Day #3 [May 17th] began with breakfast at the hotel, then loading the van at 9:00 a.m. for departure to the Gone With the Wind Museum at 9:30 a.m. My hubby never meets a stranger and struck up a conversation with one of the Drury Inn employees, only to find out he was from Bangladesh and his parents own a tea plantation. That was worthy of a photograph!
~ Jerry and Zaman ~
The museum is in Marietta, just five miles from Drury Inn. Blogging friend, Angela McRae, e-mailed me before we left home to inform me the museum had relocated to 1851 historic Brumby Hall this past April.
Guided tours require 15 participants and we only had 11, so ours was a self-guided tour, but fun none-the-less. We arrived shortly before they opened at 10:00 a.m. which gave us lots of time for pictures outside.
The azaleas were done blooming, but the beautiful Magnolia trees were in bloom. I had no idea they grew so tall.
The museum encompasses three rooms on the first floor of the house plus the gift shop. It can easily be toured in an hour, unless you're a history buff and like to read everything.
Brief Gone with the Wind movie summary: The film was released in 1939, and was an epic historical romance/drama featuring the Southern Belle, Scarlett O'Hara [Vivian Leigh] and Rhett Butler [Clark Gable]. It was based on the 1,037 page, Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name, written by Margaret Mitchell in 1936.
The movie is two minutes short of four hours long, and Judy, one of our traveling companions, gifted me with it to watch while traveling in the van. It's the highest grossing film of all time in the United States and Canada. It takes place in the State of Georgia, during the American Civil War and Reconstruction period [1861-1877]
It was interesting seeing many of the costumes that Scarlett wore, which spanned a period of 12 years - from wide hoop skirts of the Civil War era to the early Victorian bustles of the early 1870's.
The movie opens with 16-year-old Scarlett wearing the white ruffle dress below while sitting on the front porch of Tara with two young suitors.
On the left is a cardboard stand-up figure of Scarlett that was in the gift shop. She's wearing the Green and White Southern Belle Spring dress worn to the Wilkes' barbecue at Twelve Oaks, in the scene where the Civil War was declared.
Red [harlot] party gown that Rhett forced her to wear to Ashley's birthday party after being caught with him at the mill.
Though not as large as the fictional Tara, it has plantation columns and was built at the time Tara would have been built.
The azaleas were done blooming, but the beautiful Magnolia trees were in bloom. I had no idea they grew so tall.
The museum encompasses three rooms on the first floor of the house plus the gift shop. It can easily be toured in an hour, unless you're a history buff and like to read everything.
Brief Gone with the Wind movie summary: The film was released in 1939, and was an epic historical romance/drama featuring the Southern Belle, Scarlett O'Hara [Vivian Leigh] and Rhett Butler [Clark Gable]. It was based on the 1,037 page, Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name, written by Margaret Mitchell in 1936.
The movie is two minutes short of four hours long, and Judy, one of our traveling companions, gifted me with it to watch while traveling in the van. It's the highest grossing film of all time in the United States and Canada. It takes place in the State of Georgia, during the American Civil War and Reconstruction period [1861-1877]
It was interesting seeing many of the costumes that Scarlett wore, which spanned a period of 12 years - from wide hoop skirts of the Civil War era to the early Victorian bustles of the early 1870's.
The movie opens with 16-year-old Scarlett wearing the white ruffle dress below while sitting on the front porch of Tara with two young suitors.
On the left is a cardboard stand-up figure of Scarlett that was in the gift shop. She's wearing the Green and White Southern Belle Spring dress worn to the Wilkes' barbecue at Twelve Oaks, in the scene where the Civil War was declared.
Red [harlot] party gown that Rhett forced her to wear to Ashley's birthday party after being caught with him at the mill.
~ Scarlett's Christmas Dress ~
Below is the original Bengaline Gown and Hat that Scarlett wore on her honeymoon with Rhett in New Orleans.
~ Scarlett's Blue Velvet Portrait Gown ~
The green 'curtain dress' that Scarlett had made from her mother's green velvet curtains is said to be the most iconic of all the costumes. The original is on display at the Harry Ransom Center - a library on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin, but they had a replica custome for sale in the gift shop.
A costume worn by Bonnie Blue Butler - Rhett's and Scarlett's daughter.
~ Hat Rhett gave to Scarlett ~
The front room of the museum pertained to Margaret Mitchell's life, homes where she lived, and the book. She was born in Atlanta in 1900 and died in Atlanta [1949] when as a pedestrian she was hit by a motorist and died shortly thereafter.
In another room was a miniature southern plantation house.
In another room was a miniature southern plantation house.
Hattie McDaniel, who played the role of Mammy, the O'Hara's house slave, was also featured in this room. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress - the first African-American entertainer to win an Oscar.
I could have gone on a spending spree in the gift shop because there were so many books I liked, but I settled on just one - a cookbook. This was the beginning of our trip, so I was trying to pace myself [and my pocketbook!]
I also bought a PBS DVD about the life of Margaret Mitchell to watch on the van.
If they would have had a commemorative teacup and saucer or a tin of Gone with the Wind tea, I would have bought it in a heartbeat, but they had neither - only unappealing mugs.
My favorite chauffeur!
We rode a mile to Marietta Square where we had time for a little shopping and then Afternoon Tea at the Vineyard Café at 12:30 p.m. Next post...
I have been to Marietta and never visited the museum. I did not know it was there! Next trip.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in Marietta, I read and re-read my grandmother's copy of "Gone with the Wind" many times before I ever saw the movie. It was cast perfectly and followed the book well, I did eventually watch it once. I've driven past Brumby Hall so many times, but I didn't realize the museum had moved there. I'm glad your group was able to visit it.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh I would love to visit that place and I would want lots of things in the gift shop also,
ReplyDeleteI would even like to have a complete doll house like pictured
Oh how I wish I were there with you and your friends. Those costumes are gorgeous. I would like to see that DVD on Margaret Mitchell's life. Thank You for sharing this treasured trip.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn