Lens On History with JD Byous

What if you could uncover hidden archaeological history without lifting a shovel — just by using your eyes, a camera, and curiosity? In this episode of Lens on History, historian and award-winning photojournalist JD Byous takes you on a visual archaeology tour of Savannah, Georgia’s Reynolds Square, revealing how bricks, sidewalks, drains, and “ghost” architecture preserve stories from over 200 ye...

Hidden History in Savannah, Georgia Step into the hidden battlefield beneath the quiet beauty of Savannah and uncover the untold story of Sergeant William Jasper, one of the most fearless, yet forgotten heroes of the American Revolutionary War. From the thunder of cannons at Battle of Sullivan’s Island near Charleston to the brutal chaos of the Siege of Savannah, this immersive walking tour traces...

This episode of Lens on History uncovers the remarkable and largely forgotten, story of Edward Greene Malbone, one of the most talented early American artists, now buried in Colonial Park Cemetery. If you’ve ever wondered how people preserved memory and identity before photography, this story of miniature portrait painting in early America reveals an intimate world few history books explore. Worki...

The Cursed Silk Dress Balloons Hey, Everyone! Today I’m going to tell you about a rather fashionable weapon of war… I have a story about the Confederate Air Corps… and their airships made from silk dresses… Or so the legend goes. It is a tragic and twisted story from the beginning all the way to the very sad end. These balloons seemed to be tinged by a curse.      It was back in 1862 in a pre-dawn...

Yankee in the Garden Hey, everyone! Did you hear that? Somebody said, “The Yankees are coming!” Actually, we hear that all the time here in Savannah, Georgia. Today it would mean they were coming down for a few days of vacation… But back in 1864, it didn’t mean they were stopping in town to catch dinner at Sweet Potatoes Kitchen and buy a couple of tee shirts down on River Street. It would have be...

Don't Tax Me Bro! Hey, everyone. We’ve got a great story for this episode. Today we’re going to talk about two historical events that were separated by 100 yards but were a decade apart in history. They also tie in geographically with two other historical events that took place on the same GPS location that we are looking at today. Those are in different episodes. Well, back in 1765, things we...

The Hurricane that Broke Savannah Hey, everyone! Is this a great day for a podcast, or what? No storms… no bad weather… at least not for me where I am. Sorry if you are. You know the old saying… If you don’t like the weather stick around… It’ll change. So stick around I’m going to tell you a story about a bad day… weather wise See, in Savannah and South Georgia, back in 1881, they had a really bad...

One Duel. One Died. One Didn’t. 32.077938° -81.082580° Hey, everyone! What a great day for a podcast! Do we have a great country or what? Yes… our country has problems… all countries have problems. But at the time of the forming of our nation during the American Revolution, things got pretty bad, not just in the way the war was going, but in the political landscape of the founding fathers. Tension...

Books by JD Byous https://shorturl.at/hliQj He Slept on a Grave? 32.042645° -81.046146° Other coordinates are at the end of the notes. Hey, everyone! Okay… okay… A while back, I heard a story of a famous person doing something that I would never do. I doubt that any of you would either, but, hey, what do I know. Anyway… I ask myself this question… Why would a young man… an Why would a young man… a...

Hey, everyone! What a great day for a podcast! I don’t know if you know, but Savannah, Georgia, where this podcast… is based… is known for being a bit of a party town. If you’ve never been here, this is a place where you can walk around downtown with a plastic cup of your favorite beverage… of any kind… in your hand… legally. Also, our city has… as claimed by some people… the second-largest St. Pa...

32.079459° -81.083386° Hey, Everyone      What a fantastic day for a podcast. Sometimes I have favorite stories about history. In this one….. I start out by saying… Boston Tea party, Boston shmee party. Because here in Savannah, Georgia, in 1775, Andrew Elton Wells led a group of Liberty Boys, and they had a sweeter party… The Savannah Sugar Party. This guy, Wells, followed the lead of his brother...

Pirate bootie sacked 32.081384° -81.089784° Hey, everyone! Another fine day for a podcast. And it is a fine day… because today we’re going to talk about pirates. And I’m not talkin’ the  AAAARRRGGG, me hearty  kind of pirates. Okay, you ask, where did it happen? So, you wanna know where they hung out? Listen up! Well, it happened in Savannah, Georgia, when Savannahians had had enough of the things...

Here's a bit of what we have in store for you at History By GPS. Season one has a debut date of February 14 th , 2023… ...don’t you just love it?... In that season, we’ll focus on the history in and around Savannah, Georgia, USA… There is a lot of history here. Then, occasionally we’ll venture out to other areas across America, and sometimes we’ll tell the connections of those events to the Ho...