Augusta Public Library Local History and Genealogy

The Ancestry Library Edition is once again available to our patrons. Thank you for your patience as we worked out the technical difficulties.

Matthew Buzzell, Assistant Professor of Communications at Georgia Regents University will present his documentary JIMMY SCOTT: IF YOU ONLY KNEW on Thursday, July 17 at 2:00 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Headquarters library.

“Best known for his impossibly high singing voice, enigmatic jazz legend Jimmy Scott has been called by The New York Times, “the most unjustly ignored American singer of the 20th Century.” JIMMY SCOTT: IF YOU ONLY KNEW is an personal and meditative documentary portrait of Scott, his odyssey of loss and redemption, and the most intimate document of Scott’s life to date. Rare archival photos, moving concert footage, lush travelogue, and extensive interviews intertwine to create a document of Scott’s lifelong attempt to overcome exploitation, reunite his family, and find closure through his art.”

JIMMY SCOTT: IF YOU ONLY KNEW premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2002. The film garnered the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2003 D.C. Film Fest.

The film received its broadcast premiere on PBS television’s Independent Lens in 2004, winning the Audience Award.

Jimmy Scott passed away on June 12, 2014 at the age of 88. His birthday is July 17th.

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/jimmyscott/index.html

Beginning Friday, August 1, 2014, the Georgia Heritage Room of the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library will present an exhibit featuring an alkaline-glazed stoneware vessel crafted by enslaved master potter, David Drake. Unearthed in 2006 by Savannah River Archaeological Research Program, the discovery of the jar prompted Archaeologist, George Wingard of SRARP, and Filmmaker, Mark Alberton of Scrapbook Video Productions to create a documentary exploring the little-known life of the enslaved African-American potter from Edgefield District, South Carolina. Also included in the exhibit is a replica jar made specifically for the documentary, “Discovering Dave: Spirit Captured in Clay”; materials detailing the history of David Drake’s life, assorted photos, and a selection of materials highlighting the making of the film. Also on hand will be copies of the documentary for viewing. The exhibit will run throughout the month of August, and is the only time the original “Dave pot” will be on display for an extended period of time. So please stop by the Georgia Heritage Room on the third floor of the library, Monday – Friday, 9:00 to 5:00; Saturday, 1:00 to 5:00, to see this wonderful find.

Four years ago, when James Hanby Sr. organized downtown Augusta’s first annual event in honor of Georgia’s signers of the Declaration of Independence, only nine people showed up – and six were family.

Last Independence Day, nearly 80 attended the ceremony at the
Signers Monument on Greene Street in front of the Augusta Municipal Building.

This year, the 1989 graduate of Hephzibah High School said he hopes to use that momentum to bring national attention and state acclaim to the event….

IF YOU GO

What: Ceremony honoring Georgia’s signers of the Declaration of Independence

When: 9 a.m. Friday

Where: Signers Monument in front of the Augusta Municipal Building, 530 Greene St.

Augusta Chronicle
July 1, 2014
By: Wesley Brown

Perfectly Aged: Historic Augusta’s Benefit Auction

Support the mission of Historic Augusta by attending its annual benefit auction on Thursday, September 18, 2014 at 6:30 pm. The event will take place at Saint Paul’s River Room at 605 Reynolds Street. The evening will feature hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, raffle, and silent auction of unique experiences, antiques, and wine. Tickets are $100 per person or $50 per person age 35 and under. For tickets and information, contact Historic Augusta at 706-724-0436

ENTERTAINMENT TROLLEY TOUR: From 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 22, Don Rhodes will be the host of an entertainment sites tour of North Augusta leaving from and returning to the North Augusta Municipal Center, 100 Georgia Ave., as part of the North Augusta Sweet Tea Series Trolley Rides.

Tickets are $5 for Heritage Council of North Augusta members and $10 for others. Email BBaratto@aikencountysc.gov or visit facebook.com/heritagecouncilofnasc.

As of this writing, 24 of the 35 available seats were reserved, but a second tour from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. might be added if the interest is there.

Other Sweet Tea trolley tours will be Milledge Murray and Wayne O’Bryant hosting a tour of North Augusta’s black and white churches on Sunday, July 27, and John Menger hosting a tour of people and places of North Augusta on Sunday, Aug. 24.

Matthew Buzzell nominated for Emmy Award
June 4, 2014 Kelly Jasper 1 Comment

Augusta, Ga. – Matthew Buzzell, Assistant Professor of Communications at Georgia Regents University, has been nominated for an Emmy Award for his work as a consulting producer on a recent feature-length documentary.

Not Yet Begun To Fight explores the therapeutic value of fly fishing for combat veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Buzzell’s contribution to the film earned him a nomination in the category of Topical Documentary. He also served as co-composer of the film’s score. Winners will be announced on Saturday, June 7, at the 2014 Northwest Emmy Awards Banquet in Seattle, Wa.

“It was an honor to receive this nomination, and an even greater honor to work on this film,” Buzzell said. “Not Yet Begun To Fight captures the struggle of so many veterans returning from war. It’s deeply moving to participate in a project dedicated to telling their stories.”

A winner at numerous film festivals, Not Yet Begun To Fight made its national broadcast premiere on PBS television in November 2013. Just weeks before his death, legendary film critic Roger Ebert gave the film “two thumbs up!” Not Yet Begun To Fightreceived a total of three nominations from the Northwest Chapter of The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences: Direction/Post-Production, Editing, and Topical Documentary.

Buzzell is co-chair of The Cinema Series at GRU and instructs students in the Television and Cinema track of the GRU Department of Communications. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama from The University of the North Carolina School of the Arts and a Masters of Fine Arts in Directing from the American Film Institute. He has previously collaborated with a number of artists, including Sacha Baron Cohen, Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, Patti LaBelle, and Jimmy Scott.

For more information on Not Yet Begun To Fight, visit www.notyetbeguntofightfilm.com. For more information on The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, visit www.natasnw.org.

http://greport.gru.edu/archives/9223

This is a call out to artists, craftspeople and collectors in the CSRA. Beginning July 1, the Georgia History and Genealogy Room at the Augusta Public Library will have exhibition space available. We are seeking interesting and unique materials for public display. If you are a collector of vintage memorabilia and ephemera, or a craftsperson seeking an exhibition space for your wares, we will consider giving you the opportunity to show off your work. The exhibit does not necessarily have to be related to local history or genealogy, but first priority will be given to those that do. Exhibits typically run for 8 weeks. Please contact Tina Monaco at 706.826.1511 for details, or email at genealogy@ecgrl.org.

May 22, Th. – “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle.” A film documentary of Richard and
Mildred Loving’s interracial marriage, which led to their arrest and a Supreme Court case in Virginia
in 1965. After the screening, a discussion will be facilitated by attorney William C. Coleman and GRU’s
Dr. Lee Ann Caldwell, director of the Center for the Study of Georgia History. It will be held at the
Augusta-Richmond County Public Library, first floor multi-purpose room, 6:30 to 8 p.m. For more
information, please call (706) 722-8454.

May 22, Th. – Historic Augusta’s Cotton Ball, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Dinner will be provided by Outback
Steakhouse. There will be a cash bar, mint juleps, music and an opportunity to mingle in a historic
setting. Admission to the Cotton Ball is by current, new or renewing membership in Historic Augusta,
Inc., which is open to all who are interested in preserving our city’s historic places. For more information,
call (706) 724-0436 or visit www.historicaugusta.org.

GRU University Libraries last meeting of the “Let’s Talk About It: Understanding the American Civil War” book discussion series will take place on April 26, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. on the second floor of the Summerville Campus Reese Library.

Participants can still check out book sets from Reese Library during normal operating hours. The last discussion again examines excerpts from America’s War edited by noted historian Edward Ayers. Created to support the Let’s Talk About It series, the selections in America’s War include works of historical fiction and interpretation, speeches, diaries, memoirs, biographies, and short stories. Together, these readings provide a glimpse of the vast sweep and profound breadth of Americans’ war among and against themselves, adding crucial voices to our understanding of the war and its meaning. Discussion will be led by GRU professor and head of History, Anthropology and Philosophy, Hubert van Tuyll. The list of readings from this volume can be found on the series website http://guides.gru.edu/LetsTalk.

All events for “Let’s Talk About It: Understanding the American Civil War” are free and open to the public. Funding to support this series is provided by the Georgia Humanities Council.

For more information, visit the GRU Libraries Presents “Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War” web page at http://guides.gru.edu/LetsTalk

or send an e-mail to spcoll@gru.edu   or   call 706-667-4904.