John D. Duncan (1938 – September 21, 2022)
[ was an American author and historian. A retired history professor, and a twelfth-generation native of ]South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
, he lived the majority of his life in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...
. Between 1977 and 2022, he and his wife, Virginia, owned the Thomas-Levy House in Savannah's Monterey Square
Monterey Square is one of the Squares of Savannah, Georgia, 22 squares of Savannah, Georgia, United States. It is located in the southernmost row of the city's five rows of squares, on Bull Street and Wayne Street, and was laid out in 1847. It is ...
. In 1983, they established V & J Duncan Antique Maps, Prints and Books in the building's basement level, and it is still in operation today.
Life and career
John Duncan was born in 1938 in South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
.
Duncan, who was tall,[ married diminutive Virginia (Ginger; born )][ in 1976.][ They have a ]King Charles spaniel
The King Charles Spaniel (also known as the English Toy Spaniel) is a small dog breed of the spaniel type. In 1903, the Kennel Club combined four separate toy spaniel breeds under this single title. The other varieties merged into this breed wer ...
named Emma. One of their previous dogs, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is a British breed of toy dog of spaniel type. Four colours are recognised: Blenheim (chestnut and white), tricolour (black/white/tan), black and tan, and ruby; the coat is smooth and silky. The lifespan is usual ...
named Rosie, made an appearance in Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...
's 1997 movie ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' is a non-fiction novel by John Berendt. The book, Berendt's first, was published in 1994 and follows the story of an antiques dealer on trial for the murder of a male prostitute. Subtitled ''A Savannah S ...
'', as did Duncan, who was interviewed by John Cusack
John Paul Cusack (; born June 28, 1966)(28 June 1996)Today's birthdays ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'', ("Actors John Cusack is 30") is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and political activist. He is a son of filmmaker Dick Cusack, and his ol ...
's character John Kelso. John Berendt
John Berendt (born December 5, 1939) is an American author, known for writing the best-selling non-fiction book ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'', which was a finalist for the 1995 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction.
Biography
Ber ...
, the author of the book on which the film was based, visited the Duncans in the early 1980s, during the early research for his non-fiction novel. Ginger is mentioned in the book. Berendt has stayed with the couple several times over the years.
Beginning in 1965,[ when he moved to Savannah, Duncan was a history professor at ]Georgia Southern University–Armstrong Campus
Georgia Southern University–Armstrong Campus, formerly Armstrong State University, is one of three campuses of Georgia Southern University, a public university. Occupying a area on the residential southside of Savannah, Georgia, United States ...
in Savannah.["Jane Fishman: To John Duncan, history is life"]
– ''Savannah Morning News
The ''Savannah Morning News'' is a daily newspaper in Savannah, Georgia. It is published by Gannett. The motto of the paper is "Light of the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry". The paper serves Savannah, its metropolitan area, and parts of South Ca ...
'', March 23, 2019 He retired in 1997.[
In 1972, Duncan completed a PhD in history at ]Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...
in Atlanta. His dissertation was a two-volume history of ''Slavery and Servitude in Colonial South Carolina''.[
In 2019, he co-authored ''The Showy Town of Savannah, The Story of Architect William Jay'', which was fifty years in the making and was extensively researched at the ]British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
in London. He was writing another book, tentatively named ''The Museum Next Door'', the same year. It is about the Thomas-Levy House, their 12 East Taylor Street home, which they purchased for $36,000; a 2002 estimate valued it close to $1 million.[ Savannah photographer Richard Leo Johnson took hundreds of images of the building's interior for the project.][
In 2021, the ]Georgia Historical Society
The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is a statewide historical society in Georgia. Headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, GHS is one of the oldest historical organizations in the United States. Since 1839, the society has collected, examined, and ta ...
honored Duncan with the John Macpherson Berrien Lifetime Achievement Award for the previous year. Berrien was one of the founders of the Society.
Death
Duncan died in 2022, after illness. He was 84.
Selected bibliography
*''The Showy Town of Savannah, The Story of Architect William Jay'' (co-authored with Sandra L. Underwood), Mercer University Press
Mercer University Press, established in 1979, is a university press operated by Mercer University. The press has published more than 1,600 books, releasing 35-40 titles annually with a 5-person staff.
Mercer is the only Baptist-related instit ...
(2019)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, John
1938 births
2022 deaths
Historians from Georgia (U.S. state)
Writers from Savannah, Georgia
20th-century American historians
21st-century American historians
Academics from Georgia (U.S. state)
Armstrong State University
Emory University alumni