Black & White

The Truth Concerning the Death of Corinne Elliott Lawton

The Truth Concerning the Death of Corrine Elliott Lawton

 

Corinne Elliott Lawton Died on January 24th, 1877.  The lore surrounding her tells the story of a young woman who fell in love with a man below her station in society – a man her family could not accept.  Refusing to give their blessing, her family forced her to marry a wealthy man she did not love.

One her wedding day, the story goes, dressed in her gown, she took her father’s best horse to the shore of the Savannah river and drowned herself rather than marry the man her family chose.

It’s a tragic story of love and sorrow told, and retold, to visitors of Savannah’s Bonaventure Cemetery where this memorial statue stands.  It’s a tale overshadowed only by the tragedy of how little truth there is to it.

In truth, according to the diary of her mother, Corinne died of a sudden illness accompanied by a fever.

 

From her mother’s diary:

“In the evening of Sat. 13, Corinne went to bed, promising Lulu & me that she would keep her bed till she was well.  How that promise was to be fulfilled, who could have tho’t? Her sickness seemed so light.

On Sunday I sent for Dr. Houston. After church many of the family came in – some to inquire after the sick ones, some to see Florie Lawton who arrived Thursday.  Among the visitors was Wallace Cumming – his last visit to us!

Corinne felt very weak & begged me not to have her see any visitors – as she could not talk.  Yet very little seemed the matter.  All that week she was in bed & had light fever at times. Thursday night her aunt Lou Gilmer stayed & slept in her room,

Lulu being sick.

Friday evening she was very bright but had a restless night.  I watched beside her much of the night.  Saturday night I stayed with her. Then came the days of darkness which I cannot record.  Their story is kept by Him who has said: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”

Wednesday morning, Jan. 24, at 7:40 A. M. she drew her last breath.”

Corinne most likely died of Yellow Fever – a disease with a sudden onset and a mortality rate of 50% in severe epidemics.   Savannah did suffer an epidemic of Yellow Fever in 1876 that continued into early 1877 when Corrine died. She was 30 years old.

Many thanks to Ruth Rawls whose blog and research were instrumental in telling the true tale of Corinne Lawton.

You can read more from Ruth Rawls about Corinne at this link.

A Classic Racer

Classic Racer

One of the privileges of being near Downtown Winter Gaden is the opportunity to photograph the many events the city hosts.  Specifically, every 3rd Saturday of the month the streets are blocked off for a classic car show.

I wish I could tell you what the year, make or model of this car, but the owner wasn’t nearby so I have no idea.  One thing I can tell you is that air scoop makes this car look very intimidating.  Luckily, the “smiley” grill and the headlights make the car look cute.

By the way, this was edited Topaz Black & White Effects 2 and Lightroom.

A Confederate Soldier’s Tomb

This is the tomb of Thomas N. Theus and his wife Eliza Wilhelmina at the Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia.   Thomas Theus, as the tomb indicates, was a confederate soldier who survived the war.  He buried his wife in 1895 and joined her eight years later in 1903.

Theus lived in Savannah and served in the Chatham Artillery – a four gun unit during the Civil War under the command of Captain John F. Wheaton whose most notable battle was the repulse of a Federal invasion at the Battle of Olustee, Florida in July of 1864.  The unit surrendered in Greensboro, North Carolina on April 26, 1865.

The Chatham Artillery was formed in 1776 and was destroyed by British troops in 1778.  The unit reformed in 1786 and has fought in every war since with the exception of Vietnam.

About the photo:
The image is a 6 exposure HDR combined in Photomatix with some additional work in photoshop. 

The Gates of Wormsloe Plantation

The Gates of Wormsloe Plantation

The first image from the roadtrip through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina during the first week of July.

Wormsloe is a large estate established by one of Georgia’s colonial founders, Noble Jones. The site includes a picturesque 1.5-mile oak avenue comprised of 400 or so trees.  It’s a must see if you visit Savannah.

The American Flag

The flag of the United States waves in the wind

The American flag moved by the wind is a beautiful symbol and a reminder of all those who have died and all those who put themselves on the line everyday for the life we enjoy.  Our nation’s birthday wil be here soon; this is my tribute to the freedom we enjoy and to those who have dedicated their lives or given them for us.

The Slaughterhouse

This is the slautherhouse at an abandoned farm in Winter Garden, FL. I have a couple of images coming up from a shoot inside the barn but you’ll have to wait for June for those.

Have to give a shout out to +Zachary Weyland who met me at 5:30am to go shoot this at sunrise.

Stormball

If you’ve read my about page, you know that shooting before a storm is one of my favorite times to be out with a camera.  This opportunity at Epcot, was just too good to pass up.

Lattice

This one is from over the weekend near Orlando.  I’ve ridden through this bike path in my little town more times than I can count, and  I am fascinated by the lines leading the eye through.  I decided to shoot this Friday and here it is; sometimes you just have to get certain shots out of your system- this was one of them,  I just had to shoot it.

Flight

This is a simple photo and there isn’t too much to be said as it speaks for itself – a simple portrait of a bird in flight.  I love the intensity in the bird’s eyes as as it moved towards me.

Jerusalem Doves

I photographed these two doves in Jerusalem back in 2008 near the Temple Mount during an excursion the Bethlehem Christmas Project team took the Old City. I only managed two frames before they flew away.