Following her success with Lost Charleston, local author and city tour guide Leigh Jones Handal brings a fresh approach to one of the key titles in Pavilion Books’ trademark series.

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Charleston, South Carolina is one of the most popular East Coast tourist destinations. The flashpoint of the Civil War, what remains of Fort Sumter in Charleston is still a much-visited attraction, and despite bombardment by the Federal Navy, earthquakes and many hurricanes, the South Carolina city has retained its 19th-century charm.

City guide Leigh Jones Handal tells the story of the Charleston she loves through archive photos matched with their modern viewpoint, including the Jenkins Orphanage whose band were the likely originators of the Charleston dance. There are vintage photos of the great plantation houses, plus the grand buildings on Meeting Street, and the soaring spires of Charleston’s many churches.

Downtown many of the classic mansions, such as the Miles Brewton House, have been retained, along with the Market Hall and the Customs House, and though the trolleys no longer run along Broad Street, it is still recognizable from a century before.

Leigh has uncovered a treasury of vintage images that have been matched with modern photos to show new aspects of this enduringly fascinating city.

A native South Carolinian, Leigh Jones Handal has been an avid student of Lowcountry history since she was a Brownie Scout. She is co-editor of the City of Charleston’s official Tour Guide Training Manual, and the author of two books, Lost Charleston, released Sept. 3, 2019, and Storied & Scandalous Charleston, published Aug. 1, 2022.

Leigh organized Historic Charleston Foundation’s annual spring house and garden tours for 13 years (1998-2010), as well as the Preservation Society of Charleston’s fall home tours (2014).

A graduate of the College of Charleston, Leigh has been a licensed tour guide for more than 25 years. She created and appears regularly on the Lowcountry Live show’s “I Love the Lowcountry” series (WCIV- TV4). Meet Leigh and learn more about Charleston Raconteurs on this segment of I Love the Lowcountry.