News

Smithsonian Exhibition on America’s National Parks Comes to Southern Museum

KENNESAW, GA – A Smithsonian exhibition capturing our National Parks through the work of photographer Stan Jorstad opens at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History on January 24, 2004. Entitled “These Rare Lands,” the exhibition was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and can be viewed until March 21, 2004.

“These Rare Lands” presents 44 large-format color panoramic photographs that capture the majesty of U.S. National Parks and monuments. Beginning with an introductory statement by actor, environmental activist, and director Robert Redford, the exhibition includes six text panels describing Jorstad’s career, his photographic techniques, and a brief history of the National Park Service.

From sunrise at Haleakala Crater (or “house of the Sun”) in Maui to moonrise over Death Valley in California, Jorstad captures the diversity of America’s vast wilderness in painterly style. During the past 40 years, Jorstad has visited and photographed 54 of the United States National Parks, as well as many of the more than 300 wilderness areas and other sites set aside by the National Park Service since 1872. Jorstad’s incredible images ask us to think about the preservation of America’s remaining open spaces, which include havens for many endangered species and homes for unique geological and archeological treasures.

Jorstad’s photographs are on loan courtesy of Time Inc, and “These Rare Lands” has been made possible through the generous support of Galyan’s.

In addition to the Smithsonian exhibition, the Museum features three permanent collections. The Great Locomotive Chase recounts the story of the theft of the General locomotive by Union spies and William Fuller’s efforts to get it back through a film, reproductions, and the General itself. Railroads: Lifelines of the Civil War depicts the important role railroads played during the conflict and details the war time life of soldiers and citizens with an extensive collection of photographs, personal items, uniforms, weapons, musical instruments, and more. Glover Machine Works: Casting a New South illustrates life in a turn-of-the-century locomotive factory using reproductions, film, locomotives, machine patterns, and archives.

The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History is 20 miles north of Atlanta, off I-75 at exit 273, Wade Green Road. Call (770) 427-2117 or visit www.southernmuseum.org for more information.