Aunt Phoebe, Magnolia-On-The-Ashley, Charleston, S.C., 1901

01

Artifact Overview

Aunt Phoebe used a twig broom to clear footpaths among azalea groves at Magnolia-on-the-Ashley. John Grimke Drayton, minister, plantation owner, and nephew of abolitionists Sarah and Angelina Grimke, opened the garden to the public in 1870 to save it from financial ruin. Sweeping paths and yards was a southern tradition, a routine that removed obstacles (brush and snakes) and ensured safe passage.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic postcard

Date Made

1901

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

37.102.219

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Printing (Process)

Color

Multicolored

Dimensions

Height: 5.5 in
Width: 3.5 in

Inscriptions

front, bottom: 5779, AUNT PHOEBE, MAGNOLIA-ON-THE-ASHLEY, CHARLESTON, S.C. / Copyright / 1901 / By Detroit / Photographic / Co.