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On May 25, 1921, Katharine Smith Reynolds’ school on the grounds of Reynolda House produced a dramatic version of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem The Song of Hiawatha. The passion play was arranged by F. E. Moore of Middletown, Ohio, and was photographed by the Holladay Studio of Durham, North Carolina. Children from the school performed the play, which included elaborate costumes, modern dance, and a musical score. The outdoor play is documented in this unique bound volume, including photographs of costumed children posing for every scene and text from the epic poem. A piece in the Reynolda Gardens’ Gardener’s Journal from Winter 2008 written by curator Camilla Wilcox entitled The Story of Hiawatha at Reynolda details the history of the photographic album and the pageant itself.

The photographic album is now available online. This volume is part of the Rare Book Collection in the Department of Special Collections and Archives at Z. Smith Reynolds Library.