Request Material
Vara A. Majette papers
Descriptive Summary | |
| Title: Vara A. Majette papers | |
| Creator: Majette, Vara A. (Vara Anna), 1875-1974 | |
| Inclusive Dates: 1924-1965 | |
| Language(s): English | |
| Extent: 2 Linear Feet 3 document boxes, 1 half box, 1 oversized portfolio | |
| Collection Number: ms3073 | |
| Repository: Hargrett Library | |
Collection Description
Historical Note
Vara A. Majette (1875-1974) was an author, lawyer and artist. She was born in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Her father, Dr. William E. Swinney (1848-1919), was a physician. She married Edwin Smith Majette in 1895 and they had three children. After years of social work, she decided to study law and became one of the first women lawyers admitted to the Georgia Bar Association. After her husband's death in 1932, she moved to St. Simon's Island, Georgia where she bought a house named "Tillandsia." She began experimenting with watercolor painting at age 72 using a primitive American art style.
Scope and Content
The collection consists of biographical information, correspondence, writings, research, and photographs. Majette's only published work (1924) was White Blood, which dealt with race relations. Mistress of a Thousand Slaves is based on the life of Fanny Kemble. Research for the book includes a letter written by Fanny Kemble. Daughters of Men is about Indian tribes on the Sea Islands when the Spanish first came to Georgia. Please God... closely follows Majette's life story. Her writings also include children's stories and poems, some of which are in a scrapbook she made for her granddaughter in 1929.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Vara A. Majette papers, ms3073, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries.
Finding Aid Publication
Finding aid prepared on: 2009 October 16.