Entry No. 7 — the Savannah file — filed under: folk art
Beach Institute African-American Cultural Center — Ulysses Davis Collection
Ulysses Davis worked as a Savannah barber (and earlier as a railroad blacksmith), yet carved constantly with his barbershop tools, and his shop doubled as a gallery. The Beach Institute now holds the largest single collection of his work — over 240 wood sculptures — including miniature busts of every U.S. president from Washington through George H.W. Bush.
The story
Ulysses Davis spent nearly fifty years running a barbershop in Savannah after an earlier turn as a railroad blacksmith. Between haircuts, he didn't just sit around—he grabbed mahogany, cedar, and pine, carving obsessively with the very shears, rasps, and hand tools from his barber workstation. His shop doubled as a informal parlor museum, though he notoriously refused to sell off his core creations, keeping his life's work remarkably intact under one roof.
Today, the Beach Institute—originally established in 1867 as Savannah's first school for freed African Americans—houses the ultimate vault of his handiwork inside its Clemmons Galleries. The main draw is a bizarre, deeply disciplined project: miniature wooden busts of every single U.S. president from George Washington through George H.W. Bush, each whittled down to detailed hair textures and individual neckties.
Look past the row of American statesmen, though, and you'll hit Davis's unprompted, far stranger side. Tucked into the collection of over 240 sculptures are intricate African figures, fantastical beasts, and coiled serpent forms carved straight from his imagination. Now preserved by the King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation, it stands as one of the most singular outsider-art archives sitting quietly in the coastal South.
What it's like
You'll find the Beach Institute tucked away on East Harris Street, far from the loud open-container crowds stumbling down River Street. Inside, the Clemmons Galleries are serene and museum-quiet, letting you step inches away from the glass cases to inspect microscopic chisel marks on wooden earlobes and carved coat lapels. Plan to double-check their operating hours ahead of time, and budget a few extra minutes to step right over to the neighboring King-Tisdell Cottage on the same block.
The move: Walk the Clemmons Galleries slowly to find every presidential bust plus Davis's stranger carvings of African figures and fantastical creatures, then step next door to the King-Tisdell Cottage, which the same foundation operates.
- 📍 Savannah Historic District
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 502 E Harris St, Savannah, GA 31401
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Colonial Park Cemetery — A quiet two-block walk takes you from Davis's hand-carved mahogany to the historic resting place of early Savannahians.
- WEBB Military Museum — Follow up one man's lifelong folk art obsession with another single collector's dense vault of scavenged military relics just three blocks north.
- Davenport House Museum — Artisan Spotlight Series — Pair Davis's self-taught woodworking with traditional historic handcraft workshops hosted near Columbia Square.
Good to know
What tools did Ulysses Davis use to carve his sculptures?
Davis was a self-taught artist who relied heavily on his daily barbershop tools, including hair rasps, hand knives, and makeshift chisels, alongside skills honed during his early work as a railroad blacksmith.
Which presidents are included in the presidential bust series?
The collection features miniature wooden busts of every U.S. president from George Washington through George H.W. Bush.
Where is the Ulysses Davis collection located?
It is permanently housed in the Clemmons Galleries inside the Beach Institute African-American Cultural Center at 502 E Harris St in Savannah's Historic District.
Who manages the Beach Institute?
The center and its collections are managed by the King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation, which also oversees the historic King-Tisdell Cottage nearby.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · gosouthsavannah.com
last checked: 2026-07-20