Margaret Mitchell House reopening in Atlanta on July 10 with new exhibit

ATLANTA - The Atlanta History Center is set to unveil the newly renovated and reimagined Margaret Mitchell House on July 10. The reopening will feature the new exhibit, "Telling Stories: Gone With the Wind and American Memory." 

Located on the Center’s Midtown campus and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Mitchell’s apartment will now host an exhibit that contextualizes the author's life and explores the significant impact of "Gone With the Wind" on global perceptions of the American Civil War and U.S. history.

Since its release in 1936, "Gone With the Wind" has captivated audiences with its compelling characters and settings while also sparking controversy for its portrayal of enslaved people and its ties to Lost Cause Ideology. 

The "Telling Stories" exhibit delves into Mitchell’s life in Atlanta and how her upbringing influenced her view of history. It also examines the cultural impact of the book and its film adaptation, particularly how it has perpetuated Lost Cause Ideology, which portrays the Confederate defeat in a sympathetic light, depicts slavery as benevolent, and suggests that "states’ rights" rather than slavery was the cause of the war.

Visitors to the exhibit will see the apartment where Mitchell wrote most of "Gone With the Wind," complete with her original desk and chair. The exhibit includes sections discussing the book and movie's cultural impacts, reactions from across the United States and the world, and the historical context of the periods and places that influenced the story. Digital content both within the exhibit and online will further enhance the visitor experience.

Highlights of "Telling Stories" include the suitcase used by a MacMillan editor to transport the original manuscript to New York City. The exhibit also features images, newspaper clippings, artifacts, and videos exploring the novel's lasting legacy.

To encourage discussion about the exhibit, the Atlanta History Center will host a panel on July 30, featuring local experts involved in the exhibit's curation. Panelists include Timothy Frilingos, Director of Exhibitions at the Atlanta History Center; Stephane Dunn, Professor and Chair of the Department of Cinema, Television, and Emerging Media Studies at Morehouse College; and Matthew Bernstein, Professor and Chair of the Department of Film and Media Studies at Emory University.

The Margaret Mitchell House remained closed during the pandemic and throughout the renovation of the exhibit. The Atlanta History Center Midtown also features an indoor event space and lawn for public programs and private rentals. For more information and tickets, visit Atlanta History Center.