Pictures in a Parlor

Visitors to Andalusia this summer are in for a real treat. In the back parlor we have a new display of some vintage photographs of the farm. These pictures are the generous gift of Frances Florencourt, first cousin of Flannery O'Connor. A number of them, dating from the late 1930s, feature Flannery and her Florencourt cousins on horseback. There are also photos from the same period of Flannery's uncle, Dr. Bernard Cline. Born in 1881, Dr. Cline was a renowned ear, nose, and throat doctor in Atlanta. He was a prominent member of society and served for some time as president of the Piedmont Driving Club. In the early 1930s Dr. Cline purchased the Andalusia property and used it as a weekend getaway as well as a place where he could raise horses and quail. He also entertained his friends with lavish barbecues and hosted special parties at the farm for his beloved nieces. Dr. Cline died unexpectedly in January, 1947. Though he was sorely missed by all who knew him, his legacy lives on at Andalusia. According to his niece, Frances, "the farm and all its land and buildings still speak of him and his love for us."
- Mark