The Bird Girl and a Wall of Names
Ever since reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, I had wanted to see Savannah, Georgia for myself. Berendt's brilliant nonfiction account of the people and places of this seemingly quiet town made me want to see it for myself -- to contemplate in the gorgeous graveyard on the cover, to see a performance by The Lady Chablis, to stroll through the tree-covered squares.
I finally made the journey a few years ago. Unfortunately, the graveyard was off-limits because so many visitors had disturbed the quiet and vandalized the beautiful Bird Girl statue, and the Lady Chablis had passed away. But the town was charming and held more secrets than I had realized.
The Bird Girl, a statue by Sylvia Shaw Judson, was moved from Bonaventure Cemetery to Telfair Academy. There, people can enjoy the statue against a backdrop taken from the iconic photograph by Jack Leigh. I was a little sad that the lovely statue had to be moved, but happy that I was able to see it up close.
She is so serene and thoughtful that I can see why her image has become iconic. While in Savannah, I purchased a postcard with a lovely rendition of the Bird Girl by Lisa Ocampo and a silver charm with her likeness. I'm a collector of cardinals, so the print was impossible to pass up!
When it came to visiting the actual home at the center of the Midnight crime story, I was torn. Although it is open for tours, it is also still owned and occupied by the same family. I was curious, but hesitant to make this family tragedy a tourist destination. In the end, we walked to the home and viewed it from the outside. It is on a gorgeous, tree-lined square, but really does not have many distinguishing features. (Before Midnight made it famous, it belonged to the family of songwriter Johnny Mercer.)
By the way, the film that Clint Eastwood made from Midnight isn't bad -- and The Lady Chablis is delightful playing herself -- but the film is a fiction version of the events. I'd recommend reading the book first.
In Savannah, we ate at a converted Greyhound Bus Station, went on a "ghost tour," and sampled some amazing Southern food and libations.
But by far the most memorable moment came when we toured the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters. Unlike any other Victorian home tour -- and I have been on many -- this one highlights the enslaved cooks, housekeepers, butlers, and gardeners who made the comfortable lifestyle of the privileged white family possible. The homes of the enslaved people are still there too, and tourists begin with an immersive experience of the quarters which seem roomy until you realize that thirty or forty people lived there at a time.
The wooden wall of names, taken from the Owens and Thomas family records of the hundreds of enslaved people who ran their several plantations as well as the mansion, include faded names and some planks left blank. The blank tiles stand in for those whose names have been forgotten.
The tour is passionately and thoughtfully presented, pointing out the lovely collections and furniture, but telling at every step the work it took to keep the lively house running. I left feeling as though I had learned more than on any history tour I have taken. Don't skip it if you're ever in Savannah.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said of travel, "My giant goes with me wherever I go." I don't think Emerson was opposed to travel, but he realized that visiting a new place cannot change us or teach us anything unless we are open to being taught. I try to remember that when I am a tourist, and to tell myself that I need to put my camera down to truly see and learn. Beautiful Savannah reminded me to learn.
