Peter Bonner (storyteller)

Peter L. Bonner is an American storyteller,[1] actor,[2] writer and historian[3] best known for his creation of the Gone With the Wind Tour in Jonesboro, Georgia.[4][5][6][7][8]

Career

Bonner started his career by telling stories in a Confederate Cemetery for tips.[9] He began telling of stories of the Atlanta Campaign[10] and the Battle of Jonesboro.[11][12][13]

After reading Margaret Mitchell’s statement that “practically all of the incidences in Gone With the Wind are true"[14][15] Bonner began to document the characters in her book, and developed the "Only Gone With the Wind Tour in the World”. He then wrote a book, Lost in Yesterday, which details the connections and true stories,[16] and a daily tour conducted by the Road To Tara Museum in Jonesboro.[17][18] In 2006 he earned a Commendation from Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue because his tour had contributed more than 3.5 million dollars in tourism to the local economy.

He has performed in Murder Mysteries, commercials, television programs and corporate events. He has entertained groups as small as a family on a walking tour of historic sites up to 5,000 guests. He has also led efforts to preserve and restore the remains of the original Gone With the Wind sets.[19][20]

Bonner has been the featured storyteller for the Atlanta History Center, the Atlanta Cyclorama, Underground Atlanta and Stone Mountain Park.[21] In 199 he wrote a tour for Underground Atlanta titled, “Civil War to Civil Rights”. His work with Stone Mountain Park began as a featured storyteller for their Antebellum Jubilee and Progressed through developing their “Hands on History” school program, the first Black History Display in Memorial Hall and writing the narrative for their re-dedication of the Memorial Lawn.[22][23][24][25][26][27]

Bibliography
  • Official Guide to the Saving Tara Project (2014)
  • Lost in Yesterday (2006)
  • Provence. Reisen und Geniessen (1998)

References
  1. Jennifer W. Dickey (1 April 2014). A Tough Little Patch of History: Gone with the Wind and the Politics of Memory. University of Arkansas Press. pp. 103–. ISBN 978-1-61075-543-6.
  2. "For Iconic Tara Plantation, History Isn't Yet Gone With the Wind". NBCNews.com. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  3. "The Battle of Jonesborough 150th anniversary section". Henry Daily Herald
  4. "Set of "Gone With The Wind" Plantation Discovered in Georgia Barn". Patch.com. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  5. Janice Mcdonald (2 October 2012). Georgia Off the Beaten Path®: A Guide to Unique Places. Globe Pequot Press. pp. 18–. ISBN 978-0-7627-9057-9.
  6. ""Gone With the Wind," Found in a Barn". Patch.com. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  7. Petersen, Berndt. "'Gone with the Wind' home found in Ga. barn". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  8. SHAPIRO, EMILY. "See 'Gone With the Wind' Set Inside Old Georgia Barn". ABC News. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  9. "One Man’s Quest to Rebuild Tara, the Plantation from Gone with the Wind". by Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair September 26, 2014
  10. "Day 2 - Underground Atlanta". Wednesday Journal. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  11. "Civil War priest died while serving soldiers". Our Sunday Visitor. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  12. "The Battle of Jonesboro". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  13. "The 'Gone With The Wind' House Is Finally Getting The TLC It Deserves". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  14. Margaret Mitchell (1 June 1986). Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the wind letters, 1936-1949. Collier Books. ISBN 978-0-02-020950-8.
  15. "Federationists Work Hard and Play Hard". National Federation of the Blind. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  16. Victoria Brooks (January 2000). Literary Trips: Following in the Footsteps of Fame. GreatestEscapes.com Pub. pp. 156–. ISBN 978-0-9686137-0-2.
  17. "Road to Tara Museum opens permanent exhibit of portrait roundels from 'Gone With The Wind' premiere". Clayton News Daily. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  18. "Jonesboro's Road To Tara Museum sets expansion opening". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  19. :Effort to save 'Tara' plantation facade before it's 'Gone with the Wind'". New York Daily News.
  20. "A Civil War Fanatic is Rebuilding the Gone with the Wind House". Curbed. Monday, September 29, 2014, by Spencer Peterson
  21. "Atlanta History Center's Civil War encampment set for July". The Chattooga Press. 23 June 1999. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  22. "Hands-on history". Augusta.com. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  23. TAYLOR, ELISE. "One Man's Quest to Rebuild Tara, the Plantation from Gone with the Wind". Vanity Fair magazine. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  24. "'As God is my witness,' Tara may be rising again!". HLN. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  25. "Famed Gone with the Wind set finally able to be viewed". 11alive. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  26. Brackett, Zimmerman. "Scarlett O'Hara's Tara has role in Summerville home tour". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  27. Fonville, Christine. "Local historian finds GWTW movie set in Hampton barn Read more: Neighbor Newspapers - Local historian finds GWTW movie set in Hampton barn". Neighbor Newspapers. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
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