Genteel & Bard

13/10/2023

- Julia’s face was gaunt. Her spine ramrod straight.

And beneath the sole of Julia’s shoe, as if intentionally highlighted, was a large, golf ball-sized stone. I looked closer.

Not a stone.
A diamond.

I flipped the photo over, and there, written in small dancing script, were four little words.

“You are asleep, Penelope.”

(For the best Fall read, grab your copy of “The Memory of Glass” set in our enchanting home of Savannah. It’s a story you’ll want to visit often.)

-brennalaurenbooks.com

09/10/2023

Thank you to these four incredibly talented musicians for creating a tremendous experience and beautiful memory.

08/10/2023

Enjoying a Halloween themed candlelight quartet concert tonight at the Desoto Hotel.

06/10/2023

Monday, October 9th, marks the 244th anniversay of the 1779 Siege of Savannah. It’s been marked as the bloodiest hour of the Revolutionary War, and the first one of it’s kind. Colonists lined up with soldiers from France, Haiti, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, and Poland…allies for freedom. Sadly, language barriers, different fighting styles, disorganization, and the power of the British denied them victory that morning. Many men died for the cause of freedom and hard lessons learned in war. If you’ve never been, I invite you to visit us in Savannah, and immerse yourself in her captivating history. - genteelandbard.com

20/09/2022

The controversial corset originated in Europe during the 15th century and was worn by women from the start of puberty through marriage. The typical corset, made of delicate whale-boning, featured 50 stays. When they reached peak popularity during the Victorian Era, manufacturers took over the craft of corsetmaking, trading in whale bones for steel. A Victorian corset held much value to the wearer, distinguishing her figure from the cylindrical shape of a hoop skirt, as well as shaping and supporting the breasts, tightening the midriff, and improving posture to the rigidity of high society. It was during the Victorian era that corsets became a fashion statement. Younger women and debutantes would “tightlace” their corsets, causing their waists to appear unnaturally slender and accentuating their breasts. However, tightlacing, over time, is extremely detrimental to one’s health. Poor digestion and faintness, along with chronic back pain and fatigue are some of the more tame liabilities of long-term tightlacing, but there is sufficient evidence to support the likelihood of more severe complications, such as muscular atrophy, deformed or collapsed ribs, and even cardiac arrest. All of which went to making corseting one of the more macabre fashion trends of recent history.
Which makes us wonder, what modern fashion trend do you think future generations will look back on in amazement?

12/09/2022

Colonial Caffeine: A Historic Love Affair:
Tea, originating in China, became especially popular in England. Prior to consumption by all social classes, tea became a status symbol for English gentry. In fact, a new type of portrait painting called “the conversation piece” emerged in eighteenth century England. Conversation pieces depicted wealthy families or friend groups engaging in everyday activities, most popularly teatime. Similarly, tea was enjoyed in the thirteen colonies by those who could afford it. Tea parties presented a rare opportunity for women to socialize alongside men. Women, however, were not the only ones to gain a sense of liberation through tea. In 1773, a group of colonists protested the burdensome tea tax imposed on them by the indebted crown, in what famously became known as the Boston Tea Party. Around the same time, southern colonists were cultivating tea plants to decrease reliance on imports.

But it wasn’t just tea setting everyone abuzz - coffee and chocolate were hot on the scene too. Continue reading on our blog - link in bio 🤍


‘An English Family at Tea’, Joseph Van Aiken, c. 1720

31/08/2022

“To describe our growing up in the low country of South Carolina, I would have to take you to the marsh on a spring day, flush the great blue heron from its silent occupation, scatter marsh hens as we sink to our knees in mud, open you an oyster with a pocketknife and feed it to you from the shell and say, 'There." - Pat Conroy

20/07/2022

Oftentimes big history is hidden right in front of our eyes. Earthen mounds that might look to some like unassuming hills, can be symbols of thriving civilizations past. And the American South is home to many such mounds. Around 800 CE, the Mississippian peoples’ history began within the mountains and valleys we now know as the Appalachians. They were a well-developed people, with governing chiefdoms, trade, and towns spattering the mountain range. They were talented horticulturalists, and much of their gardening strategies are still practiced today.⁣
Perhaps the most iconic aspect of Mississippian culture is the practice of mound building. Many of these mounds can still be seen today, most famously the Etowah mounds of Bartow County, Georgia. These mounds were made from locally quarried soil, and often reached over 100 feet tall. A single mound would be built in stages, and could take a full century to complete. Mounds were built to be rectangular or oval in shape, with a flattened top. This is because most mounds were used by chiefs as a platform for their homes and a place to bury their ancestors. The mounds were also used as stages for ceremonies and social activities.The Mississippian peoples’ knack for craftsmanship didn't stop with the epic mounds. Anthropologists have uncovered thousands of beautiful, intricately made art pieces. Using beads made from marine shells, stonework, pottery, and even metalwork; the Mississippians created intricate cups, pendants, blades, pipes, effigy celts, and gorgets - which were decorative collar pieces. Many creations of the Mississippians were ritualistic pieces, to be buried with ancestors or used in ceremony.The Mississippian people’s culture, though still surviving today, was nearly wiped out during European colonization. Foreign disease, malicious European trade practices, and native enslavement caused these beautiful villages and cultures to break up and divide into dwindling numbers. Luckily, a piece of them still lives on today in the cultures of their direct descendants in the Creek, Cherokee, and Seminole Nations.

20/07/2022

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6⁣
There's something about the relationship between southern daddies and their kiddos. We were discussing home training earlier this afternoon, the graces and etiquette that signify a thoughtful upbringing. One of the things we hear very often from our guests visiting the South, is just how kind and polite everyone down here tends to be. No place is perfect, of course, but what a lovely quality to be known for. ⁣
🖤

19/07/2022

While you'd never know it by looking at the peaceful battlefield today, The Battle of Allatoona Pass has gone down in history as one of the most notorious battles of the entire American Civil War. It was fought on October 5, 1864, shortly after the burning of Atlanta. Threatened by the Union’s bold advances on the Confederacy, Lieutenant General John Bell Hood ordered the Confederate Army of Tennessee northward to threaten Major General William T. Sherman’s supply chain on the Western and Atlantic Railroad.Under General Hood’s suggestion, General Samuel G. French’s division to lead an attack on a supply base called Star Fort in the Allatoona Pass. French and his men approached the garrison in the early morning hours of October 5. At 7:00 am, they launched an attack on the Union fortifications, using eleven Confederate-manufactured Napoleon guns.After two hours of fire, General French sent word across Union lines, requesting the fort’s commander, Brigadier General John M. Corse, to surrender. French’s message was recorded as follows:“I have placed the forces under my command in such positions that you are surrounded, and to avoid a needless effusion of blood I call on you to surrender your forces at once, and unconditionally. Five minutes shall be allowed you to decide. Should you accede to this, you will be treated in the most honorable manner as prisoners of war.”General Corse responded back immediately: “Your communication demanding surrender of my command I acknowledge receipt of, and respectfully reply that we are ready for the “needless effusion of blood” whenever it is agreeable to you.”French launched a second attack on the fortifications. Just as Union surrender seemed inevitable, Union support approached from Acworth, Georgia.French called a ceasefire, withdrawing his forces from the Allatoona Pass before the Union support arrived on the scene. In total, the Union suffered 706 casualties, while the Confederacy had 897. General Corse sustained an injury during the battle. He sent word to General Sherman the next day, saying “I am short a cheekbone and one ear, but am able to whip all hell yet.”

14/07/2022

Taphophobia is the fear of being buried alive. If you were to speak about having this fear today, you might get some strange looks! However, this was a common phobia during the Victorian Era, and not without merit. So many people were buried alive that doctors struggled to ensure patients headed for burial were actually dead! During the Yellow Fever outbreaks throughout the 1800s, many doctors were afraid to touch their patients to feel for a pulse or breath. Today we know that the last phase of Yellow Fever is coma, but back then doctors would simply see a pale, unresponsive person and assume they were dead. In Savannah or Charleston, if you came from a wealthy family, it was likely you’d have a family crypt. Crypts look like little houses half-buried in the cemetery. They go into the ground about eight feet on average, with shelves lining the inner walls. When someone died, they’d be wrapped in a burial shroud and placed on a shelf inside. Eventually, their bones would be placed in a large chest alongside the bones of other relatives. During Yellow Fever, however, people died faster than bodies in the crypt could deteriorate. This meant that the person burying their family members would have to enter the crypt during the most gut-twisting parts of decay. Imagine this person’s surprise when they enter the crypt to find their deceased loved one strewn out inside the crypt at the door. Their burial shroud is left behind on the shelf, and the skin on their fingers has worn down to the bone. Crypt doors only opened from the outside. It was a disturbingly common occurrence. Society panicked, and taphophobia wreaked as much havoc on the population as the epidemic. In 1857, the “safety coffin” emerged, featuring a window on the lid and a tube on the side. If someone was placed inside while still alive, the window would fog up from their breath before burial. However, in case the foggy window went unnoticed, a rope was tied around the wrist of the deceased. The rope fed up through a tube and was tied to a bell on the surface of the burial plot. If the deceased suddenly came to life underground, they could ring the bell and hope someone was around to hear them.

13/07/2022

Do you believe in secret societies? It's said that a hidden vault lies buried in a far corner of the graveyard of Bruton Parish Church in Historic Williamsburg. The vault is believed to contain valuable documents from Sir Francis Bacon, a brilliant philosopher and scientist born in England in 1561. No only is it said that it contains papers instructing the path for a "new world order," but also manuscripts to prove that Bacon was the actual author of the works associated with William Shakespeare. There have been several attempts to dig it up over the years. But they are always stopped just in time. ⁣
In 1938 the Colonial Williamsburg foundation involved their archeologist in a dig at the site. They discovered a large “box” at least 4 ½ feet wide and at least 10 feet long but before it was completely uncovered Colonial Williamsburg put a halt on the dig and ordered it covered up. What forced CW to suddenly halt the excavation of this discovery? Perhaps we'll never know. What do you think?

12/07/2022

Did you know that Genteel & Bard's Southern Tours are dog-friendly? We love when guests bring along their furry friends! From Historic Williamsburg, to Savannah, to St. Augustine - we hope you'll bring your pup along for the adventure! You can book one of our famous history or ghost tours now at the link in our bio, or at genteelandbardcom.

10/07/2022

The Lowcountry of the South is home to some of the most peculiar and intriguing architecture and décor in America: Houses painted roof to foundation in a striking light blue, downspouts shaped like fish and dolphins adorning streetside shops and homes, and perhaps the most peculiar of all, trees made out of blue bottles standing proudly in countless front yards. All of these beautiful puzzle pieces of the South have one thing in common. Each has its own use and history, breathed to life by the rich culture of the Gullah-Geechee people. The Gullah-Geechee people are a proud African community of Yoruba people who have preserved and maintained their culture against all odds throughout American history. Their lore speaks of the existence of evil spirits- spirits evil and threatening enough to warrant protection of the innocent families living in Lowcountry.To protect from these evil spirits, the Gullah-Geechee utilized haint blue paint. A haint is a spirit or ghost. Spirits cannot swim, and therefore have an aversion to water. Painting a house in haint blue paint, as well as adorning the gutters with fish shaped downspouts, gives off the illusion to curious spirits that the house is underwater, and therefore cannot be entered. The bottle trees lure in evil spirits trying to enter the house with the shining of the glass in the moonlight. The spirit enters the bottle, and discovers it is trapped. When the morning sun rises, it burns the spirit, getting rid of it once and for all.

08/07/2022

Do you enjoy a good ghost story? You know we do! The Gullah-Geechee people of the coastal islands and lowcountry of the southeast are rich in culture, deep-rooted in tradition, and deeply spiritually connected. They live by a traditional Yoruba Proverb: “What happens in our physical world first happens in our spiritual world.” So, what happens when less-than-favorable characters are said to make their way into the physical realm? For a long time, these spirits and specters crossing into the physical world were called “haints.” A particularly tricky haint is the boo-hag. According to tradition, in the dead of night boo-hags will enter their victim’s home through a window, crack, or keyhole. Once inside, they “ride” their victims, sucking out all of their energy and leaving them in a deep sleep. By the time the victim wakes up in the morning, exhausted and sluggish, the boo-hag has long since left for its second victim. The boo-hag uses the energy drained from its first victim to skin his second. He will wear the skin of the second victim the next day, blending in with humanity and protecting himself from the burning sun above. A boo-hag's weakness is his lack of attention span and obsession with counting. Many Gullah-Geechee people keep a broom by their front door. They believe that should a boo-hag enter the home; he will get distracted by the broom and feel inclined to count every bristle. By the time he’s finished counting, he will have forgotten what he entered for in the first place.⁣
⁣
Citations: http://www.charlestonghosts.com/boohag_story.html https://www.themoonlitroad.com/gullah-culture-federal-writers-project-plat-eye/

05/07/2022

James Edward Oglethorpe was born on December 22, 1696 in London, England. He was raised on his family’s estate, Westbrook Manor, in Godalming. In 1714, at age 18, Oglethorpe was admitted to the Corpus Christi College of Oxford University. Inspired by a British defense campaign against the advancing Turks, he dropped out of college to attend a military academy in France.
While attending the academy, he was sent to Austria to serve as an aide to Prince Eugene of Savoy. After Britain achieved success over the Turks, Oglethorpe returned to Corpus Christi college. He never graduated, and instead ran for Parliament in 1722, where he successfully occupied a seat in the House of Commons. It was during this time that his life would change forever.
In 1728, during his time at the House of Commons, Oglethorpe’s good friend Robert Castell was imprisoned at the London Fleet Prison due to debts. At the time, prisoners were forced to pay prison staff fees in exchange for acceptable room and board. Castell was unable to pay, and was placed in a cell occupied by a prisoner suffering from smallpox. Castell died of the illness shortly thereafter. Enraged by the death of his friend, Oglethorpe launched a national prison reform campaign. He was placed as an investigator in England’s prison systems. Prisoners were subject to horrific abuse, extortion, and unspeakable living conditions. Even worse- many of these men were imprisoned for no more than their debts.
Oglethorpe managed to enforce several reformations to improve the system, but it didn’t fix the leagues of debtors and poverty-stricken families in England. Oglethorpe began exploring the idea of a new colony- one that gave the “worthy poor” a second chance at life as merchants, artisans, and farmers in America. He persuaded King George II in 1732 to grant a charter to create Georgia under the agreement that the first colony would act as a military defense, protecting the established colonies in South Carolina. Oglethorpe was named as one of 21 Trustees to govern the new colony. In November of 1732, 114 men, women, and children boarded the ship Anne and set sail for America. Oglethorpe is honored as the founder of Georgia.

04/07/2022

“I am apt to believe {Independence Day} will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to Gods Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore.”
- John Adams
Happy 4th, y’all! 🇺🇸

30/06/2022

30/06/2022

They say France is one of the most romantic places on earth, but here in Savannah, romantic scenery is in no shortage! Take the Forsyth Park Fountain, for example. This elegant and classic fountain has been Forsyth’s pièce de résistance for over 150 years! Erected in 1858, our fountain has made quite a name for itself. It was installed in the park as part of a design inspired by the famous romantic French gardens designed by André le Nôtre of the 17th century. Unlike English gardens, which are designed to blend into the natural landscape and focus primarily on man coinciding with nature, French gardens display their charm using beautiful structures, such as fountains, greenhouses, and gazebos to depict artistic romanticism. The inspiration comes primarily from painters of the romantic era, like Hubert Robert, Claude Lorrain, and Nicolas Poussin. The city of Savannah still uses these design concepts today, in our squares, gardens, and parks- making our historic district a living time capsule of ageless southern charm and beauty. ⁣
⁣
Cite:⁣
https://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/history/great-characters/andre-notre⁣
https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Garden_History_A_Very_Short_Introduction/whqJDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA70⁣
https://www.visitsavannah.com/list/5-fun-facts-about-the-forsyth-park-fountain

16/04/2022

Such a fun day at the RBC Heritage on Hilton Head today. Rhett had such a fantastic time - we have a little golfer on our hands, for certain. 🤍

15/04/2022

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53 🤍

14/04/2022

“Why do they not teach you that time is a finger snap and en eye-blink, and that you should not allow a moment to pass you by without taking joyous, ecstatic note of it, not wasting a single moment of its swift, breakneck circuit?” - Pat Conroy 🤍

11/04/2022

We can’t even believe how big our little guy is getting. Time flies - and now that he’s old enough, we’re going to be teaching him all kinds of fun things about life on the water. Looking ahead to the best summer ever. 🚣🏻🏄🐬🦀⛵️

06/04/2022

Feeling this understated blue and white vibe on this warm April day. Often, I find that some of the most lovely inspiration comes from looking to the simplicity of the past. This pretty master bedroom in Savannah’s iconic Davenport House is one of my favorite in town. 💙🤍💙🤍