Issue 84, Spring 2007

The image appears to be the cover of a magazine titled “ALABAMA HERITAGE.” The cover features a sepia-toned photograph of an individual in a military uniform, with decorative buttons and epaulettes on the shoulders.Below the photograph, there’s additional text that reads: “PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, AND THE ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY.” The magazine is from the summer of 2007, issue number 84.

Issue 84, Spring 2007

On the cover: Former Alabama Governor William C. Oates served as a brigadier general in the Spanish-American War. [Courtesy the Alabama Department of Archives and History]

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Features

The image appears to be a black and white photograph. It features an individual seated in what seems to be a vintage military uniform with double-breasted buttoning. In their lap, there’s an object resembling a hat with a distinct emblem or badge. The background is nondescript and blurred, drawing attention to the subject.
William C. Oates. [Alabama Department of Archives and History]

Captain Oates and His Red-Shirted Boys

By Glenn W. LaFantasie

At the dawn of the Civil War, future Alabama governor William C. Oates organized a company of 121 men on the steps of the Abbeville court house. Though most of the men had no battlefield experience, they nevertheless enthusiastically marched northwards carrying dreams of glory and a strong devotion to the Confederacy. On their journey, these young men—known as Company G of the 15th Alabama—were introduced to the stark realities of a soldier’s life, facing death and hardship as they traveled closer to the war and were thrust into some of its most notorious battles. They would be immortalized at Gettysburg’s Little Round Top.

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The image appears to be a black and white photograph. It features a group of individuals sitting in front of a brick building. The individuals appear to be dressed in attire that suggests the photo is from an earlier historical period, possibly the late 19th or early 20th century. Their clothing includes long dresses, blouses with high collars, and various styles of hats. Some individuals are holding items such as books or handbags.
The first faculty of the Alabama Girls’ Industrial School. [University of Montevallo]

Montevallo: Mound in a Valley

By Alissa Nutting

From the earliest Creek inhabitants and Jacksonian pioneers who revered Montevallo for its beauty and fertility, a unique appreciation and spirit has long surrounded the city. As Montevallo developed over time into a lively town of commerce and community, residents began to nurture their love for the area into a vision of education, industry, faith, and recreation. An exploration of the city’s past reveals how present-day Montevallo has stayed true to the preservation of its many riches.

The image depicts a black and white photograph of a group of individuals in a corridor. Several individuals appear to be involved in a physical altercation, with one individual at the center being restrained by others. There is a door marked “PRIVATE” in the background, and the setting suggests an indoor environment possibly from an earlier era given the style of clothing and quality of the photograph.
George Webb is beaten by a mob of Klansmen. [Birmingham Post-Herald and Bettmann/CORBIS]

Shot Seen ‘Round the World: The Tommy Langston Photo

By Clarke Stallworth

On May 14, 1961, Birmingham Post-Herald photographer Tommy Langston waited for the Freedom Riders to arrive in the Birmingham Trailways bus station. The Freedom Riders had already been attacked on their journey south, and Langston was prepared for a scene. What he did not know, however, was that the violence he would document that day would go on to endanger his life and alter the course of a revolution.

The image depicts a white statue of a hooded figure, possibly wearing a robe or tunic. The right arm is bent and raised in front, while the left arm extends to the side. The statue is framed within an ornate arch featuring intricate scrollwork. The background appears to be brickwork.
The figure of Winter from the Richards House verandah. [Sheila Hagler]

Ornamental Ironwork—Signature of Antebellum Mobile

By John Sledge, photography by Sheila Hagler 

Early Mobile’s bare, simple streets matched its lack of prosperity. But after Alabama’s statehood, the city’s ports began to thrive and the face of Mobile changed accordingly. As the city became richer and more populated, business owners imported large amounts of iron from northern foundries to make impressive decorations for their establishments. Through much of the nineteenth century, the trade of ornamental ironwork grew quickly in Mobile, infusing the city’s austere beginnings with the unique, lush verandas and building-sides it is still renowned for today.

Departments

Alabama Treasures

Ella Smith and the Alabama Indestructible Doll

By Susan Hales

The eccentric Ella Smith of Roanoke, an art instructor and amateur inventor, was one of few women who held patents in the early twentieth century. After her retirement Smith pursued a goal to produce an indestructible doll for children. Because of Smith’s artistic skill and business sense, her creations have since proved to have a value as durable as the dolls themselves.

The image depicts two vintage dolls sitting on a wooden floor against a wooden piece of furniture, possibly a door or cabinet. The doll on the left wears a faded yellow shirt with brown pants and brown shoes. The doll on the right is dressed in a white lace-trimmed dress and pink shoes.
Ella Smith’s creations now survive primarily in museums and private collections. [Museum of East Alabama]

The Nature Journal

Doodlebugs and Antlions

By L. J. Davenport

Many people worldwide share the common childhood memory of lying by the hole of a doodlebug and urging it to come out with a rhyming plea. Larry Davenport describes the life process of the doodlebug and also accounts for the cultural significance of the ever-present insect, discussing its many appearances in literature as well as the variations of doodlebug rhymes across the globe.

The image depicts a close-up of an antlion larva on a light pink surface. The larva appears to be on human skin due to its texture and color. Covered in fine particles of sand or dirt, it has a rough surface. At one end, the larva has prominent pincers likely used for capturing prey. Its elongated body shows visible segmentation, and several pairs of spindly legs protrude from the sides, aiding in movement. This creature’s adaptation for camouflage and hunting makes it relevant for entomology studies or understanding natural survival mechanisms.
A freshly dug-up doodlebug. [W. Mike Howell]
The image you uploaded is the cover of a book titled “THE INFORMANT.” The title is displayed in large white capital letters at the top. Below it, there’s a smaller white subtitle that reads “THE FBI, THE KU KLUX KLAN, AND THE MURDER OF VIOLA LIUZZO.” The author’s name, “GARY MAY,” appears at the bottom. The background is black, and the cover features a close-up of grayscale eyes looking directly forward. These eyes convey intensity or scrutiny. Overall, the image suggests serious historical subjects related to crime, investigation, and civil rights issues in America.
The image appears to be the cover of a book titled “There Goes My Everything: White Southerners in the Age of Civil Rights, 1945-1975” by Jason Sokol. The cover features a photograph with two individuals standing in front of an older model car. The car is white and parked on what looks like a driveway amidst a grassy area with trees in the background, suggesting a suburban or rural setting. The faces of both individuals have been redacted with brown rectangles to maintain anonymity. The text on the cover reads: “THERE GOES MY EVERYTHING” “WHITE SOUTHERNERS IN THE AGE OF CIVIL RIGHTS, 1945-1975” “JASON SOKOL”

Reading the Southern Past

White Folks and the Civil Rights Movement

By Stephen Goldfarb

Jason Sokol and Gary May have each published books on the white response to the civil rights movement, There Goes My Everything: White Southerners in the Age of Civil Rights, 1945–1975 and The Informant: The FBI, the Ku Klux Klan, and the Murder of Viola Liuzzo, respectively. Stephen Goldfarb summarizes both works and discusses the differing focus in each one.

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