Atlanta in 100 Objects

• Published to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Atlanta History Center.

• Accompanies a display of artifacts at the Atlanta History Center, opening April 2026.

• Other objects include an early Coca-Cola bottle from the company’s birthplace, stoneware jars by the enslaved potter David Drake, and the road-worn shoes of civil rights activist Ralph David Abernathy Sr.

The city of Atlanta, Georgia’s captivating story comes to life in this fascinating volume—from the railroad’s zero mile post signifying the city’s birth as a transportation city, to the glittering disco ball from the dance club Backstreet.

Atlanta is uniquely distinguished as both a symbol of the crisis of the American Civil War and the cradle of its Civil Rights Movement. Drawn from the Atlanta History’s Center’s 100 years of collecting, this book celebrates 100 artifacts that illustrate the compelling accounts of those who lived Atlanta’s past, create its present, and build its future.

• F. Sheffield Hale is the President and CEO of Atlanta History Center.

  Amy Durrell and Lisa Flaherty are co-founders of History Afoot Atlanta, providing historical tours of Atlanta. Both are graduates of Georgia State University’s Masters of Heritage Preservation program with a focus on public history.

  Photography by Mark Hill.

  The team at Atlanta History Center includes Pola Changnon, Lucy Abell, Erica Hague, Claire Hailey, Jena Jones, Ammiel Lewis, John Schmidt, Sue VerHoef, Tim Frilingos, and Michael Rose.