child Labor Reform in Alabama

By Paul M. Pruitt, Jr.

At the turn of the century, places like Merrimas Mills in Huntsville and the Alabama Canning Company in Bayou La Batre seemed to be plucked straight from the pages of a Dickens novel. Young children–some barely what we would call school-aged today–with soiled faces and ill-fitting clothes could be seen working alongside adults. Working machinery or shucking oysters for ten, twelve, and even fourteen hours a day, their movements and gazes were far too mature for their years. It was the work of a few forward-thinking reformers, writes Paul Pruitt, that changed all that, altering the shape of industry and the role of children in Alabama forever.

The black and white photograph appears to be historical, capturing a group of people outside a fenced area near a large brick building. The individuals’ faces are not visible due to the image’s quality or intentional editing. The scene includes a wooden fence, a small wooden shelter or booth, and people of various ages—children and adults—standing or sitting on the ground. The attire suggests an earlier era, with traditional or old-fashioned clothing. The bare branches of trees hint at fall or winter. The large brick building in the background has multiple windows.
Huntsville, Alabama, November 1910. [Lewis Hine]
The image appears to be a sepia-toned photograph of a middle-aged woman. The individual wears an ornate outfit, featuring intricate embroidery and decorative elements. A fur element is visible on one shoulder. The overall aesthetic suggests a vintage or historical context. The image has a blue border surrounding it.
Marietta Johnson [Marietta Johnson Museum, Fairhope]

Marietta Johnson, Visionary

By Mary Lois Adshead

In an age when the issue of education is often a political football and buzzwords such as “vouchers” and “accountability” are floated with impunity, it is interesting to consider that these very concerns were being debated–perhaps with even more fervor–in the early part of the century as well. Mary Lois Adshead takes an in-depth look at the life and work of the progressive educator Marietta Johnson. Johnson’s School of Organic Education in Fairhope, Alabama, was on the cutting edge of pedagogical theory and practice for its day, advocating independent learning and constructive play.

The image depicts an old, weathered house situated in a field. Here are the key features: House: The house has a faded white exterior, showing signs of wear and age. It features a gabled roof and a covered porch supported by two columns. Condition: The house appears abandoned, with peeling paint revealing the worn wooden structure underneath. Windows: Multiple windows are visible, some of which are boarded up or covered. Roof: The metallic roof shows signs of aging, with rust and discoloration. Surroundings: An unkempt field lies in front of the house, with patches of grass and bare ground. In the background, there are trees under a partly cloudy sky, suggesting a rural or secluded setting.
Uchee Methodist Church [Alabama Historical Commission]

Places in Peril: A Review of Alabama’s Endangered Historic Landmarks

By Robert Gamble and Patrick McIntyre

In 1962, the Mobile Historic Development Commission was established–thereby becoming Alabama’s first municipally related preservation agency. Nearly forty years later, the story of historic preservation in the state is compiled of both dazzling successes and sad defeats. Robert Gamble and Patrick McIntyre renew the magazine’s annual “Places in Peril” feature–this time with a twist. Instead of simply enumerating the most recent additions to the list and updating the stories of properties indexed in the past, Gamble and McIntyre take the new millenium as an opportunity to look back on the past four decades of preservation in Alabama, touching on the biggest threats confronting the movement today: neglect, vandalism, sprawl, and a lack of overall public awareness.

Departments

Recollections

Listen for the Coaling Train

By Aileen Kilgore Henderson

Aileen Kilgore Henderson recounts her time in the Women’s Army Corps Basic Training during World War II. She tells how essential the train was in her furloughs to and from Alabama. Her discussion of life as a WAC and her experience once the war had ended, depicts a vivid moment in the history of Alabama.

This historical black and white photograph features a large group of individuals in uniform, likely part of a military unit. They wear dark coats and hats, and some hold bags or sacks. The group is posed in front of a wooden building with visible windows. The aged appearance of the image suggests it was taken in an earlier era.
Private Aileen Kilgore (Henderson} (back row, third from left) and her fel­low WACs posed for a photograph March 23, 1944, in front of the WAC Orderly Room, Ellington Field, Texas, having just arrived by train from Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia. “We were sweltering in heavy winter clothes,” said Henderson. [Courtesy Aileen Henderson]
The image depicts two dragonflies engaged in mating behavior. Here are the details: The dragonflies are perched on a vibrant green leaf that extends from the water. The leaf stands out against the dark, murky water below. One dragonfly has a bright red body, while the other is darker in color. Both dragonflies have transparent wings, delicate and visible against the water backdrop. They are connected at their tails in a wheel formation, which is typical during mating. The overall ambiance of the image captures a natural scene of wildlife behavior.
An American rubyspot male and female form the wheel position. [L.J. Davenport]

Nature Journal

The Wheel of Life

By L. J. Davenport

Snake doctors, devil’s darning needles, horse stingers, and mosquito hawks–these colorful names reflect the folklore and superstition of dragonflies and damselflies. But the mating habits of these curious insects are no less colorful than their names, as this report by L.J. Davenport shows.

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