Majesty of Natchez, The - Tapa dura

Along the banks of the Mississippi River sits a town whose Southern charm and grace draw thousands of visitors every year. Known for its well-preserved architecture, Natchez, Mississippi, is a step back into the Old South, where elegant homes, rambling mansions, and historic plantations mark territory like the medieval castles of Europe.

The Majesty of Natchez is a breathtaking photographic tour of the area in and around Natchez. This collection of full-color photographs highlights the beauty and grandeur of the town’s finest homes, inside and out. Included along the tour is King’s Tavern, the oldest house in Natchez; Longwood, the still-unfinished home of a plantation owner whose Northern workers dropped their hammers to take up arms in the Civil War; and Stanton Hall, one of America’s finest house museums.

Also featured are historic places that were not necessarily homes, like Historic Jefferson Military College, on whose grounds a ten-year-old Jefferson Davis once paraded; and Texada, a brick building that has been everything from a tavern to a town meeting hall. The stories and photos of these antebellum buildings, their exteriors and interiors, make reading this book as exciting and inspiring as actually being there.

Since 1932, when the first Confederate Pageant was held, Natchez has been the focus of an annual pilgrimage of home tours and festivals.The Majesty of Natchez is suitable as a year-round guide for anyone with an eye for homes of beauty.

Steven Brooke, an internationally acclaimed architectural photographer, received the National Honor Award for Photography from the American Institute of Architects, the Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome, and the Distinguished Achievement Award in 1987 from the Historical Museum of South Florida. His beautiful, detailed photographs of Natchez also grace the pages of Pelican’sThe Majesty of Natchez Postcard Book. His other books include The Majesty of St. Augustine; Historic Washington, Arkansas; Seaside; Seaside Picket Fences; andThe Gardens of Florida, all published by Pelican. Brooke teaches architectural photography and composition at the University of Miami School of Architecture and lives with his son in Miami, Florida.

Front-jacket photograph: Stanton Hall

Back-jacket photograph: Melrose