Savannah Races : Photographs from the Collection of the Georgia Historical Society

Mention Savannah, and most people will think of moss-draped oaks, genteel Southern charm, excellent cooking, and beautiful scenery. Not many would associate Savannah with goggle-clad, helmetless race car drivers roaring past crowds of nattily dressed onlookers from the early 1900s. Yet, from 1908 to 1911, the wonderful landscape, architecture, and atmosphere of Savannah was home to the predecessor of the most famous race in the world, the Indianapolis 500. The wonderfully quirky early race cars of those years sped past onlookers, old graveyards, and Southern mansions. Their drivers hobnobbed with the upper crust of Savannah society, as well as movers and shakers in the world of politics. In all, the races represented a fascinating time of change in Savannah's history.