The Bird Girl statue is one of the most iconic landmarks in Savannah, Georgia. Cast in bronze and depicting a young girl holding two bowls, the statue is located in Bonaventure Cemetery, a historic cemetery located just outside the Savannah historic district.
The Bird Girl statue rose to fame when it was featured on the cover of the 1994 novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. The novel brought major attention to Savannah and increased tourism to the city dramatically. Over 25 years later, the statue remains a top attraction that draws visitors from around the world.
But what is the history and significance behind this mysterious statue that has become so beloved? Here we will explore the meaning, origins, and legacy of Savannah’s famous Bird Girl statue.
The History of the Bird Girl Statue
The Bird Girl statue was sculpted in 1936 by Sylvia Shaw Judson, an American artist based in Lake Forest, Illinois. Judson was known for her bird-inspired sculptures, having created over 70 bird figures in her career.
The model for the Bird Girl statue was a young girl named Audrey Munson, who had posed for many famous artists in the early 1900s. Munson was known as “America’s First Supermodel” and was the model for many iconic sculptures in New York, including civic monuments like the USS Maine National Monument.
Judson entered her Bird Girl sculpture in an art contest at the World’s Fair of 1937 in New York City, where it won first place. After the fair, the sculpture changed hands several times before it was eventually purchased by Trosper and Kathryn Kemp in 1950.
The Kemps displayed the Bird Girl statue in their garden at their home in Savannah’s historic district for over 40 years. In 1993, they donated the statue to the Trosper family plot in Bonaventure Cemetery, where the sculpture stands today overlooking the Wilmington River.
The Novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
In 1994, the Bird Girl statue was thrust into the public eye when it appeared on the cover of John Berendt’s novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
The novel told the partly-fictionalized account of an actual murder that occurred in Savannah in 1981 and the eccentric characters connected to the crime. Berendt had lived in Savannah in the 1980s after coming across the coastal city by chance. Enamored by the mystery and oddities of Savannah, Berendt spent eight years working on the novel.
When it came time to choose the cover art, Berendt selected Joy Stocke’s photo of the Bird Girl statue that she had taken while on assignment for Berendt. The haunting image of the statue set against the mossy Spanish-moss trees of Bonaventure Cemetery evoked the gothic, mysterious mood of the novel perfectly.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil became a huge bestseller and drew masses of tourists to Savannah, eager to see the locations featured in the book. The Bird Girl statue became the most popular destination, with thousands lining up daily to be photographed with the sculpture.
The Meaning and Symbolism of the Bird Girl Statue
What is the meaning behind the Bird Girl statue? Sylvia Shaw Judson never provided details about the significance of her creation. However, art critics have interpreted the statue as representing innocence,mourning, and loss.
The young girl stands solemnly holding two empty bowls. Some believe this signifies the dual nature of life, suggesting the mixing of opposites like life and death, light and darkness. The two bowls could represent vessels waiting to receive offerings or gifts from the living to the dead.
The girl’s downward gaze and bare feet are seen as symbols of grief, mourning, and contemplation. Her youth also evokes themes of the innocence of childhood and loss of innocence.
The birds perched on her shoulders and head have been viewed as representing souls or spirits. This gives the sculpture a ghostly, ethereal quality.
Overall, the statue is an evocative memento mori – a reminder of death and the fragility of life. Positioned in a cemetery, the Bird Girl serves as a sorrowful angel welcoming souls to the afterlife.
Controversy and Conservation
The mass popularity of the Bird Girl statue led to tension between locals and tourists. The high numbers of visitors to Bonaventure Cemetery resulted in disruption and even damage to the gravestones over the years.
In 1997, the Trosper family who owned the statue made the controversial decision to remove the Bird Girl from the cemetery due to the huge crowds, installing a replica in its place. The original statue was sent away for restoration and preservation.
This decision dismayed Savannah locals who felt the move took away an important part of their city’s heritage. Others argued the statue needed to be protected from mounting damage caused by tourism.
The Trosper family donated the original statue to the Telfair Museum in Savannah, where it remains on display indoors. Outside of Bonaventure Cemetery, the replica Bird Girl endures as a symbol of the city.
Legacy as an Icon of Savannah
Over 25 years since Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil catapulted it to fame, the image of the Bird Girl remains intrinsically tied to Savannah’s identity.
The statue’s likeness can be found everywhere in Savannah, from T-shirts to postcards to dolls to other souvenirs. Businesses like restaurants and hotels capitalize on the Bird Girl’s draw for tourists.
Each year, the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home in Savannah hosts a Birthday Party for the Bird Girl on April 25th, the date Sylvia Shaw Judson was born. The event celebrates the statue’s legacy with food, costumes, and activities.
While locals may still lament the loss of the original statue, the Bird Girl replica in Bonaventure Cemetery remains an atmospheric spot beloved by visitors. The statue endures as a symbol of Savannah’s eccentricities, complexities, and allure.
Conclusion
Created in 1936 by Sylvia Shaw Judson, the Bird Girl statue rose to fame over 50 years later through the cover of the novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The haunting statue quickly became a sensation, drawing crowds of tourists and even sparking controversy.
While the original statue now resides in a museum, the iconic Bird Girl remains a quintessential part of Savannah’s identity and culture. The sculpture’s sorrowful and ghostly image continues to fascinate visitors who see in it meanings of innocence, mourning, and the balance of life and death. Over 25 years after becoming a celebrity, the Bird Girl remains one of Savannah’s most intriguing legends.