Issue 79, Winter 2006

The image you uploaded appears to be the cover of a magazine titled “ALABAMA HERITAGE.” Here are the details: Title: “ALABAMA HERITAGE” Price: “SIX DOLLARS” (located in the top left corner) Issue Number: “NUMBER 79, WINTER 2006” (located in the top right corner) Artwork Description: The cover features a painting of an individual dressed in historical attire. The person wears a blue coat with gold trim, a white waistcoat, and breeches. Their face has been pixelated for privacy reasons. In their right hand, they hold what appears to be a letter or document. Above the magazine title, there is an emblem or seal.

Issue 79, Winter 2006

On the cover: Bernardo de Gálvez captured Mobile from the British in the American Revolution. [Courtesy the Foundation for Historical Louisiana]

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Features

The image depicts a large, ornate building with a prominent clock tower and several spires. The architecture suggests it could be of historical significance or an institutional building, possibly a university or government structure. The surrounding trees are covered in frost or snow, indicating that the photo was taken in winter. A metal fence runs along the foreground of the image, separating the viewer from the building and trees.
Samford Hall, Auburn University, c. 1899. [Special Collections & Archives, Auburn University Libraries]

Defining Moments: In Halls of Ivy

By Alissa Nutting, Clark E. Center Jr., Dwayne Cox, Donald Brown, and Cynthia Beavers Wilson

Join Alabama Heritage in celebrating the landmark anniversaries of four of Alabama’s most prestigious schools! This year, the University of Alabama turns 175, Auburn and Birmingham-Southern turn 150, and Tuskegee University turns 125. To commemorate these events, experts from each school define the three defining moments that shaped the schools into the icons they are today.

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The Spanish Conquest of Mobile

By Jim Noles

With Spanish governor Bernardo de Gálvez smashing through the line of British forts along the Mississippi River, Mobile soon stood as the last British stronghold between New Orleans and Pensacola. The old fort was in dismal condition, the defending forces were weary, and Captain Elias Durnford’s options were limited. It seemed their only chance was a speedy renovation of Mobile’s crumbling fort. Working hard under the suspense of impending Spanish forces, Durnford and his troops struggled to maintain hope.

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The image appears to be a portrait of an individual dressed in historical or ceremonial attire. The clothing suggests a high social or military rank. In the background, there’s a depiction of a sailing ship on the sea, which could indicate the individual’s association with naval endeavors or exploration. The aged look of the image may make it historically significant.
Bernardo de Gálvez with his coat of arms [W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library, The University of Alabama]
The image you uploaded appears to be the cover of a book or album titled “FOLKSONGS OF ALABAMA” by Byron Arnold. The cover features stylized illustrations of two individuals—one playing an instrument and the other dancing. The background is a solid color, and the text and illustrations stand out in a contrasting hue.
Arnold’s “Folksongs of Alabama” was the only collection of Alabama folksongs to include both words and music. [W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library, The University of Alabama]

Byron Arnold and the Folksongs of Alabama

By Robert W. Halli Jr.

Shortly after joining the music faculty of the University of Alabama in 1936, Byron Arnold witnessed the passionate singing of an African American congregation in Northport. Nearly ten years later, Arnold petitioned for and received support from the University, allowing him to travel the state and collect folksongs. During the 1945–46 academic year alone, Arnold covered more than two thousand miles and collected 258 folksongs, many of which were featured in his The Folksongs of Alabama (University of Alabama Press, 1950). Arnold would continue his field work for two more years, doubling his catalogue of songs and preserving much of a musical tradition that otherwise might have been lost. 

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The image depicts a modern architectural structure resembling a house or building. Its unique circular design features large glass windows and is elevated above the ground on stilts or pillars. The building stands on sandy terrain with sparse vegetation, including small shrubs and a few tall, thin trees. The cloudy sky serves as the backdrop.
The Isle Dauphine Club exemplifies architecture treated as sculpture. [M. Lewis Kennedy]

When Less was More: Alabama’s Classic Modern Architecture

By Alice Meriwether Bowsher

Photography by M. Lewis Kennedy

Alabama contains many important examples of Classic Modern architecture. This style is gaining a new appreciation by historic preservationists for its clean lines and simplicity of form. Classic Modern architecture emerged when American architects adapted the avant-garde International Style. The resulting commercial buildings were minimalist skyscrapers that used geometric form and flowing space, rather than Victorian-era embellishments, as artistic expression. Local examples of this type commercial building are the Waterman Building in Mobile, the Bank for Savings Building and the AmSouth Building in Birmingham. The Isle Dauphin Club on Dauphin Island and the YMCA Downtown Branch in Birmingham display the use of Classic Modern architecture in recreational buildings. The International Style was also adapted for the postwar housing boom. Houses for the new market used joined spaces, open interiors, and connections between outside and inside. Auburn’s Applebee-Shaw house, Birmingham’s Brown-Hughey House, and the Crestwood Subdivision in Birmingham exemplify small-scale Classic Modern architecture. 

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Departments

Alabama Mysteries

Williams/Wood Murders

By Pam Jones

On August 4, 1931, Jennie Wood, Augusta Williams, and Nell Williams took a drive along Shades Mountain. There, they suffered an attack that left two of them dead. The ensuing search for the murderer stretched as far as Chicago and almost certainly resulted in the conviction of an innocent man. 

The image appears to be a black and white photograph from a newspaper clipping. It features multiple scenes related to a historical event. The headline reads “Principal And Scenes Following Shooting,” suggesting an incident involving a shooting. There are police officers, crowds, and hospital entrances visible in the scenes.
“The Birmingham Age-Herald,” October 3, 1931. [The E.W. Scripps Company]
The image depicts a black and white photograph of a coastal scene with structures built on stilts over the water. There is a long pier or jetty extending into the water, with several buildings constructed on it, suggesting a waterfront community or fishing area. In the foreground, there appears to be a shoreline with some debris or structures, possibly indicating low tide or disrepair. The absence of color and modern features suggests this photograph may be historical or taken in a remote location where traditional building methods are still used. There are no visible people in the immediate vicinity of the structures, which adds to the serene but desolate atmosphere of the scene.
Fairhope, Alabama.

Recollections

Clarence Darrow Slept Here

By Mary Lois Timbes 

In 1927 evolution defense attorney Clarence Darrow, of the famed Scopes Monkey Trial, spent two months in Fairhope, Alabama. There he immersed himself in controversial local affairs, gave speeches, and occasionally ruffled feathers. An unusual and outspoken man, Clarence Darrow’s somewhat abrasive nature served him well in the courtroom, but often offended in social situations. However, the idealist town of Fairhope received him well, and legends of his visit still circulate.

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