Keepers of the Southern Byways

Figure 1.

Mr. Carl, the oldest patron of "My Place" (since 1949) in Hahira, Georgia, 2003.

Brian Jolley describes himself not as a travel photographer but as "a photographer who travels." For years, maps have held a certain fascination for Jolley, with their interconnected webs bending at the dots marking towns and cities. Those places joined by the thinnest lines, away from the South's teeming interstate ar-teries, drew Jolley and his old Polaroid Land cameras to chronicle merchants of all sorts—and "to put a face on those dots freckling a map."

Figure 2.

Miss Margaret, "Hughes General Merchandise" (since 1973) in Yemassee, South Carolina, 2003.

Jolley's inspiration arrived from a renowned fellow traveler. "The greatest influence on these portraits," he says, "came in the form of Charles Kuralt, the late journalist who humbly traveled the road and made all those he met heroic." With Kuralt's spirit in tow, Jolley catalogued the "keepers of the southern byways" shown here and compiled these photographs with many more in a book by the same title, published last year.

Figure 3.

A.W. and Josephine Manuel, "Manuel's Grocery" (since 1915) in Appleton, South Carolina, 2003.

Figure 4.

Don, "KCT Supply" in Furman, South Carolina, 2003.

Figure 5.

Willie, "Robinson Pecan House" (since 1978) in Capps, Florida, 2003.

Figure 6.

Jack, "Jack's Garage" (since 1960) in Scotia, South Carolina, 2002.

Figure 7.

Amber, "Whitehill Grocery" in Whitehill, Georgia, 2002.

Figure 8.

Nick, "Nick's Seafood" (since 1993) in Raceland, Louisiana, 2003.

Figure 9.

Assok, "The Fairfax Motel" (since 1984) in Fairfax, South Carolina, 2002.

Figure 10.

William, "William Williams Filling Station" (since 1971) in Waltersboro, South Carolina, 2002.

Figure 11.

Gabriel, "G & F Produce" (since 1998) in Hardeeville, South Carolina, 2002.

Figure 12.

Burley, "Huffman's Service Station" (since 1955) in Springfield, South Carolina, 2002.

Figure 13.

Albert, "Kaigler's Deli and Grocery" (since 1941) in Millen, Georgia, 2002.

Figure 14.

Michelle, "280 Package Store" in Pembroke, Georgia, 2002.

Figure 15.

Donald Hiers (left and right), "Ehrhardt Grocery" (since 1929) and "Ehrhardt 5 & 10" (since 1962) in Ehrhardt, South Carolina, 2003.

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Figure 16.

Gail, "Nana's Fabrics" (since 1991) in Schlatterville, Georgia, 2003.

Figure 17.

Mike and Michael, "T & M Used Tires" (since 2001) in Clayton, Alabama, 2003.

Figure 18.

Darrell, Riley, and Michelle, "Shepard's Auto Electric" (since 1942) in Hinesville, Georgia, 2002.

Figure 19.

"Ortega's Market Two" in Statenville, Georgia, 2002.

Figure 20.

Willie Mae, "Doug's Quick Stop" (since 2003) in Dublin, Mississippi, 2003.