THE PROJECT BEHIND RED GALLUSES
The Talmadge Research Project
We began with the Talmadge family. The research kept taking us further.
How it began
Red Galluses began as a research project on the Talmadge family. We wanted to understand Eugene and Herman Talmadge, their political machine, and the men and women who made it run. The further we went, the more we found. Their influence reached into more of Georgia life, and carried greater consequences, than we had imagined.
Unusual access to family archives gave us a place to begin. Letters, photographs and other records introduced us to a cast of characters who deserved a closer look. Following them took us into courtrooms, newspaper offices, kitchens and small towns. The political story kept opening onto other parts of life.
A man who helped put Herman Talmadge in the governor’s office became a federal judge. A college debate put Talmadge opposite Emilio Pucci. Betty Talmadge’s cookbook led us to a breakfast for Lucille Ball. Each story sent us looking for the next.
How it became a publication
We enjoyed the work, and we wanted other people to become as interested in these stories as we were. That became Red Galluses and our weekly newsletter, The Statesman.
The research also changed what we noticed. We began looking more closely at the people, places, food, books and customs around us. We wanted room to write about those subjects, including stories with no Talmadge connection. The publication grew from that curiosity.
The Talmadge project continues alongside that broader work. It gives Red Galluses its starting point and a continuing source of stories. Readers can arrive for a recipe, a profile or a trip across Georgia and find something else worth their time.
The research continues
The editor continues to research the Talmadge family, its political machine, and the people who supported, operated and opposed it. We are examining how that power worked and what it meant for the people of Georgia.
As part of this work, Red Galluses is digitizing Talmadge records held at these institutions:
- Emory University: Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library.
- University of Georgia: Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies.
- Georgia State University Library: Special Collections & Archives.
We will share findings and updates as the work progresses. The articles link to sources so readers can follow the record themselves.