Alabama Department of Archives and History

11/04/2023

Out and about Alabama! ADAH Reference Coordinator Courtney Pinkard spoke to an enthusiastic audience at the Opelika Book Festival today on genealogical resources available at the Archives.

11/01/2023

Happy Halloween! We had an absolute blast last Friday at Halloween at the Archives! It was a spooktacular affair, featuring a Museum of Alabama scavenger hunt, fascinating Curious Collections, creative crafts in the Hands-On Gallery, delicious Grumpy Dog hotdogs, and a reading of 'Sydney and the Masquerade' by The Tales of Sydney author Kay Whaley.

Today our awesome staff got into the spirit by dressing up in fantastic costumes. Thanks to all the families who made us part of your Halloween weekend! Mark your calendar for next year!

11/01/2023

Wrapping up with our final staff spotlight. Last but not least, meet Carlie Anne!

Carlie Anne joined the Archives Reference team in 2017. She assists patrons at the reference desk, answering a wide variety of questions with ease. She especially loves a good true crime story and is happy to share some of the more interesting cases she’s uncovered over the years. When she’s not manning the reference desk, she manages our Interlibrary Loan program, filling microfilmed newspaper requests from institutions around the country, and helps select, train, and supervise our interns. Outside of work, Carlie Anne enjoys re-reading Harry Potter, walking her dogs, and spending time with her familiars, Kitty & Minnie.

10/31/2023

Unveiling History: Join us for another segment of ‘Tools of the Trade' as we shed light on how light boxes illuminate hidden images. Plus, we'll delve into the crucial role of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

10/31/2023

isn't over just yet! Join us in celebrating our incredible team behind the scenes. Meet Cole!

Cole's primary duties are digitizing historical materials from the department's archival collections, editing and processing audiovisual files received from digitization vendors (ask him about the WSFA collection!), and assisting with the digital preservation of content created and maintained by the Digital Assets section. He also provides backup AV support for public programming, and he oversees a volunteer project to review and correct transcriptions for ADAH videos on YouTube.

10/24/2023

What an extraordinary evening at the Archives! Last week we had the privilege to host the grand opening of our newest temporary exhibit 'History Lives On: Preserving Alabama's Rosenwald Schools.' We were honored to extend a warm welcome to alumni of these historic schools.

Delve into the remarkable legacy of Julius Rosenwald and the communities that came together to build and maintain these schools. This new exhibit was created by Auburn University's College of Architecture, Design & Construction in partnership with the ADAH. Open now through May 2024.

Sponsored by Seay, Seay & Litchfield Architects and the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

10/23/2023

Time flies when you're exploring history! Can you believe it? We're entering the last week of !

Rachel Smith is a Collections Archivist at the ADAH. In her work, she helps provide access to permanent government records by preserving, arranging, and describing these collections. Rachel also manages the ADAH’s digital preservation system, Preservica, which preserves electronic records such as PDFs and Microsoft Word documents. Rachel also administers Archive-It, which captures snapshots of state agency websites and social media accounts.

An Arkansas native, Rachel has been with the ADAH since January 2015. She holds a Master of Arts in Public History from Middle Tennessee State University and recently received her Digital Archives Specialist certificate from the Society of American Archivists. When not working, Rachel enjoys traveling, reading, visiting museums, attending the theater, watching movies, and spending time with friends.

10/19/2023

The ADAH was honored this week to host the annual meeting of the Southeastern Archives and Records Conference (SARC), a gathering of state archives employees from across the region. SARC provides a venue for productive conversations on challenges, opportunities, and solutions in our respective institutions. Cheers to public history practitioners!

10/19/2023

Join us TODAY (10/19) at noon for out next installment of Food for Thought. Drawn from her recently published memoir, Harris’ presentation will describe experiences from her life growing up in rural Alabama during the Jim Crow era, overcoming numerous obstacles to achieve success, and her lifetime of work in education and public service.

Food for Thought 2023 is sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance and the Friends of the Alabama Archives.

10/17/2023

Join us TONIGHT (10/17) for a special event celebrating the grand opening of our new temporary exhibit, "History Lives On: Preserving Alabama's Rosenwald Schools." The reception will begin at 5:00 pm followed by panel discussion about Rosenwald Schools and the "Realizing Rosenwald" research project at 6:00 pm, which inspired and informed the exhibit.

Admission is FREE, and everyone is welcome! Sponsored by Seay, Seay & Litchfield Architects and the Alabama Humanities Alliance. See you there!

10/16/2023

Thank you WSFA-TV for featuring us this morning!

Join us TOMORROW (10/17) for a special event celebrating the opening of our new temporary exhibit "History Lives On: Preserving Alabama's Rosenwald Schools." The reception will begin at 5:00 pm followed by panel discussion about Rosenwald Schools and the "Realizing Rosenwald" research project at 6:00 pm, which inspired and informed the exhibit. This event is FREE and open to the public.

Sponsored by Seay, Seay & Litchfield Architects and the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

A new exhibit to honor one of the first schools for Black students is on display at the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

10/14/2023

Happy ! Meet Sophie - our first staff highlight of the month!

Hi, my name is Sophie Grace Howard Law, and I am a Records Management Archivist at the ADAH. My job involves a lot of collaboration and outreach with government agencies (both state and local) across Alabama. I love to research and write and spend a lot of time preparing Records Disposition Authorities (RDAs), which you can think of as instruction manuals that government employees use to manage agency records. Among other information, an RDA lists government records that may eventually be transmitted into the Archives’ permanent collections. When I write an RDA, I am helping to build the Archives of tomorrow, ensuring that information about our state government today is preserved for future generations.

I have worked at the Archives since 2017, and my proudest is the relationships I have built with other public officials across the state. Folks from Athens to Wetumpka and everywhere in between call me with their records management questions, and that is great!

Outside of work, I enjoy reading and writing (for fun!), along with spending time with my husband Jonathan and my dog Rosie.

10/13/2023

The Hands-On-Gallery will be temporarily closed next week! See below for details.

Thank you for understanding!

10/09/2023

The Archives and Museum of Alabama are closed today, Monday, October 9, 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

10/03/2023

Happy ! During the month of October, archives around the country plan special events and programming to highlight their collections and the important role they play in preserving our past.

Join us throughout the month of October for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look as we highlight our amazing staff, captivating collections, and the essential tools we use to help preserve the materials that document our history. October begins with a snapshot of members of our fantastic Archives Division. Stay tuned all month long as we celebrate the individuals tasked with preserving our history.

10/02/2023

We are pleased to announce the opening of the Museum of Alabama's new temporary exhibit "History Lives On: Preserving Alabama's Rosenwald Schools." This exhibit was created by Auburn University College of Architecture, Design and Construction in partnership with the ADAH. It will be on view through May 2024.

The exhibit is the culmination of an ongoing Auburn University research project entitled "Realizing Rosenwald." Visitors will learn not only about the individuals who started the Rosenwald Schools and the buildings themselves, but also about local communities across Alabama who worked to raise funds and to build and sustain these schools over generations.

Join us on Tuesday, October 17 at 5:00 pm for an opening reception followed by a 6:00 pm History/Now panel presentation. The opening event is sponsored Seay Seay & Litchfield Architects and the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

Learn More https://archives.alabama.gov/about/press-releases/news-detail.aspx?ID=16235

10/02/2023

Join us TODAY (10/2/23) at noon for the return of our popular online series of tutorials on genealogy and archival research, presented the first Monday of the month from October to May. Programs stream live on the ADAH’s page and YouTube channel.

This month, our Digital Assets Coordinator, Meredith McDonough, will share how anyone with an Internet connection can help the ADAH transcribe archival collections online. She will offer tips for navigating the software and share how these transcription projects are transforming both volunteer service and expanding access to Alabama's history.

09/29/2023

Did you know today is ?

This photo from our digital collections captures Major's Coffee Shop in the Belk Hudson store at 44 Dexter Avenue in downtown Montgomery, Alabama.

09/27/2023

"Dairy Farm on Birmingham-Gadsden Highway."

We are embracing the autumnal hues in this postcard featuring a picturesque dairy farm on Birmingham-Gadsden Highway. This late 1930s postcard is part of our postcard collection, which consists of more than 3,500 postcards!

Explore the collection here: https://bit.ly/3ZKz0Xa

09/23/2023

Happy first day of fall from the Archives! What's on your weekend agenda to celebrate this season? Share your autumn plans below!

09/21/2023

Couldn’t make today's Food for Thought presented by Greg Waselkov? Don't fret! Catch the replay on our page and Youtube channel. Explore the fascinating insights and don't forget to grab a copy of Dr. Waselkov's book "A Conquering Spirit: Fort Mims and the Redstick War of 1813-1814" - available online and in our museum store.

Purchase Online: https://bit.ly/3ZvuVrh

09/21/2023

Join us TODAY (9/21) for our next installment of Food for Thought.

Dr. Greg Waselkov will discuss a recent public archaeology project in Gulf Shores that discovered and documented a fourteen-hundred-year-old canal that once enabled travel via dugout canoe across a peninsula between Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The exploration of this ancient engineering feat, one of just seven known examples in the Southeast and the only example outside of Florida, has unveiled valuable insight into the indigenous peoples and coastal landscape of the northern Gulf region during the Middle Woodland period (approximately AD 200-650).

Food for Thought 2023 is sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance and the Friends of the Alabama Archives.

09/12/2023

Join us TODAY (9/12) an noon for a Book Talk presentation by Lisa McNair.

Sixty years ago this month, Lisa McNair’s older sister, Denise, was one of the four young girls killed in the 1963 Ku Klux Klan bombing of Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. In this presentation, McNair will discuss her 2022 memoir, Dear Denise: Letters to the Sister I Never Knew. She will share how her family experienced this immense tragedy and found redemption through the tireless work of building relationships and promoting change across racial lines.

Book Talks are sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

09/11/2023

As their work and school days were beginning on September 11, 2001, Alabamians first heard the news of the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, and watched in horror as our world changed.

Twenty-two years later, we still remember where we were and what we were doing when we learned of the attacks. These images are from our Alabama Media Group collection.

09/08/2023

Collections Spotlight: The Archives acquired two geography quilts made by the renowned southern Cathy Fussell. A Georgia native, Fussell has been a practicing fiber artist for more than fifty years. The imagery that she creates in her pieces generally falls into three major categories: regional geography, Southern literature, and American modernism.

Fussell was inspired by the historic location along Alabama's Tallapoosa River where the decisive final battle of the Creek War of 1813-14 occurred. Divisions among the Creeks led to civil war in 1813. The U.S. joined the fight against the traditionalists, known as the Red Sticks. Forces led by Andrew Jackson destroyed Red Stick towns throughout the region, culminating in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend on March 27, 1814. Described by Fussell as her first political quilt, "Genocide at Horseshoe Bend" includes hundreds of red hand-embroidered stitches, each representative of a Creek Warrior killed in the attack. Two of Fussell's quilts are currently on view in the ADAH’s Milo B. Howard Auditorium.

09/05/2023

Take a step back in time with these incredible shots from our digital collection, captured by Neil Brake for the Birmingham News. Relive the epic night when Jimmy Buffett lit up Tuscaloosa in February 1979 during his ‘You Had To Be There’ tour!

passed away last week at the age of 76. His music brought endless sunshine and good vibes to our lives. Rest in paradise, Jimmy. Your songs will forever transport us to an island state of mind.

09/04/2023

Happy ! Observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894. Alabamians sure aren't afraid of a little hard work! In celebration of our state's labor force and their many achievements, here are images from our collection of Alabamians at work from the past.

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

09/02/2023

Today marks the start of season in ! By far the most popular spectator sport in our state, Alabamians have been cheering on their favorite teams for generations. To celebrate the season's kickoff, here's a look back at some teams, coaches, and players from long ago. Best of luck to all of Alabama’s high school and college teams this year!

09/01/2023

Today the Archives was honored to host the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs as they unveiled their 2023 campaign, Operation We Remember, which takes place statewide during the month of September, National Su***de Prevention Awareness Month. 143 American flags were placed on our front lawn in remembrance of the Alabama veterans who tragically lost their lives to su***de in 2021. These lives lost comprise 18% of the state's total su***des. The flags will remain over the next week as a visual reminder that su***de knows no boundaries.

Today’s news conference was livestreamed and is available for view on the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs page.

Learn More about Operation We Remember here: https://va.alabama.gov/operation-we-remember-honoring-and-remembering-our-veterans-who-died-by-su***de/?fbclid=IwAR1gZlbGBK5LaEX3Nma0j83A4RlGT5rM9Y1oDgylZWsgjnBiGf0ZJX5hrSE
***deAwareness

08/25/2023

We are pleased to debut a new ONLINE exhibit, Alabama Radio Moments! Now you can explore the ways in which radio influenced the lives of twentieth century Alabamians from anywhere! From learning about current events to enjoying sports and music, radio connected Alabamians to the world beyond their local communities.

This online experience features many of the radios loaned by the Alabama Historical Radio Society for the Museum of Alabama’s original exhibit of the same name, but also includes new content.

Begin exploring Alabama Radio Moments and other online exhibits here: https://archives.alabama.gov/visit/exhibits/online.aspx

08/24/2023

In honor of early mornings, fresh notebooks, and the excitement of new beginnings - here's to a fantastic school year ahead!

This photo from our digital collection captures Dozier Elementary School students eager to learn! This photo was taken on May 13, 1975.

08/18/2023

The Holiday Inn, located in Eufaula, Alabama. "Year 'round fishing and boating available."

This late 1950s postcard is part of our postcard collection, which consists of more than 3,500 postcards! Explore the collection here: https://bit.ly/3ZKz0Xa

08/17/2023

The Alabama Department of Archives & History (ADAH) will continue its 2023 Food For Thought lunchtime lecture series TODAY (Thursday, August 17) at 12 p.m. CT.

Author Ed Southern will present Fight Songs: A Story of Love and Sports in a Complicated South. The program will be held in the ADAH’s Joseph M. Farley Alabama Power Auditorium in Montgomery. It will also be livestreamed on the ADAH’s page and YouTube channel. Admission is FREE.

This presentation will explore the connections and contradictions in the South between the sports teams people root for and the places they call home. Southern will examine how the region’s history has shaped its fervor for college sports and the conflict that exists between the values sports are meant to instill and the high stakes business they now encompass.

08/10/2023

Last week, our terrific volunteers learned about exciting enhancements and updates ahead for the Museum of Alabama from ADAH director Steve Murray. From helping process collections to transcribing records online to greeting visitors, our volunteers play an essential role in helping the ADAH fulfill its mission to collect, preserve, and share Alabama’s rich history.

Interested in joining us as a volunteer at the Archives? Learn more here: https://archives.alabama.gov/support/volunteer.aspx

08/08/2023

On view through September 2! See materials from our collections related to the CSS Alabama in our Ocllo S. Malone Lobby. This small exhibit is presented in conjunction with the new documentary Sink the Alabama, now airing on Alabama Public Television.

08/01/2023

WE'RE HIRING!

The Archives is seeking to fill a Museum Store Associate position. Applicants must apply through the State Personnel Department. Find all the details and application instructions here - https://archives.alabama.gov/about/employment.aspx

07/31/2023

Today is the final day to take advantage of these amazing deals at The Museum Store at the Alabama Archives!

07/28/2023

Happy !

Enjoy this 1993 throwback photo from the Mobile Press Register, part of our Alabama Media Group collection. The iconic entrance of Souvenir City in Gulf Shores, Alabama, still stands today!

07/27/2023

The wait is over! Join us tonight at the Archives for an advanced screening of “Sink the Alabama,” presented in partnership with Alabama Public Television!

Admiral Raphael Semmes kept the CSS Alabama’s logbook throughout its voyage. The story of how it was saved from the wreckage and eventually donated to the Archives is fascinating. The entire logbook has been transcribed and is available in our digital collections here – https://digital.archives.alabama.gov/digital/collection/voices/search/searchterm/semmes%20logbook

07/27/2023

Got Thursday night plans? Clear your schedule for a FREE advanced screening of “Sink the Alabama,” presented in partnership with Alabama Public Television.

Have a look at this political cartoon from our collections. A small exhibit of materials related to the CSS Alabama will be on view beginning Thursday evening. Learn More: https://archives.alabama.gov/EventView.aspx?id=60