In introducing vignettes of life on plantation estates written by Martin (1895-1991) in the "Lowcountry Gossip" column in the Charleston News and Courier for many years, Cuthbert (South Carolina Historical Society) and Hoffius (former director of publications, SCHS; coauthor, Landscapes of Slavery: The Plantation in American Art ) describe the part-time lifestyles that rich and famous Northerners (e.g., members of the Du Pont, Guggenheim, and Vanderbilt families) adopted in coastal South Carolina in the 1930s. This lifestyle (including a nudist resort) that she captured in her column and photographs often clashed with that upholders of antebellum plantation culture. The bibliography contains general references and estate-specific ones. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)