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Big Bethel A.M.E. Church Concert Choir, 1947 Photograph of the concert choir of Big Bethel A.M.E. Church in Atlanta, Georgia, taken on July 21, 1947. The group is assembled inside the church sanctuary, posed in several rows in front of the large pipe organ. Members of the choir wear coordinated attire—white blouses paired with long dark skirts—reflecting the formal presentation typical of church concert choirs during the mid-twentieth century. The choir was directed by H. J. Furlow, who served as the ensemble’s musical leader at the time. Big Bethel A.M.E. Church, one of Atlanta’s oldest and most historically significant African American congregations, has long been known for its strong musical tradition and community programming. Concert choirs such as this played a central role in worship services, musical programs, and special events, helping to cultivate sacred music traditions and communal fellowship within the church. -
Big Bethel A.M.E. Church Choir, undated Group photograph of the choir of Big Bethel A.M.E. Church in Atlanta, Georgia, taken between approximately 1946 and 1953. The image shows a choir of men and women standing in several rows on a stage while a conductor leads them in song. The singers wear coordinated dark attire with light collars, typical of mid-twentieth-century church choir uniforms. The conductor stands at the left foreground with his arm raised, directing the performance. A microphone positioned near the front suggests the performance may have been part of a recorded broadcast, public program, or special church event. Big Bethel A.M.E. Church, founded in 1847, has long served as one of Atlanta’s most prominent African American congregations and a center of religious, cultural, and civic life in the city. Church choirs such as this played an important role in African American communities during the mid-twentieth century, contributing to worship services while also fostering musical training, fellowship, and community identity.