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Alabama Department of Archives and History

Alabama Department of Archives and History Welcome to the home of Alabama history! Visit us soon to find your story.

Operating as usual

12/09/2022
Alabama Radio Moments: Radio Makes Great Theater

Join us at 12:00 CT on Friday, December 9 at the Archives for the next installment in our Alabama Radio Moments lecture series.

Members of the Alabama Shakespeare Festival will discuss their new production, "It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play." In this whimsical twist of a holiday classic, actors use sound effects, singing, and quick character changes to bring the story of George Bailey to the stage. In this program, they will discuss how they adapted their performances to incorporate radio and demonstrate some of the techniques they used.

Alabama Radio Moments is a companion lecture series to the Museum of Alabama’s exhibit of the same name, on view through May 2023. Each month through the run of the exhibit, speakers will explore the history and influence of radio in Alabama.

The Alabama Radio Moments lecture series is sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

Was Alabama REALLY the first state to declare Christmas a holiday in 1836? Our latest Archives/Five sets the record stra...
12/06/2022
Archives/Five: Debunking the Alabama Christmas Myth

Was Alabama REALLY the first state to declare Christmas a holiday in 1836? Our latest Archives/Five sets the record straight on this longstanding holiday myth.

Join retired assistant director Debbie Pendleton as she presents, “Debunking the Alabama Christmas Myth.”For generations, many have believed that Alabama was...

Today marks the 67th anniversary of the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, an organized effort that would change not o...
12/06/2022

Today marks the 67th anniversary of the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, an organized effort that would change not only Alabama but the entire nation. This online 2020 history/now program examined the history of the Bus Boycott and its legacy today. In case you missed the program, catch a new viewing of "history/now: The Montgomery Bus Boycott in Perspective" here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saBQK761f8o&list=PL-vsvn-unGWtWaffII9Guq1khJxias8wQ&index=2

The program featured:

Joseph Caver, former senior archivist at the Air Force Historical Research Agency at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery. Caver is a current lecturer at Alabama State University and author of "From Marion to Montgomery: The Early Years of Alabama State University, 1867-1925."

Jeanne Theoharis, Distinguished Professor of Political Science at CUNY Brooklyn College. Theoharis is the author of nine books on the civil rights and Black Power movements and the politics of race and education. Her book "The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks" won a 2014 NAACP Image Award.

Ashley Jernigan, owner of JDB Hospitality, LLC. Jernigan’s firm is dedicated to building the brands of people, places, and products through corporate event management, community relations, and business consulting. She was the lead planner for Montgomery’s commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the Bus Boycott in 2020.

Our history/now series examines the past’s connection to the present. Find more history/now recordings at www.youtube.com/alabamaarchives.

12/05/2022
Research Rundown: The Emancipation of John Bell

Join us today online at noon for Research Rundown!

John Bell was an enslaved man and long-time body servant of Alabama politician and U.S. Vice-President William Rufus King. Based on research that began several years ago, ADAH Reference Archivist Carlie Anne Burkett will discuss how she discovered records about Bell and how challenging it can be to research those who were enslaved. She will share what she has learned about Bell's life and the events that led to his emancipation.

Research Rundown: Alabama History and Genealogy How-To is monthly online tutorial series on genealogical and archival research. The program is presented the first Monday of every month from September to May. It streams live on the ADAH's Facebook and YouTube channel. Past programs are available to watch anytime on YouTube.

For more information, email [email protected].

11/30/2022
Alabama Radio Moments: WZZA, "The Soul of the Shoals"

We are having technical difficulties, please excuse the delay. We will begin shortly.

Join us TODAY (November 30) at noon CST for the next installment in our Alabama Radio Moments lecture series. This program will be presented in person at the Archives and stream live on Facebook and YouTube.

During this program, Tori Bailey will share the history of WZZA, the first Black-owned radio station in North Alabama founded by her parents, Odessa and Bob Carl Bailey. Beyond musical programming, WZZA continues to serve as an important news service for residents through a daily public-affairs program, featuring a variety of guests including attorneys, physicians, religious leaders, and public officials.

Bailey continues her parents’ legacy as general manager at WZZA. She uses her microphone to share updates related to educational, social, and health related issues, and political and economic empowerment. Tori is committed to the continuance of providing a voice for the community and considers radio to be her calling.

Alabama Radio Moments is a companion lecture series to the Museum of Alabama’s exhibit of the same name. Each month through May 2023, speakers will explore the history and influence of radio in Alabama.

The Alabama Radio Moments lecture series is sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

11/30/2022

We are having technical difficulties with our program today. We will begin the stream shortly, please excuse the delay.

How we're feeling after  meals today. Stuck in your chair, too? Head over to https://digital.archives.gov and explore ou...
11/24/2022

How we're feeling after meals today. Stuck in your chair, too? Head over to https://digital.archives.gov and explore our digital collections! Watch the newly-digitized film from our WSFA Collection, learn fascinating folklife practices and tales from our Alabama Writers' Project and Folklife collections, or explore decades of history through the news coverage of our Alabama Media Group Collection.

(This early 1900s photo of Southern Mineral Land Company president Herman Pfaff is part of our digitized Annie Pfaff Glass Negative Collection.)

Enjoy, and happy Thanksgiving to all!

What's on your menu for today? We hope all  feast preparations are as much fun as this WWII photo from the USO Club in T...
11/24/2022

What's on your menu for today? We hope all feast preparations are as much fun as this WWII photo from the USO Club in Talladega!

The ca. 1943 image is from our Alabama State Council of Defense (1941-1946) administrative files collection.

Getting your wagon ready for any parades today? This photograph of a 1942 Uniontown  Carnival scene might rival Macy's! ...
11/24/2022

Getting your wagon ready for any parades today? This photograph of a 1942 Uniontown Carnival scene might rival Macy's!

Image from our Alabama State Chamber of Commerce photograph collection.

Happy !

The ADAH and Museum of Alabama will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, November 24, and Friday, November 25, for the Thanksgi...
11/23/2022

The ADAH and Museum of Alabama will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, November 24, and Friday, November 25, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Instead of visiting the Research Room or Museum this Thursday or Friday, one historic Alabama activity might be making art! Tracing one's own hand to assist in drawing a turkey has been popular with children of all ages since at least 1963, when John E. Scott took this photograph for the Alabama Education Association!

This image is made from one of the 78,000 negatives in our John Engelhardt Scott negative collection: https://bit.ly/3V0gDvK

Happy Thanksgiving!

Join ADAH Registrar Haley Aaron as she discusses the Haralson family Bible. This unique archival source includes the nam...
11/21/2022
Archives/Five: The Family Bible of William Browning Haralson

Join ADAH Registrar Haley Aaron as she discusses the Haralson family Bible. This unique archival source includes the names of seventy-three enslaved men and women, but there is still little known about them. Aaron explains the importance of their inclusion and the silences that still remain.

Archives/Five is a short (five minutes or less) series about the collections at the Alabama Department of Archives & History.

https://youtu.be/jZ6dA7CrnsM

Join ADAH Registrar Haley Aaron as she discusses the Haralson family Bible. This unique archival source includes the names of seventy-three enslaved men and ...

11/17/2022
Food for Thought: Architecture of the Enslaved, Documenting Alabama's Slave Houses

Join us TODAY (November 17th) at 12:00 PM CT.
Jobie Hill will present "Architecture of the Enslaved: Documenting Alabama’s Slave Houses." The program will be held in person at the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) in Montgomery. Admission is FREE. It will also be livestreamed through the ADAH’s page and YouTube channel.
For well over a decade, preservation architect Jobie Hill’s research and professional work has focused exclusively on the architecture on slavery. Throughout her work, Hill has sought to change longstanding approaches to documentation and interpretation of slave dwellings. In 2012, she began an independent project called Saving Slave Houses (SSH) with the primary goal of ensuring the preservation of existing slave houses. One of the most important components of SSH is the Slave House Database (SHD). The SHD is a comprehensive interdisciplinary national study of slave houses in the United States. During this presentation, Hill will explore the influence these dwellings had on the lives of their inhabitants and her ongoing work to preserve the history of enslaved people. She will also discuss the evolving field of preservation and how technology and diverse voices have helped to empower historically excluded communities and preserve irreplaceable historic and cultural resources.
Hill is a licensed preservation architect and slave house expert with over seventeen years of professional experience. She holds degrees in historic preservation, art history, and anthropology, and is a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP). She has worked with the National Museum of African American History and Culture, TED Talk, Trimble, Google, Historic American Buildings Survey, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, C-SPAN, Montpelier, and Monticello.
For additional information, call (334) 353-4689. A complete schedule of our 2022 lunchtime lecture series is available at archives.alabama.gov. Food for Thought 2022 is made possible with support in memory of Mike Jenkins IV.

The Museum of Alabama and the EBSCO Research Room at the Archives will be OPEN tomorrow on the state holiday, , Friday, ...
11/10/2022

The Museum of Alabama and the EBSCO Research Room at the Archives will be OPEN tomorrow on the state holiday, , Friday, November 11, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Admission is always free.

Did you know that the Archives building also serves as Alabama's World War I Memorial? In 1919, as part of the effort to honor Alabamians who died during the Great War, the legislature authorized a commission to make plans for a World War Memorial Building that would also house the Archives (which was then located inside the State Capitol). The state procured land opposite the Capitol but lacked funding for construction of the new building. Nearly two decades later, funds were secured and construction of the central portion of our building was completed (the two wings were added in the 1970s and early 2000s respectively). The Alabama World War Memorial Building was dedicated on Armistice Day 1940. "Alabama World War Memorial" is inscribed on the frieze above our Adams Avenue entrance.

It's . Don't forget to cast your ballot!Image: Members of the Lawson family waiting in line to  in Lowndes County, Novem...
11/08/2022

It's . Don't forget to cast your ballot!

Image: Members of the Lawson family waiting in line to in Lowndes County, November 1966. From our Jim Peppler Southern Courier Photograph Collection. https://bit.ly/3Uko6Wl

Happy Halloween! What a fun night we had at Friday's event at the Archives! Halloween at the Archives: A Spooktacular Fa...
10/31/2022

Happy Halloween! What a fun night we had at Friday's event at the Archives! Halloween at the Archives: A Spooktacular Family Event included a scavenger hunt in the Museum of Alabama, special exhibits of Curious Collections, crafts in the Hands-On Gallery, Grumpy Dog hotdogs, and a special reading of Sydney and the Masquerade by The Tales of Sydney author Kay Whaley! Thanks to all the families who made us part of your Halloween weekend!

10/27/2022
History/Now: The Alabama Constitution Recompilation

Join us online TODAY at NOON for a virtual conversation the recompilation of the state’s 1901 constitution. Part of the ongoing history/now series, the program will feature Othni J. Lathram, director of the Legislative Services Agency.

In 2020, Alabama voters approved a bill to initiate work by the Legislative Services Agency and an advisory committee to recompile the constitution. The legislation limited these efforts to four categories: removing racist language, deleting duplicative and repealed sections, consolidating economic development provisions, and arranging local amendments by county. Ahead of the November 8, 2022, final vote on the measure, Lathram will discuss how the group took up the work of recompilation and how the measure would appear on Alabamians’ ballots.

The program will be livestreamed through the ADAH’s page and YouTube channel.

Questions? Email [email protected]

Halloween at the Archives: A Spooktacular Family Event is just a few days away! We hope you and your family will join us...
10/26/2022

Halloween at the Archives: A Spooktacular Family Event is just a few days away! We hope you and your family will join us Friday evening (10/28) from 5:00 - 7:00 for spooktacular events throughout our building!

Author Kay Whaley will read her children's book "Sydney and the Masquerade" at 5:30 and 6:30. Sydney the dog may even make a surprise appearance!

Twin poodles, one pink and one blue, strangely appear right before the pet masquerade but are excluded from the fun by a bully dog named Decker. Fans of Sydney Tours Eufaula will recognize Sydney, the Portuguese water dog, and her human companion in this story about belonging, kindness, and friendship along with some new pups, dazzling Halloween masks, and a spooky old mansion.

The book will be available for purchase in our Museum Store.

10/25/2022
Alabama Radio Moments: The 1938 Joe Louis v. Max Schmeling Boxing Match

Join us TODAY at NOON for "Alabama Radio Moments: The 1938 Joe Louis v. Max Schmeling Boxing Match."

An Alabama native played a part in one of the greatest international sporting events of the twentieth century: the 1938 boxing rematch between Chambers County’s Joe Louis and Max Schmeling of Germany. Schmeling had won their 1936 contest, an upset victory that helped feed N**i propaganda. Though Louis won the heavyweight title from Jim Braddock in 1937, he said he would not consider himself the true champion until he had defeated Schmeling. He got his chance on June 22, 1938. Dot Moore will share this exciting story and how radio amplified its significance.

Moore is a resident of Montgomery where she has worked as an educator, communicator, and community activist. A native of west Georgia, Moore holds undergraduate degrees in speech and history from the University of Montevallo and a master’s degree from Auburn University. She is an acclaimed storyteller known for bringing history to life through her writings and public presentations. Now, at the age of ninety, she is at work—in collaboration with fellow author Katie Lamar Jackson and University of Alabama history student Will Moore—on an upcoming book about the beloved boxer and Alabama native Joe Louis.

The program will be held in person at the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) in Montgomery. It will also be livestreamed through the ADAH’s page and YouTube channel. The Alabama Radio Moments series is sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance. Admission is FREE.

10/20/2022
Food for Thought: Discovering Mabila

Join us TODAY (10/20) at NOON CT for Food for Thought: Discovering Mabila.

On October 18, 1540, at a native town called Mabila, indigenous chief Tascalusa and his warriors fiercely resisted a Spanish army led by Hernando de Soto. The outcome of the battle irrevocably altered the course of European colonization of North America. The exact location of this battle remains one of Alabama's most intriguing mysteries, but archaeologists can now claim with confidence that they are close to discovering the site. In this presentation, Dr. Ashley Dumas will recount the recent work by a multi-institutional team to locate Mabila and to better understand indigenous peoples' responses to the arrival of Europeans.

Dr. Dumas is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of West Alabama, where she also serves as the manager of the Fort Tombecbe archaeological site. She currently manages the Search for Mabila Project. Her primary research focuses on culture change in the late prehistory and colonial period in the Southeast. In 2021 the University of Alabama Press published her co-edited volume "Salt in Eastern North America and the Caribbean: History and Archaeology."

For additional information, call (334) 353-4689. A complete schedule of our 2022 lunchtime lecture series is available at archives.alabama.gov. Food for Thought 2022 is made possible with support in memory of Mike Jenkins IV.

Photos from Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities at Pebble Hill's post
10/19/2022

Photos from Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities at Pebble Hill's post

The Archives and Museum of Alabama are closed today, Monday, October 10, for the state holiday, Columbus Day, Fraternal ...
10/10/2022

The Archives and Museum of Alabama are closed today, Monday, October 10, for the state holiday, Columbus Day, Fraternal Day, and American Indian Heritage Day. We will resume our regular hours of operation tomorrow.

Remember, you can explore our digital collections any time at https://digital.archives.alabama.gov

10/03/2022
Research Rundown: Birmingham Public Library Archives

Join us TODAY at NOON CT for Research Rundown.

We are kicking off American Archives Month in October with the return of our popular online series Research Rundown: History & Genealogy How-To on Monday, October 3.

In celebration of Archives Month, this program will spotlight the Birmingham Public Library Department of Archives and Manuscripts. Join us online as Assistant Archivist Catherine Champion shares more about their collections, and how the public can access their research resources.

The program will livestream on our page and YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/alabamaarchives). It will also be recorded and made available on YouTube.

09/20/2022
Alabama Radio Moments: Alabama Radio Pioneers

Join us Tuesday, September 20th, at noon CT for the launch of Alabama Radio Moments, a new series of special presentations to coincide with the ADAH's temporary exhibit of the same name. These lectures will explore additional facets of how radio changed Alabama.

To kick off this new series, exhibits curator Sam Christensen will present “Alabama Radio Pioneers.” He will discuss the contributions to radio technology and programing of three Alabamians: Broadcaster H. L. Ansley, who launched a popular Birmingham station from his home in the Fountain Heights neighborhood; Lee DeForest, whose invention of the triode vacuum tube made practical radio broadcasting a possibility; and Ernest W. House, founder of the Radio Products Corporation, which produced a number of radios in Birmingham in the mid-1920s, including the revolutionary Superflex model. The exhibit features one of the only Superflex radios known to still exist.

The program will be held in person at the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) in Montgomery. It will also be livestreamed through the ADAH’s page and YouTube channel. Admission is FREE.

09/15/2022
"The Wickedest Place in Alabama": Prohibition in Birmingham, 1907-1933

Join us this Thursday, September 15, at 12:00 p.m. CT as Matthew Downs presents "The Wickedest Place in Alabama": Prohibition in Birmingham, 1907-1933.

In 1907, the citizens of Jefferson County voted to “go dry,” prohibiting the sale or consumption of alcohol. This decision preceded Alabama’s prohibition law by a year and the national ban by more than a decade. During his presentation, historian Matthew Downs will discuss how Birmingham’s early experiment with prohibition highlighted the political divisions that shaped the Progressive-Era South. He will explore the city’s efforts to enforce the ban on alcohol and how the issues that arose foreshadowed those the nation would face during federal prohibition in the 1920s.

The program will be held in person at the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) in Montgomery. It will also be livestreamed through the ADAH’s page and YouTube channel. Admission is FREE.

Our exhibits team is busy putting the finishing touches on Alabama Radio Moments, our new exhibit opening this Saturday,...
09/07/2022

Our exhibits team is busy putting the finishing touches on Alabama Radio Moments, our new exhibit opening this Saturday, September 10! The exhibit will explore ways in which radio influenced the lives of Alabamians in the twentieth century--how they learned about current events, enjoyed sports and music, and connected with the world beyond their local community.

This Saturday, bring your family and friends for an afternoon of special presentations and demonstrations presented in partnership with the Alabama Historical Radio Society. Learn more - Alabama Radio Moments Exhibit Opening
https://archives.alabama.gov/EventView.aspx?id=17

The exhibit will be on view through May 2023.

Happy ! Observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of Ameri...
09/05/2022

Happy ! Observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. It became a federal holiday in 1894.

These images from "Labor's Big Day in Birmingham" appeared in the Birmingham Age-Herald on September 4, 1916. They are described as "Some of the Most Attractive Floats in the Big Labor Day Parade."

The ADAH and Museum of Alabama are closed today in observance of the holiday. We will resume our regular hours tomorrow. Remember, you can browse our digital collections anytime at www.archives.alabama.gov.

Calling all history students! The Friends of the Alabama Archives is sponsoring two $1,000 Student Research Fellowships ...
08/29/2022
STUDENT FELLOWSHIPS | Friends of the Alabama Archives

Calling all history students! The Friends of the Alabama Archives is sponsoring two $1,000 Student Research Fellowships in 2023. Senior-level or graduate students at an Alabama college or university, or Alabama residents enrolled in an out-of-state institution, are invited to apply. The fellowships are intended to offset expenses incurred by students conducting research using the collections of the Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH). A committee of the Friends Board of Directors will review applications and make awards based on evaluations of project significance and work plan feasibility. Application deadline is January 10, 2023, with distribution of funds in February 2023.

Learn more and apply here: https://www.friendsofthealabamaarchives.org/student-fellowships.

Each year, the Friends of the Alabama Archives sponsors two $1,000 fellowships which are available to senior-level or graduate students in an Alabama college or university or to an Alabama resident in study at a school outside of the state. Applications for 2023 open in Fall 2022.

Address

624 Washington Avenue
Montgomery, AL
36130

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

(334) 242-4364

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The Report and Toolkit provides suggestions about how to better frame conversations about history. In the final episode of the Reframing History Podcast, Steve Murray, Director of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, discusses how these suggestions can be helpful during the inevitable difficult conversations about history.

You can listen to all episodes wherever you get your podcasts or at https://aaslh.org/reframing-history/.
Throwback Thursday!

A group of (very brave) Alabamians enjoying Noccalula Falls, one of Alabama’s many natural treasures. Ca. 1900.

Thanks to Alabama Department of Archives and History for the original post.
Congratulations to Garland Cook Smith! Not only does she do an excellent job as our Vice President and Programs Chair (among other leadership roles in other organizations) but she is the newest member of the Alabama Department of Archives and History Board of Trustees!
For we’re highlighting some of our members! Charles Busby of the Alabama Department of Archives and History says NAGARA provides invaluable learning and solutions by “sponsoring an accessible forum for experienced, pragmatic, and forward-thinking professionals.”
The Alabama Humanities Alliance was honored to join in today’s celebration of Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The civil rights icon and pivotal figure in Birmingham’s history would be 100 today.

We are also thrilled to help fund a forthcoming documentary about him called ‘Shuttlesworth.’ Alabama Public Television will release the film this fall, with production support from the Alabama Department of Archives and History, the City of Birmingham Government, and the BCRI. The trailer debuted at today’s celebration, along with a discussion for children afterwards.

History being preserved, important stories being shared. That’s the power of the humanities.
: All conservation assessments begin with an initial examination of the object. Go behind the scenes with Senior Conservator Kathryn Boodle as she discusses common issues of parchment objects using the Alabama State Constitutions as a case study. Special thanks to the Alabama Department of Archives and History for allowing their work to be featured in this video!

▶️: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wCZracRfz0

Happening now! Changing the Course Art Exhibition event at the Alabama Department of Archives and History, featuring the artwork of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals.


Marchers assemble in Selma, Alabama, probably for the first of the three Selma to Montgomery marches on this day in 1965, which became known as Bloody Sunday after the marchers were brutally assaulted by police. Image Alabama Department of Archives and History and Digital Library of Georgia via dp.la.
Remembering history is so important, so thank you for all you provide your community. I recently had the opportunity to watch a documentary that talked about the history of generations and a pattern that has developed. It’s called The Revolution Generation: How Millennials Can Save America and the World, and it is incredibly insightful and impactful for the following years to come in our country. It talks about how history repeats itself and how a generation of leaders and change makers are coming of age in the millennial and generation z generations. It explores why there have been so many activist movements as of late, and is very interesting in its delivery! The Revolution Generation is directed by Josh and Rebecca Tickell who have made some incredible documentaries in the past and have actually written a book under the same name (The Revolution Generation). It is set to release in April, and I’ll attach the trailer if anyone is interested in checking it out!
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