News

Presidents, Muhammad Ali, Focus of Upcoming Southern Museum Exhibit

01/25/2007

KENNESAW, GA � They say a photograph is worth 1,000 words. If that’s the case then Diana Walker’s photographs certainly have a story to tell. Visitors at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History are sure to be captivated by a special exhibition March 24 - June 17, 2007 as they revisit political history through the camera lens of this famous photographer.

The traveling exhibition, Diana Walker: Photojournalist, is produced by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).

Each picture tells its own story, whether it’s President Bill Clinton speaking with King Hussein of Jordan while Yasser Arafat and Benjamin Netanyahu listen in the background; First Lady Nancy Reagan and Raisa Gorbachev having tea in Geneva, Switzerland; or heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali after a workout in suburban Maryland.

“The Diana Walker exhibit is unique in that it shows the more intimate, candid side of our past political leaders,” says Jeff Drobney, Kennesaw Director of Recreation and Culture.

For over 25 years, Walker has captured the essence of historic moments, bringing the public face to face with such important notable figures as American presidents, foreign dignitaries and political activists. An award winning photographer, Walker began her career as a freelancer before being assigned to cover the White House with Time magazine—a historically male-dominated position.

Visitors at the Southern Museum, a Smithsonian Institution affiliate, will have the chance to view 83 selected photographs and nine magazine covers of candid moments in the lives of five American presidents; foreign dignitaries and their relationship to America; political activists and boxing champion Muhammad Ali.

The exhibition is divided into 11 sections and is accompanied by Walker’s own descriptions of the circumstances surrounding the events she photographed along with her impressions of her subjects.

A Smithsonian Institution affiliate, the Southern Museum features collections of rare Civil War weapons, uniforms, and other personal items; an exciting exhibit about The Great Locomotive Chase, including a short movie; and a full-scale replica of a locomotive factory that helped lead the New South into the industrial era. Currently, the Museum is also displaying Union Gen. George Armstrong Custer's coat, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution, as well as Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood's coat, on loan from the Museum of the Confederacy.

A Smithsonian Institution affiliate, the Southern Museum features collections of rare Civil War weapons, uniforms, and other personal items; an exciting exhibit about The Great Locomotive Chase, including a short movie; a full-scale replica of a locomotive factory that helped rebuild the South after the war; and through May, a traveling exhibit featuring photographs of the people who dedicated their lives to the railroad.

The Southern Museum is located 20 miles north of Atlanta, off I-75 at exit 273. Click here for visitor information, or call (770) 427-2117.