Hidden Histories, Historical Marker Resource

St. Vincent’s Academy

This Hidden History was created by SCAD student Eleanor Alger as part of her SCAD art history department coursework, with guidance from art history professor Holly Goldstein, Ph.D., in 2023.

The St. Vincent's Academy historical marker was dedicated in 1983. View the St. Vincent's Acedemy historical marker listing.

Gallery

Illustrations

1. St. Vincent's Academy Historical Marker. Courtesy of GHS.

2. Sisters of Mercy statue. Courtesy of Eleanor Alger.

3. Map of the Civil War.

4. Eleanor Kenzie Gordon

5. Chittendem, Karen and Messenheimer, Micah. “Susie King Taylor: An African American Nurse and Teacher in the Civil War.” Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/ghe/cascade/index.html?appid=5be2377c246c4b5483e32ddd51d32dc0.

6. Photo of enslaved workers.

7. Poem by Eleanor Alger.

Artist Statement

I have been researching the effects of war and genocide on women for years, but my research has primarily been focused on conflicts outside of the United States. I believe that studying gendered violence within war, as well as the role of women on the home front, can lead to a more nuanced understanding of the mechanics of war and how gender affects the experience of civil conflict. What made the Civil War in Savannah stand out to me was these aspects of intersectionality–how the war was experienced differently across gender, class, and racial lines.

For my creative component, I chose to write a poem about the war and layer the text on top of an image taken in 2023 Savannah. As a white woman in 2023, my perspective on the war is very different than any of the women who lived through this experience, and so my process of creating this piece focused more on loss and catastrophe, as those are themes that echo through time. I was mainly inspired by the brilliant work of Tracy K. Smith and her book Wade in the Water, and utilized some of the imagery found in the Marie Monroe Barney Postell papers from the Georgia Historical Society as a jumping-off point for writing.

St. Vincent’s Academy

Hidden Histories, Historical Marker Resource

St. Vincent’s Academy

Gallery

Newsletter

Jepson House Education Center*

Research Center

Atlanta office*

Newsletter

Jepson House Education Center*

Research Center

Atlanta office*