Jackson Free Press

In her book, "Historic Photos of Mississippi" (Turner Publishing, 2009, $39.95), Anne B. McKee highlights nearly 200 photos from history archives and private collections. The book is divided into four sections that span the years 1860 to the 1970s. The book contains photos of 1858 Capitol and State streets; a stark contrast to the area that recently hosted the Jubilee!JAM.

In a time when children shared the responsibility for providing for their families, depictions of children enjoying lazy summer afternoons are absent. Instead, photos show young children helping their parents in the cotton mills, or shucking and canning oysters.

Throughout the book, McKee gives viewers a visual tour through the good and bad periods of Mississippi history. The photos give us a glimpse of war waged, floods, the effects of the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement. Yet, we also see the beginnings of Millsaps College and the beautiful architecture of stately southern homes with natural décor of Spanish moss and magnolia.

McKee quotes William Faulkner in her book, writing: "To understand the world, you must first understand Mississippi." The photos that she has collected help bring a little bit of that understanding to light.

Previous Commentsshow

First Understand Mississippi. I believe this is the best book to come along in a good while. The Black and White photos are prolific, with a sense of "home." Go Anne, you on the right track.

Melanie C. Benton

Jun 26 2009