Fitzgerald Museum
Exploring the home of one of America’s greatest authors
The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum in Montgomery is a unique experience to see. It is the last remaining home of the Fitzgerald family in the area. It houses the largest collection of Zelda Fitzgerald’s paintings in the world. This building is also the location where Fitzgerald formulated the ideas and themes behind the novel “Tender is the Night”. The house was built in 1909 as a single family living space.
This is the only F. Scott Fitzgerald museum in the world. Most of the Fitzgerald legacy is held in private collections. This museum is the only location that is openly accessible to the public and contains such a large variety of artifacts and items.
The number of visitors is usually a bit low. Weekly, there are only about a dozen guests. Yearly, with events included, a couple hundred will show up. Fewer guests have stopped by as the years have gone on. More visitors from other countries come to the museum than those from the local area!
From Home to Museum
The building was the personal home of the Fitzgerald family. When they moved to Hollywood, the home was turned into a small rental property in 1932. It was split down the middle in two directions and then into fourths. This is why a large number of the rooms are small or walled off in some areas.
The building had already been remodeled into an apartment building, which is why its interior has such an odd design.
The current main gallery places an emphasis on the city of Montgomery in 1918. The director, Sarah Powell, had insight about the current layout.
“The galleries are set up to focus on the [Fitzgeralds’] background and childhoods. Our main gallery right now has a focus on Montgomery in 1918. It’s the hundredth anniversary of [Zelda and Scott’s] meeting, so we felt it necessary to kind of highlight Cloverdale Cottage Hill, where Zelda was raised,” said Powell.
What’s in a Location?
The F. Scott Fitzgerald museum is surrounded by history. However, most of the history that surrounds it does not include literary history. “ The only literary home near the F. Scott Fitzgerald museum is Harper Lee’s home in Monroeville, which is an hour and a half away,” said Mrs. Powell. However, just two houses down from the museum is a home that Helen Keller frequented. That home is actually owned by the couple that saved the Fitzgerald home in 1986.
In the late 1980s, the area that the building stood on was going to be turned into a condominium. The building had been in the area for an extended period of time and it was about to be demolished. Mr. and Mrs. McPhillips, the owners of the museum, bought the building when they found out it was the home of the Fitzgerald family. They then donated it to the state to become the Zelda & Scott Fitzgerald Museum.
Additional information about the museum can be found in an article by my classmate.
Where the Writing Happens
The current museum layout was planned by the director, Mrs. Sarah Powell, and the board supporting the museum. There are a number of items in the museum that stand out. In May a new layout will be set and new items will be on display.
Mrs. Powell commented on three items in particular that she feels people should come to the museum to see.
“So off the top, Zelda paintings are probably the primary artifact. Even ahead of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art, we have the largest collection of her original paintings and it ties into a lot of the local lore. [Scottie Fitzgerald’s] stamp collection is the second. It’s incredibly rare. It is her personal stamp collection that she collected over time. And then the first editions. If you’re a fan of F. Scott in any capacity, just seeing the first editions of all of the novels is kind of fascinating. My favorites are the armed service editions. They’re pocket sized, very small versions of the entire novel. That’s the version of [The Great Gatsby] we have and that’s the reason Gatsby comes into modern popularity.”
In the near future a new layout will be set up. The gallery is going to be switched around in May to show off other artifacts. Later on, walls are going to be removed and the building is going to be restored to its original design.
A Brief Glimpse at the Museum Gallery
More about this article:
This article was written as a creative project assignment for a journalism course, Media Writing II, at Auburn University at Montgomery in Spring 2018. The course was taught by Eman Shurbaji in collaboration with Exploring Montgomery’s founder, Cyle Conoly.
The project’s articles showcase many diverse buildings and their history in Montgomery.
- A bit of worship history at Old Ship African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church by Jayla Coleman
- The State Farmers Market by Cierra Juett explores a popular — and largely healthy — shopping destination
- Community love for the performing arts is seen at Cloverdale Playhouse by Brittany Vallely
- In depth coverage of the beloved Alabama Shakespeare Festival by Kodi Robertson and a short article by Brittany Nobles
- Photos capture great heights at AUM in Ida Belle Young Library Tower by Kaleria Jackson
- More coverage (with Curtiss the Warhawk!) of the Ida Belle Young Library Tower by Selina Johnson
- Tourist attraction F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald Museum is examined in light of the home by Kywanna Johnson and the writing ventures by Mike Breen
- Free and growing Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is covered in light of its official website by Nyla Hooks
- Iconic Civil Rights moments are revisited at the Rosa Parks Museum by Brandon Barker
- A closer look at downtown entertainment landmark Davis Theatre by Alexandrea Moore
- Independent films and a deep roots are explored at Capri Theatre by Destin Davis
- State-of-the-art sports venue Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Stadium is visited by Dana Horton
