Historic American Buildings Survey - Georgia

Historic American Buildings Survey - Georgia

The Historic American Buildings Survey was established in 1933 as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” program to provide work for architects and surveyors whose jobs were affected by the Great Depression. Their job was to survey, draw and photograph America’s historic structures from the grandest to the most humble.

In Georgia, Atlanta architect P. Thornton Marye was appointed district officer of the project. With photographer, Sandy Sanders he traveled statewide measuring and photographing the state’s architectural treasures.

The handsome hand-lettered volume of their collaboration has been reproduced online by the Georgia Tech Collection. Despite being made for utilitarian purposes, there is something hauntingly beautiful about the photographs showing the homes and public buildings in all states of repair.

The Old Medical College - Augusta

Bulloch Hall - Augusta

The Blount House - Haddock

Westover - Milledeville

Westover - Milledeville

Johnson House - Clinton-Near-Gray

Lowther Hall - Clinton-Near-Gray

Minis House - Savannah

Bona Fide Bulb

Photo from Rural Missouri

For the architectural purist: authentic carbon filament light bulbs. Made by John and Lynda Casey in their small workshop in rural Missouri. These replicas of Thomas Edison’s bulbs are made with filaments from carbonized cotton fibers instead of the more modern tungsten filaments found in cheaper reproductions. The Caseys have provided bulbs for several films and historic homes including the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford Winter Estates Museum. Bulbs are available from their web site.