» Charleston, come hell or high water photographs, circa 1885-circa 1989

The photographs were assembled primarily by Robert N. S. Whitelaw, and the text was prepared by Alice F. Levkoff for a book about the social history, natural disasters, and architecture of Charleston, South Carolina. Many images are classic views of the City, and many of the City’s principal buildings are represented in some of the earliest and best photographs of them known to have been taken. A large number of buildings were subsequently damaged or altered, and some no longer survive. The natural disasters include the Earthquake of 1886, hurricanes during 1885 and 1911, and a tornado in 1938. The best represented photographers are Frances Benjamin Johnston, George L. Cook, Franklin F. Sams, and Howard R. Jacobs. Most of the approximately 400 photographs in the collection are 8X10 black-and-white prints.