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Images of Savannah
Savannah is a city rich in history and beautiful architecture. Photographers have been capturing views of the city for the tourist trade and for commercial purposes since the beginning of photography. The Savannah College of Art and Design library collection includes images of the city and environs in various forms such as stereographs, postcards, slides, and other formats. Images from several collections are presented here, providing a cross-section of time. The stereographs date from the 1870s, the cabinet cards from the 1880s, publications from the 1890s, postcards from the 1900s, and photographs and slides are more recent. The images have been divided into categories, such as Aerial Views, Churches, Downtown Buildings, Hotels, and Schools, for ease of discovery.
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The image is from a scan of a slide from Myrtle Jones Collection, MS 002. The slide was used in the publication of her book, A Savannah Experience: an artistic expression of my life in Savannah, published in 1995. The slide depicts the Old City Market, painted in 1955, Oil on canvas, 20 x 24 inches. The artist mentions that she while she liked to paint the market's north side, this view is of the south side viewed from above in a building at the corner of Congress and Barnard Streets.
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Color postcard with no borders, divided back, postmarked April 19, 1915, of the Savannah Bank and Trust Building. Savannah Bank and Trust Company was incorporated in 1869. This Johnson Square building at 2-6 East Bryan was designed by Mowbray and Uffinger in 1911. The New York firm also designed the Citizens and Southern Bank building and a residence in Savannah. Savannah Bank and Trust became a First Union Bank, which was acquired by Wachovia. The neoclassical design is 15 stories, designed in the Greek tripartite scheme. The building design is modeled after a column with a 4 story base, 8 story column, and a 3 story capital. The building is still standing.
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Color postcard with small white border at bottom for caption, divided back, postmarked January 23, 1909. Image is of the Citizens and Southern Bank, formed by the merger of Savannah based banks, Citizens Bank and the Southern National Bank. Mills B. Lane commissioned New York based architects Mowbray and Uffinger to design the building in 1907. The neoclassical architecture blended in well with the existing architecture on Johnson Square. The building is still standing and is currently a Bank of America.
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Color postcard with no borders and divided back and postally unused. Image is from painting signed by Ted Waters. Caption from the back: "The Nationally Famous Pirate's House (1734) 20 East Broad St., Savannah Ga. 31401 One of Savannah's major attractions it its quaint and colorful Pirate's House located a block from the river in historic Trustee's Garden. Built in 1754 and associated with Stevenson's Treasure Island, The Pirate's House had become nationally famous for its supurb food and intriguing atmosphere. It is recommended by AAA, Gourmet, McCall's, and Better Homes and Gardens. Redbook says: "One of the 34 best restaurants in the U.S.A.!" Unique Lounge, Fascinating Gift Shop - Ample Parking. Bring the Youngsters"
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Image is from a color slide taken by Myrtle Jones of the Habersham House, now known and the Old Pink House. Myrtle Jones, better know for her paintings, took numerous photographs of buildings in Savannah and of the surrounding areas. Many she used later as reference for paintings. Her photographs were largely undated, but range from the 1960s to the 1990s. Her photos document Savannah architecture in a transitional point in time.
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The image is from a scan of a slide from Myrtle Jones Collection, MS 002. The slide was used in the publication of her book, A Savannah Experience: an artistic expression of my life in Savannah, published in 1995. The slide depicts an acrylic on canvas painting of the Pink House painted in 1994.
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Shiny color postcard with no border, divided back, and postally unused of the Pirate house on Broad Street. Caption from back: "Savannah Ga. The Pirate House and the adjoining Herb House. Situated in the original Trustees Garden, founded by General James Edward Oglethorpe, 1733. On Moonless nights, it is said that the ghost of Captain Flint of Stevenson's "Treasure Island" still abides here. Visitors Welcome. Open Every day from 11:30 A.M until 10:45 P.M."
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Color postcard with white borders and divided back, postally unused view of the Y. M. C. A. Building in Savannah. This building was designed by Henrik Wallin and completed in 1908. Located on Madison Square, it remained in use until a new YMCA building was completed in 1967. Though the building is only 5 stories tall, the design uses a 3 part skyscraper construction normally used on larger buildings. This building was demolished in 1970.
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Black and white image with white border, undivided back, postally unused of the building that was the Chatham County Jail, but is now Habersham Hall at SCAD. The Old Chatham County Jail was built in 1887, to replace an earlier structure. A competition was held and the McDonald Brothers, Harry P. (1848-1904) and Kenneth (1847-1904), of Louisville, Kentucky, were selected. Kenneth arrived in Savannah in 1886 and hired local project architect, DeWitt Bruyn and contractor, W. F. Bowe. Their design specified a jailer’s residence to be on the southern elevation and the cell block running to parallel Habersham. Prisoners would be separated by gender. Their plan contained 117 cells, 2 small basement level dungeons, a cell for condemned prisoners, an infirmary, and the 93 foot high clock tower. It featured such innovations as an elevator to bring food to the upper floors, speaking tubes, and gas lighting. The structure was built of brick, iron, stone, and stucco and stood four stories. It covered 42,884 square feet. Both the jailer’s residence and the cell block had rusticated granite bases with upper walls of gray Savannah brick, covered with stucco and scored to resemble masonry. A fire destroyed the original tower with its Byzantine style dome in 1898. The rebuilt tower was designed as a Moorish turret, rising 106 feet with four cast iron balconies. The jail was in use until 1978, with a renovation in 1957 by Bergen and Bergen Architects. In 1983, a group of investors considered developing the building into condominiums, but the project failed. The property was donated to SCAD in 1986. For a while, it was thought that the building could be renovated to house the college library, but that plan proved problematic. The area that was the jailer’s residence and the tower have been renovated, but the cell block area remains gutted.
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Black and white postcard with white border on the right hand side only, undivided back, postally unused. Image is of the Custom House in Savannah Georgia. Completed in 1852, the building housed the U.S. Post Office in the basement, the Customs Service on the first floor, and the federal courts on the second floor. This was the first building designed by John Norris, who went on to design 18 buildings while in Savannah between 1846 and 1861. The building was meant to be fireproof and was constructed entirely of stone. Norris' interest in fire protection changed the construction methods in Savannah through the use of materials such as brick and stone. Situated at the corner of Bull Street and East Bay, it is a Greek Revival structure with a distinctive cast-iron fence. The balusters are a design of closed tobacco leaf and fleur-de-lis surrounds. It is still used for its original purpose.
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No border, sepia print, divided back, caption from the back of the postcard: Federal building and U.S. Courthouse 125-127 Bull Street, Savannah Georgia Constructed 1894-1899, 1932 (addition) Photograph c. 1900 Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, 1899-1999 Centennial Celebration. The building, originally designed to be both Post Office and Courthouse, is in the Second Renaissance Revival style. The original portion of the building is constructed of white Georgia marble, and features Italianate tripartite facade divisions. One of the most prominent characteristics of the building is the varied fenestration. Jeremiah O'Rourke is listed on the cornerstone as the architect. After the 1932 extension, the building took up an entire block overlooking Wright Square.
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Color postcard with no borders, postmarked May 15, 1911. Now part of SCAD and known as Poetter Hall, the Guards Armory was designed by William G. Preston and constructed in 1893. It is a Romanesque Revival building with three full stories and a hipped roof of masonry faces with red brick. The 36,248-square-foot building features deep arches, large corner towers, and intricate wrought iron balconies. It overlooks Madison Square and originally housed a ballroom, company rooms, and social areas for the guards. The building now houses the SCAD welcome center, the departments of admission and graphic design, shopSCAD and the May Poetter Gallery.
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Glossy color print, with a divided back and no border, postally unused. Caption from the back of card: Interior of Fort Pulaski, Savannah Ga. By the successful use of rifled cannon to breach the walls of Fort Pulaski, April 10-11, 1862, Federal Forces introduced a new era in artillery and fortifications. A National Park Service Area Kodachrome by Walter H. Miller. In 1812, to protect the United States against foreign invasion, President James Madison ordered a new system of coastal fortifications. Fort Pulaski was planned to protect the port of Savannah and construction began in 1829. Construction was directed by Major General Babcock, and later Second Lieutenant Robert E. Lee. Located on Cockspur Island at the mouth of the Savannah River. Kazimierz Pulaski was a Polish soldier and military commander who fought in the American Revolution under the command of George Washington. He took part in the sieges of Charleston and of Savannah. The fort was constructed of an estimated 25,000,000 bricks built over wooden pilings sunk up to 70 feet into the mud. Construction took 18 years and cos almost $1,000,000. The eleven foot thick walls were thought to be impenetrable at the time the Fort would be invincible to enemy attack. This proved to be a wrong assumption during the Civil War, and the fort sustained quite a bit of damage. It was transferred to the National Park Service in 1933 and repairs were made by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places and open to the public.
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Color postcard with no border and divided back, postally unused. The image is of Hodgson Hall, which was constructed in 1876 as a to serve as the headquarters for the Georgia Historical Society. Hodgson Hall was designed by the American Institute of Architect’s founder Detlef Lienau, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was a gift of Margaret Telfair Hodgson and Mary Telfair as a memorial to William B. Hodgson, a prominent Savannah citizen, American diplomat, and curator of the Society. He was the husband of Margaret Telfair Hodgson and died in 1871 while on a trip to New York. In 1903, a plan was enacted between the Georgia Historical Society and the City of Savannah to cooperate in the establishing the Savannah Public Library. While some services began in June, the library was not fully functional until November 1, 1903. The public library shared its space with the Georgia Historical Society in Hodgson Hall through August 1916.
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Color postcard with white border, postmarked July 2, 1927. The Bull Street Library, the main library building is located in the Victorian district and next to a small city park. It opened for use in 1916. A Carnegie grant was used to pay for the the library building, which cost $104,041.78. H. W. Witcover, who designed many important Savannah buildings including Savannah’s City Hall, was the architect. The building is neoclassical in style. In 1936, WPA programs provided for the addition of a small wing filled with book stacks and a mural depicting a scene from the Robin Hood story in the children’s room. The building was expanded and renovated wit work completed in 1999. The project restored the Bull Street Library more than doubled the building’s size to 66,000 square feet. The 1916 portion of the building was restored to its original condition and painted in the neoclassical colors. A 1966 split-block addition was replaced with a more elegant and cohesive new addition, clad in white Georgia marble. The addition featured large window walls overlooking the canopy of live oak trees in the nearby park. In 2002, the library’s name was changed to Live Oak Public Libraries.
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The image is of a painting of the National Guard Armory located on Bull Street in Savannah. It is from a scan of a slide from Myrtle Jones Collection, MS 002. The slide was used in the publication of her book, A Savannah Experience: an artistic expression of my life in Savannah, published in 1995.
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No border, divided back, postally unused. Caption from back of postcard: U.S. Custom House 1-3 East Bay Street, Savannah, Georgia Constructed 1852, Photograph 1929 Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Image reprinted with permission from the Georgia Historical Society. The U.S. Customs Service was established by the First Congress in 1789. It oversees collection of duties and taxes on imported goods and controls the flow of imports and exports. It also combats smuggling and revenue fraud. The first Custom House in Savannah was built in 1789. The second, built in 1819, burned in 1837. The present building was designed and built by architect, John Norris, the first of 18 buildings he designed in Savannah. The building served as Post Office, Custom Service, and Federal Court House. The Greek Revival structure was built of stone using a fireproof construction technique that changed construction methods in Savannah. Surrounded by a decorative cast iron fence, the building boasts 6 massive decorative columns supporting the portico at the entrance.
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Color postcard with linen texture with divided back, postally unused. The Marine Hospital, located at the corner of York and Drayton Streets, opened in 1907. Part of a federal program constructing hospitals in various port cities to provide health care for Merchant Marine sailors, the hospital also played a key role in monitoring and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. The hospital’s mission grew over the first few years it was open to include a wider variety of public health functions and in 1912, the name was change to the Public Health Service. It operated as a low income out-patient health facility until 2003. The college acquired the building shortly after that and remodeled it into administrative offices. It is now known as Bradley Hall. This view of the building is looking southeast at the front at what is now the parking lot of Bradley Hall. The building underwent several additions, with the enclosing of the porches and a wing added to the back.
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Color postcard with no border with divided back, postally unused. The Marine Hospital, located at the corner of York and Drayton Streets, opened in 1907. Part of a federal program constructing hospitals in various port cities to provide health care for Merchant Marine sailors, the hospital also played a key role in monitoring and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. The hospital’s mission grew over the first few years it was open to include a wider variety of public health functions and in 1912, the name was change to the Public Health Service. It operated as a low income out-patient health facility until 2003. The college acquired the building shortly after that and remodeled it into administrative offices. It is now known as Bradley Hall. This view is looking southwest from Oglethorpe Square towards back of the building. This view is before it was remodeled and the porches were enclosed.
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The image is from a scan of a slide from Myrtle Jones Collection, MS 002. The slide was used in the publication of her book, "A Savannah Experience: an artistic expression of my life in Savannah, " published in 1995. The slide depicts a painting of the Old Hotel DeSoto, painted in 1963 a few years prior to its being torn down.
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Postcard with white border and divided back, postally unused. Caption from back of card: "The De Soto Savannah's biggest and Best commercial hotel $2.00 and $2.50 without bath $2.50 Connective $3.00 and up with bath Sample rooms Elihu S. McLean, Jr. Manager."
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Color postcard with no border, divided back, postmarked November 12, 1909. In the 1880’s, Savannah was an important stop in Florida’s burgeoning tourist trade. A railroad to Tybee Island was opened in 1887 with the idea of promoting the beach and Tybee as a resort area. Rail and steamship lines were well in place between Savannah and points north and south. It was hoped that Savannah would become a destination rather than a stopover. A major luxury hotel was the element missing that would draw people to stay in the city. Construction on the Hotel DeSoto began in 1888. It was a Richardsonian Romanesque style building designed by Boston architect William Gibbons Preston. The hotel building took up an entire city block and was constructed of terra cotta, brick, and shingle. Part of the hotel was five stories and the rest was six stories. It had 206 rooms and also housed solariums, a barbershop, drug store, lunchrooms, coffee shops, and a restaurant. There were separate entrances for ladies and gentlemen and large piazzas with rocking chairs. The many brochures in the collection boast of a swimming pool, 18 hole miniature golf course and proximity to tourist attractions, hunting, and fishing.
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Color postcard with no borders and divided back, postmarked October 10, 1912. In the 1880’s, Savannah was an important stop in Florida’s burgeoning tourist trade. A railroad to Tybee Island was opened in 1887 with the idea of promoting the beach and Tybee as a resort area. Rail and steamship lines were well in place between Savannah and points north and south. It was hoped that Savannah would become a destination rather than a stopover. A major luxury hotel was the element missing that would draw people to stay in the city. Construction on the Hotel DeSoto began in 1888. It was a Richardsonian Romanesque style building designed by Boston architect William Gibbons Preston. The hotel building took up an entire city block and was constructed of terra cotta, brick, and shingle. Part of the hotel was five stories and the rest was six stories. It had 206 rooms and also housed solariums, a barbershop, drug store, lunchrooms, coffee shops, and a restaurant. There were separate entrances for ladies and gentlemen and large piazzas with rocking chairs. The many brochures in the collection boast of a swimming pool, 18 hole miniature golf course and proximity to tourist attractions, hunting, and fishing.
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