Hotel DeSoto -- Savannah Ga. Hotel De Soto

The Hugh Leighton Co. Manufacturers, Portland, ME. USA, Made in Germany

1907-1913

Historic buildings -- Georgia -- Savannah -- Pictorial works.

Hotels -- Georgia -- Savannah.

Architecture -- Georgia -- Savannah.

Savannah (Ga.) -- Buildings, structures, etc.

Preston, William Gibbons, 1842-1910.

Color postcard no border, divided back and postally unused. 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. This postcard shows the roof as it was designed prior to the fire in 1925. As a result of the fire, the roof on the tower was rebuilt as a flat roof.

The Hugh C. Leighton Co. operated between 1906-1909 out of Portland, Maine. They were a major publisher, with postcards mostly of New England. They employed some distinct styles in production. They primarily used a half tone lithography technique with a very subtle color palette. Less common was the half tone lithography with a bright color palette and the continuous tone lithography with a more orange color palette. Their rarest technique was a finely detailed gravure with a matte finish. In 1909, they merged with with Valentine & Sons and Sackett & Wilhelms to form Leighton & Valentine.

2283 appears after the publishers information.

Scholars wishing to cite this item should include item title, Savannah Postcard Collection, MS 016, Jen Library Archives and Special Collections, the Savannah College of Art and Design, and the item's url.

Image

Postcard

3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches

Color Lithograph.

MS 016 Savannah Postcard Collection, Jen Library Archives and Special Collections, the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Though this item is believed to be in the Public Domain, copyright may have been retained by the authors or creators of items in this collection, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.