Natchez: Landmarks, Lifestyles, and Leisure

Afascinating people of diverse ancestry, the early residents of Natchez are the mesmerizing subject of this photographic history. Here, they are seen at work and at play, often posing in lavish costumes or lounging outside of stately homes. These scenes were captured as early photographers ventured outside of the cityas main thoroughfares to document life in suburban neighborhoods and the countryside. Natchez: Landmarks, Lifestyles, and Leisure includes residents of all ages and social backgrounds living in the area around the turn of the century. View descendants of wealthy cotton barons posing in front of once-grand housesafallen into disrepair as a result of the Civil War. Some posed on horses or in fancy carriages; others remained inside while their homes were photographed. These images reflect the spirit of early Natchez in a way that words cannot; they symbolize what the Old South had been for a privileged few. Culled from the collections of three early photographersaHenry D. Gurney, Henry C. Norman, and his son, Earl Normanathis book illustrates a town and a people that basked in the glory of prosperity, crumbled under the hardships of the Civil War, and endured through a slow but steady recovery period.