A pink pig and a renegade cow. A movie prop and a Coke bottle. A Pulitzer Prize–winning book and a Nobel Prize–winning icon.
How do you tell the story of Atlanta in 50 objects? We decided the best experts were Atlantans themselves—residents who cheer the Braves and rue I–285 rush-hour traffic, who understand how Civil War losses and Civil Rights victories together helped forge the city’s unique identity.
Atlanta History Center asked the public to submit what objects they think best represent their town. The parameters were broad: an object could also be a person, a place, an institution, or an idea. After receiving hundreds of submissions, History Center staff assembled a collection of fifty pieces that represent the themes identified by the public. In addition to items from our own collections, we have partnered with many local institutions and individuals to gather artifacts from around the city to tell this community–driven story.
Next: 1 Ralph McGill.
Ralph McGill was the Pulitzer Prize-winning editor of the Atlanta Constitution.
Related Content. Learn More.
-
Story
We’re so excited to join our friends at cultural destinations across Atlanta for our first ever Field Trip Friday. To mark the occasion and to celebrate our community in this time of distance, we’re revisiting a crowd favorite—Atlanta in 50 Objects!
-
Exhibition
Atlanta ’96 tells new stories and expands on memories of the city’s Olympic and Paralympic history.
-
Exhibition
While dozens of male and female athletes excelled in the “Golden Age of American Sport,” none captured the public imagination quite like Atlanta’s own Robert Tyre “Bobby” Jones.