Auburn Avenue Research Library Digital Exhibits

Items

• Newspaper Clipping, Alpha-Bettes honor Charlayne A. Hunter, 1961
  Newspaper clipping published April 18, 1961 in the Atlanta Daily World showing Charlayne A. Hunter surrounded by members of the Alpha-Bettes, a civic and social organization of Atlanta women. The gathering was held in her honor shortly after her historic enrollment at the University of Georgia. The photograph captures Hunter opening a surprise gift presented during the event while members of the Alpha-Bettes look on. According to the caption, the package contained a cash token and Hunter was also made an honorary member of the group. The moment reflects the strong network of support from Atlanta’s Black women’s organizations for Hunter during the early stages of school integration in the American South.
• Undergrads pose with Founders, The Archon, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority
  Magazine page from The Archon featuring the article “Accent on Undergraduates,” published in December 1966. The page highlights the participation and achievements of undergraduate members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., emphasizing the organization’s commitment to leadership development, scholarship, and sisterhood among college students. The lower photograph shows undergraduate members posing with sorority leaders, including founders and national officers, during the Atlantic Regional Conference held October 14–16, 1966. The caption notes the presence of Grand Basileus Bradham and other leaders, with the Epsilon Omega Zeta Chapter serving as host. The page reflects the intergenerational mentorship and leadership structure that connects undergraduate members with the sorority’s national leadership.
• From 1961-62 Scrapbook, Group Photo w/ Coretta Scott King, Atlanta Links
  Scrapbook page from the 1961–1962 records of the The Links, Incorporated, Atlanta Chapter, featuring a group photograph of chapter members gathered for a chapter event. The page notes the installation of Marge Yancey and the transfer of Coretta Scott King from the Birmingham chapter to the Atlanta chapter. The photograph shows members seated and standing together in a living room setting, reflecting the social and civic fellowship that characterized the organization’s gatherings. The inclusion of Coretta Scott King highlights the close connections between professional women’s organizations like The Links and the broader civil rights leadership community in Atlanta during the early 1960s.
• Links in Nassau, Bahamas, Atlanta Daily World
  Newspaper clipping from the Atlanta Daily World reporting on members of The Links, Incorporated attending a reception in Nassau, Bahamas, during the organization’s 14th National Assembly in 1964. The article includes photographs of visiting members and describes a reception held at the home of Sir Stafford Sands, who welcomed members of the organization. Among those mentioned is Atlanta Links member Mrs. L. E. Frazier, who attended the assembly and reception. The event highlights the international reach and influence of The Links during the mid-twentieth century, as members engaged in cultural exchange, civic leadership, and social events beyond the United States.
• Unidentified school pageant group, undated
  Photograph of a group of African American teenage girls participating in a school pageant, circa 1960s. The young women wear formal gowns, gloves, and pageant sashes while holding bouquets. At center, a crowned participant sits wearing a cape and holding flowers, surrounded by other contestants. The image reflects the pageantry, celebration of beauty, and ceremonial traditions that highlighted confidence, accomplishment, and community pride among African American youth during the mid-twentieth century.
• Sigma Gamma Rho, Debutante Ball, undated
  Photograph of a debutante presentation ceremony hosted by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, circa 1960. Young African American debutantes in formal gowns are seated in the foreground holding bouquets, while their escorts stand behind them in tuxedos and white gloves. The ceremony takes place before a large audience, reflecting the pageantry, mentorship, and community celebration associated with debutante traditions within African American social and civic organizations.
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Debs, 1964
  Group photograph of members of the Eta Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority posing with debutantes during the 1964 Debutante Ball. The women are arranged on a decorated stage beneath a banner reading “Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Debs 1964,” dressed in formal evening gowns and gloves. Soror Evelyn Hood stands in the front row (left) beside a debutante and her mother. The image reflects the ceremonial elegance and mentorship traditions through which African American women’s organizations supported the presentation and development of young women.
• Eta Sigma Debutante Ball, 1964, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, The Aurora, 1965
  Magazine article from The Aurora (February 1965) featuring photographs from the Eta Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s 1964 debutante ball. The images show the crowning of the “Queen of the Debutantes,” Gwendolyn Ann Robinson, and other young African American women participating in the formal presentation ceremony.
• Eta Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, Debutante Ball, 1967
  Black-and-white photograph of young African American women seated in a long row wearing formal white gowns and holding bouquets during the Eta Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority debutante ball, 1967. The debutantes sit before a large audience gathered in a balcony and main floor, highlighting the scale and significance of the formal presentation ceremony.
• Dr. Henry and Mrs. Rheba Butler, Jr. and others
  Black-and-white photograph of Dr. Henry Butler Jr. and Mrs. Rheba Butler seated with a group of formally dressed guests at a social gathering or reception, 1962.
• Beta Epsilon Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Calendar Ball, The Aurora
  Magazine article from The Aurora featuring the Beta Epsilon Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s 1965 “Calendar Girl” contest and annual Calendar Ball held in Columbia, South Carolina. The article includes a group photograph of the student contestants representing the months of the year and identifies Gail Olivia Cayruth as the 1965 Calendar Girl winner.
• Alpha-Bettes Fashion Show Flyer
  Hand-tinted flyer advertising a fashion show hosted by the Alpha Bettes and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to support the “Bonny’s Styles and Fashions” scholarship fund at Clark College, Atlanta, Georgia, 1960.
•  Debutante Ball- lady, father, and escort, undated
  Black-and-white photograph of a teenage girl being escorted by a teenage boy during a cotillion or debutante presentation while her father follows proudly behind them, circa mid-1960s.
• Cover, Jet Magazine, November 28, 1968
  Black and white photo of woman in white fur coat, against blue and white striped background
• Cover, Ebony Magazine, February 1962
  Debutante (Cookie Cole) in white evening gown being helped down step by her father (Nat King Cole)
• Cover, Bronze America Magazine, Volume 1, Number 1, 1963
  Woman in fushia pants and matching top, posing with one leg atop a chair
• Fashion Fair Article, Jet Magazine, October 18, 1962
  Images of Models wearing Fashion Fair designs below written article
• Cover, Jet Magazine, October 11, 1962
  Bookkeeper turned model on cover of Jet Magazine
• Utopian Literary Club, 1960s
  Women in book club in discussion