Savannah Garden Of Good And Evil Statue

Judson was the sculptor of the famous savannah bird girl statue that was photographed for the cover of the best selling non fiction novel midnight in the garden of good evil by john berendt and featured in the movie by the same title.

Savannah garden of good and evil statue.

Sculpted in 1936 bird girl by sylvia shaw judson stood in obscurity for decades in savannah s bonaventure cemetery where it was named little wendy by the family that paid for it. Midnight in the garden of good and evil is a non fiction novel by john berendt. The bonaventure cemetery statue sat virtually unnoticed until 1993 when random house hired savannah photographer jack leigh to shoot an image for the cover of john berendt s new book midnight in the garden of good and evil 1994. Although the bird girl statue is no longer located in bonaventure cemetery this hauntingly beautiful savannah cemetery still plays a huge role in midnight in the garden of good and evil under the spanish moss canopy the cemetery is rich in history and mystery along with stunning sculptures.

The book was subsequently made into clint eastwood s. 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. At berendt s suggestion leigh searched the bonaventure cemetery for a suitable subject. Subtitled a savannah story with an initial printing of 25 000 copies the book became a new york times best seller for 216 weeks following its debut and remains the longest standing new york times best seller.

For more than 50 years the statue nicknamed little wendy quietly presided over a family burial plot in a historic savannah cemetery.