The Wilbur G. Kurtz collection spans the years 1903-1991 (bulk 1935-1969) and encompasses 1.75 linear feet. The collection consists primarily of research material and correspondence relating to GONE WITH THE WIND (1939), though there is a small amount of material concerning the other films Kurtz worked on. The bulk of the collection contains photocopies from the Wilbur G. Kurtz Collections at the Atlanta Historical Society and the University of Georgia. Most of the material is research related and devoted to the theme of making films historically accurate. There are often handwritten and typed versions of research, manuscripts, and correspondence. Of special interest is the correspondence with Margaret Mitchell and a first edition of "Gone with the Wind," which she autographed twice.

Wilbur G. Kurtz Sr. (1882-1967) was born in Oakland, Illinois, raised in Greencastle, Indiana, and educated at DePauw University and the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1911 Kurtz married Annie Laurie Fuller, daughter of Captain William Allen Fuller, a participant in the effort to foil the Andrews Raid (the attempted destruction of the Western and Atlantic Railroad in 1862). Kurtz moved to Atlanta in 1912 and spent the next fifty-five years documenting the history of the area, including the Atlanta campaign of the Civil War and the history of The General, the locomotive used in the Andrews Raid. In the meantime he made a living as a historian, commercial artist, mural painter, writer-illustrator, and researcher. Kurtz's murals can be found in various buildings throughout Atlanta, including the governor's mansion. His knowledge of Atlanta history helped Kurtz land work as the technical adviser for GONE WITH THE WIND (1939), SONG OF THE SOUTH (1946), and THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE (1956).