it is not just who we were, but who we are.

I'm going to make myself sound like a bad southerner, but I used to hate southern history, and if you mentioned the Civil War, my ears were instantly turned off.  But two semesters of southern history classes, and it has quickly become my absolute favorite history to study, and I love learning about my southern heritage.
As always, Garden&Gun caters to this heritage, and I found these photos of fallen Civil War homes, sites, and maps that have been published into the book, Gone: A Photographic Plea for Preservation by Nell Dickerson.  The book features gorgeous photos of the chilling remnants of these once thriving antebellum homes and locations, and it completely cries out to my love for historical preservation.  This book is on my must-have list for sure.

This one is my absolute favorite.  Clearly it has been restored, and it. is. gorgeous.  Circa  1859, Bolivar County, Mississippi.

The book ends with this plea by the book's photographer, Nell Dickerson, and I think this sums up the heart of the South pretty well:

“Do whatever it takes to keep the stories alive. Our personal history is part of our national history, and we should pass it to our children with great reverence, because it is not just who we were, but who we are.”