Media Contact:
Karen Hatchett, Hatchett PR
karen.hatchett@charter.net
770-433-1137
Cyclorama Screens Ida Wells Documentary, Partners With Breman Museum To
Present Adam Mendelsohn, and Hosts Author Stephen Hood In May
“We continue our commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War’s Battle of Atlanta in May,”
says Camille Russell Love, Director of the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “We will
screen Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice on May 1. If you’re not familiar with this feisty civil rights
crusader, you must see this fascinating documentary. We are partnering with the Breman Museum for a
special afternoon on May 4. We’ll tour their exhibit, Return To Rich’s, which features spectacular period
clothing and one of the original Pink Pig monorail cars, and then hear a lecture from Professor Adam
Mendelsohn about the Jewish Contribution To The Garment Industry. And we are hosting an evening
with author Stephen Hood on May 15. He’ll give us interesting insights about Confederate General John
Bell Hood. Bring your friends, family, book club, or a date and come out and enjoy something different!”
Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice – FREE screening in partnership with
Urban Film Review on Thursday, May 1 at 7 pm at the Cyclorama
Born at a time during which this country was fighting a bitter and
bloody Civil War, Ida B. Wells-Barnett would become a household name
in the African American community. Not only was she a contemporary
of W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington, she was their equal—
fighting tirelessly for racial justice, and civil and human rights.
Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice chronicles the life of this
extraordinary woman: journalist, activist, suffragist and anti-lynching crusader. Included are readings
from Wells’ memoir by Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison.
“One had better die fighting against injustice than die like a dog or a rat in a trap.” Ida B. Wells.
Here’s a video excerpt from the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXZFdGhhMnk
After the film, historian and educator Nasir Muhammad will lead the audience in a facilitated dialogue.
Mr. Muhammad has written and lectured about Morehouse College history, Dr. Georgia Dwelle, Dinah
Watts Pace, Theodore “Tiger” Flowers and David T. Howard, among others.
Outfitting the Civil War: Jewish Contribution To The Garment Industry
Paid Exhibit Tour & Lecture on Sunday, May 4
William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, 1440 Spring Street, Atlanta, GA 30309
*Return To Rich’s Exhibit Tour at 2 pm followed by a Lecture at 3 pm with
Adam Mendelsohn, Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies, College of Charleston
Tickets: Adults $12, Seniors $8, Educators & Students $6, Children (4-6) $4
Children (under 4) Free. Mention Atlanta Cyclorama and get $2 off admission.
Since early in the nineteenth century, Jews have played important roles in the dry
goods and merchandising industries of this country. With the onset of the Civil
War, the demand for uniforms helped Jewish merchants transform themselves into clothing
manufacturers. This often untold story in Civil War history laid the groundwork for ready-made clothes
and for future generations of Jews to flourish in the garment industry.
In Atlanta, the end of the Civil War saw the advent of what would become an Atlanta institution: Rich’s
Department Store. Morris Rich’s $500 investment was the beginning of an Atlanta tradition that lasted
138 years.
Dr. Adam Mendelsohn received his doctorate in modern Jewish history from Brandeis University. In
2008, he joined the Jewish Studies Program at the College of Charleston. Much of his teaching and
research focuses on Jews in the South. His is actively involved in the Jewish Historical Society of South
Carolina and the Southern Jewish Historical Society. He is currently working on a book about Jewish
involvement in the second-hand clothing trade (the ‘shmatta business’) in the US and the British Empire
in the nineteenth century. His most recent work is Jews in the Civil War, co-edited with Jonathan Sarna
(New York University Press).
Confederate General John Bell Hood: The Lost Papers - FREE Lecture with
author Stephen M. Hood on Thursday, May 15 at 7 pm at the Cyclorama
One of the most influential and enigmatic Civil War Confederate generals,
John Bell Hood was a controversial figure. By the time his memoir, Advance
and Retreat, was published posthumously, he was largely blamed for
contributing to the Confederacy’s loss. Upon his death at age forty-eight,
General Hood was a physically and emotionally shattered man, a stark
contrast to the handsome man and fearless war hero who valiantly led his
soldiers in battle at Second Manassas, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg. Based
on General Hood’s recently discovered personal papers, Stephen Hood’s new book, The Lost Papers of
Confederate General John Bell Hood, sheds new insight on this larger-than-life figure. Audience
members can pre-order a signed copy of the book which will be out later this summer.
Stephen M. “Sam” Hood is also the author of John Bell Hood: The Rise, Fall and Resurrection of a
Confederate General (2013). He is a graduate of Kentucky Military Institute, Marshall University and a
veteran of the United States Marine Corps. A relative of General John Bell Hood, Sam is a retired
industrial construction company owner, past member of the Board of Directors of the Blue Gray
Education Society of Chatham, Virginia, and a past president of the Board of Directors of Confederate
Memorial Hall Foundation in New Orleans. Sam lives with his wife of thirty-five years, Martha, and is the
proud father of two sons: Derek Hood and Taylor Hood.
The Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum opened in Grant Park in 1921. The building contains the
largest oil painting in the world. The circular painting, known as a “cyclorama,” is 42 feet high X 358 feet
long, and depicts the entire series of conflicts which encompass the Battle of Atlanta. The centerpiece of
the museum is the Texas, the locomotive that won the Civil War adventure called the “The Great
Locomotive Chase.” The museum also features uniforms, guns & artillery, maps and other artifacts.
Tours of the Cyclorama take place throughout the day and include stadium seating for patrons on a
revolving platform which affords a 360° view while they listen to details of the exciting events depicted
in the painting.
The Atlanta Cyclorama is conveniently located near downtown Atlanta, in Historic Grant Park, at 800
Cherokee Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30315. Our beautiful terrace, historical lobby and state-of-the-art
theater are available for rental for your club meetings, wedding receptions, birthday celebrations,
graduation and anniversary parties! “Like” us on Facebook for the latest updates:
http://on.fb.me/1f1ImC7. For more information and to plan your visit: www.atlantacyclorama.org.
MEDIA: Here’s a link with photos to go with this release: http://bit.ly/1jRepex. Right click to download.
For a complete list of 2014 events, hi-res photos and bios, or to set up interviews, please contact Karen
Hatchett/Hatchett PR at 770-433-1137 or karen.hatchett@charter.net.