Cumberland Island

Images of America: Georgia

by Patricia Barefoot

Rich in history, wildlife, and beautiful coastal landscapes, Georgia's Cumberland Island attracts many an island tourist and nature lover. The island's well-preserved marshes, tidal creeks, and dune fields provide this hidden oasis with a rare natural charm. The area is also home to a wide variety of animal species, including loggerhead turtles, bob cats, manatees, and alligators, just to name a few. Though Cumberland is best known for being the nation's largest wilderness island, its history-dating back to the 16th century-also includes a period of use as a mission by the Franciscans. Among its historic sites are the magnificent ruins of Dungeness, the house built by the Carnegie family during the latter part of the 19th century, as well as the romantic Greyfield Inn. This pictorial history of Cumberland Island illustrates the people, places, and events that have shaped the area's cultural and natural history. The island's rare solitude and beauty, which have resulted from conservation and preservation efforts in the area, are captured in this carefully detailed book for all lovers of nature and history to enjoy. Though the island permits only very limited human traffic, these images allow the reader to appreciate the Cumberland landscape-laced with wild animals, pirate coves, English forts, and an African-American "settlement"-from afar.

Genres: History

128 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2004

Reviews

[Jean Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good compilation of pictures but in an excessive number of photos no names were supplied. Since many of the books in this series are drawn from local resources and individuals, it seems odd that these photos were chosen.
I was a bit disappointed in this book but it is hard to be comprehensive in this format (126 pages, mostly photographs.)

[Sally Kilpatrick]

Research

[Julie Vavroch · Rating 2 out of 5]

I typically enjoy this series. This particular one was not interesting to me

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

In preparing for our trip to Cumberland Island, I picked up this book.

It was an easy read, but a bit hard to follow at times since it is primarily a pictoral history. If there are gaps in your knowledge of a place this series will not always expand on it's picture subjects.

For any of you who may be visual learners, these are great for bringing the past of a place to life.

This book really made me realize the immensity of human resource involved in making the Carnegie family's part-time home functional. There were so many people involved in maintaining Dungeness. Blacksmith, nurses, educators for the children, Ferry captains and crew, farmhands galore, even a full-time electrical generator operation.