1. White Mud Gullies. Original Artwork. Curtesy of Jacob Beecher.

2. White Mud Gullies. Original Artwork. Curtesy of Jacob Beecher.

3. White Mud Gullies. Original Artwork. Curtesy of Jacob Beecher.

4.  The Bronson House - “The Bronson House Historical Marker.” 2016. Hmdb.org. June 16, 2016.

5. The small cottage behind The Bronson House where Joel Chandler Harris was raised - “Childhood Home of Joel Chandler Harris Historical Marker.” 2024.

6. The Countryman Periodical- Golden, Vincent. 2018. “The Acquisitions Table: The Countryman.” Past Is Present. April 18, 2018.

7. The Turnwold Plantation where The Countryman Periodical was made - greenmellen. 2016. “Turnwold Plantation.” Georgia Historical Society. February 7, 2016.

8. Photograph of Uncle Ben and Aunty Betsy who befriended Joel Chandler Harris from the book written by Joels sister, Julia Collier Harris, “The Life and Letters of Joel Chandler Harris - Harris, Julia Collier. 1918. The Life and Letters of Joel Chandler Harris. New York : AMS Press.

9. Uncle Remus illustration - Harris, Joel Chandler. 1892. Uncle Remus and His Friends: Old Plantation Stories, Songs, and Ballads.

10. A picture of a Rabbits foot theatre programme c.1908 with Pat Chappelle - “Pat Chappelle, Vaudeville Pioneer Born.” n.d. African American Registry.

11. Racial character type: “Long Tail Blue” - blackimagestereotype. 2009. “Long Tail Blue.” (Racial) Stereoype: A Visual Studies Blog. September 29, 2009.

12. Minstrel Show History - “A Dark Comedy: The History of Blackface in Minstrel Shows.” 2023. Retrospect Journal. April 2, 2023.

13. Minstrel Program - “Alee Temple Famous All Star Minstrel, Alee Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S., Savannah, Ga.: Program, November 20-21, 1950” www.bibliopolis.com. 2025.

14. Joel Chandler Harris - “Flashback Fotos: A Look at ‘Uncle Remus’ Creator Joel Chandler...” 2025. Ajc. 2025.

15. Original Georgia Minstrels are coming / Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress.

16. Traveling Minstrel - c.1905 published by V.G. Schreck, Savannah GA. Library of Congress.

17. Postcard from the David Hoffman/Boaz Postcard Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, AC #281.

I was originally looking into the fact that in Savannah Georgia, there have been so many theatres, that were specifically Black owned and for Black audiences, that are no longer here. West Broad Street in Savannah Georgia, which is now referred to as Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. was the social hub for black businesses, but specifically for the performing arts. I really wanted to find more of those stories. When I found the marker to the Uncle Remus author, Joel Chandler Harris, I was intrigued with the idea of a white man telling black stories because he lived there and was raised with Black slaves. Those are the stories told, surely.

Down the research rabbit hole, I found myself questioning the minstrel shows, but specifically, why the name White Mud Gully? Discovering the social connotations of the word and its layered meanings by asking curious questions made me realize that there are so many boundaries to keep slaves in their place, and slaves themselves are acutely aware of it, and despite that, find joy, and happy characters, and still want to tell their stories. The hope of a bond between man and a “humble beast of the field” is incredibly simple and deeply meaningful at the same time.