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MEDIA ALERT                                  
For Immediate Release                                                                                
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Contact: Georgia Ann Conner, Communications Officer
(334) 328-9088

ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES & HISTORY TO RELEASE NEWLY DISCOVERED, UNSEEN FILM FOOTAGE AND AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SELMA-TO-MONTGOMERY MARCH ON THURSDAY, MARCH 19 AT 10:00 am

Montgomery, AL (3/17/15) – On Thursday, March 19, 2015 at 10:00 am the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) will hold a press event to release newly discovered, unseen film footage of the Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights March and recently acquired aerial photographs of the marchers’ departure from their final campsite at the City of St. Jude on the morning of March 25, 1965, and their arrival into Montgomery.

The approximately 3,000 feet (run time approximately 90 minutes) of 16mm color and black-and-white film footage was recently discovered during a collections inventory of materials created during the George Wallace administration. It has never been viewed by the public and captures in vivid color powerful scenes from the third and final march in Selma, along Highway 80, and in Montgomery.

The aerial photographs were taken by the Alabama Air National Guard and are part of two separate collections recently donated to the ADAH. They show fascinating aerial scenes of Montgomery on March 25, 1965 as the marchers arrive at the Capitol steps.

The press event will be held in the ADAH’s Milo B. Howard Auditorium, and all members of the media are invited to attend. Opportunities to view the footage and the photographs will be available. Staff will be on hand for interviews. For additional information please contact ADAH Communications Officer Georgia Ann Conner at (334) 328-9088 or georgiaann.conner@archives.alabama.gov.

View a short trailer of the footage here - YouTube

FOR RELEASE:  March 16, 2015
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Call 334-263-5713 Or 334-328-8917
CONTACT:  Dayna Coker or Jim Inscoe

JASMINE HILL FEATURED ON THE ALABAMA GARDEN TRAIL

This year the Alabama Tourism Department has established the Alabama Garden Trail and Jasmine Hill Gardens and Outdoor Museum located between Montgomery and Wetumpka has been honored as a featured attraction.  Other gardens include the Huntsville Botanical Garden, Birmingham Botanical Garden, Aldridge Gardens, Dothan Botanical Gardens, Mobile Botanical Gardens and Bellingrath Gardens.  Tour brokers will be introduced to this promotion with a new brochure to be highlighted at the Travel South Showcase next week in Shreveport, Louisiana. 

Spring is finally starting to show its beauty at Jasmine Hill Gardens.  Although they are late in arriving because of the unusually cold winter, the flowering Japanese cherries are starting to show their snowy white blossoms.  Along with many daffodils and tulips mixed in the flower beds featuring pansies and snapdragons, there are colorful shrubs such as forsythia, pearl bush, quince and star magnolias in full bloom to welcome visitors.  Pots of amaryllis and calla lilies brighten areas surrounding statues as heralds of the beauty  expected here in late March.

Many new varieties of flowers are being prepared for planting in the gardens this year.  A cherry tree which blooms in the fall and some spectacular varieties of camellias will be noticed as the seasons progress.  Spring, however, is truly spectacular at Jasmine Hill when the hundreds of azaleas, dogwoods and flowering Japanese cherries reach their peak in late March and early April.  Ben and Mary Fitzpatrick who founded the gardens planned to have something in bloom all year.  This winter’s cold weather made it difficult for the camellias to bloom, but the buds are now developing and their flowers are everywhere along the stone walkways.

Visitors can enjoy the gardens every weekend from 9 to 5 on Friday and Saturday, and from noon to 5 on Sunday. 

For GPS directions enter 3001 Jasmine Hill Road, Wetumpka, AL 36093.

FLOATING FUN…Montgomery’s Riverboat, the Harriott II, offers cruises for the whole family from dinner cruises to an afternoon blues cruise, even themed cruises for holidays.