Auburn Avenue Research Library Digital Exhibits

Items

• Elliot Travis's Twins, Laura & Louise at Delta Pro [Delta Sigma Theta Sorority], West Virginia State College
  Outdoor photograph of twins Laura and Louise Travis, students at West Virginia State College, standing side by side during Delta Pro activities in 1936. The young women are dressed in long coats over light-colored dresses and each holds a small bouquet of flowers, indicating their participation as new probationary members (“Delta Pro”) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The sisters pose together on the campus lawn with college buildings and hills visible in the distance. Their matching posture and similar attire highlight both their twin relationship and the sense of unity associated with sorority initiation traditions. The photograph reflects moments of friendship, sisterhood, and collegiate life among African American women during the 1930s.
• Deltas on Pro [Delta Sigma Theta Sorority] (Louise Maxwell and group), West Virginia State College
  Outdoor photograph of four young African American women standing on the campus of West Virginia State College in 1936. The women are newly initiated members on probation (“Pro”) in the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, including Louise Maxwell and three fellow sorority sisters. Each woman holds a bouquet of flowers and wears a light-colored dress with a dark jacket, standing side-by-side on the lawn with campus buildings visible in the background. The image documents an early stage of sorority membership, when new initiates participated in ceremonies and campus traditions marking their entry into the sisterhood. Their coordinated attire, flowers, and formal posture suggest a celebratory moment tied to initiation activities and the welcoming of new members into the organization’s collegiate community.
• Miss West Virginia & Court
  Outdoor portrait of three young African American women seated together on a stone bench in front of a brick school building in 1936. The women are identified as members of the Miss West Virginia court: Eddie Mae Stubbs (left), Dot Bradshaw (center, Miss West Virginia), and Violet Burks (right). They sit close together, smiling toward the camera, dressed in fashionable mid-1930s dresses with softly waved hairstyles typical of the period. The photograph captures a moment of camaraderie and pride among the young women during a community pageant event. Informal yet composed, the image reflects the social networks and celebratory traditions that brought young Black women together through school, community events, and local recognition.
• Nell Thomas & Anne Braxton
  Hand-tinted studio portrait of an African American family group taken around 1930. Nell Thomas sits in the center, surrounded by four young women, including her daughter Anne Braxton, who stands third from the left. The women wear light-colored dresses typical of the late 1920s and early 1930s, and the photograph has been delicately hand-colored to highlight their clothing and skin tones. The carefully posed composition and decorative studio mount reflect the importance of family portraiture within African American communities. Images like this celebrated kinship, pride, and generational connection, preserving moments of unity and affection across mothers and daughters.
• Ruby Blackburn, undated
  Studio portrait of Ruby Blackburn taken in the early 1930s. Blackburn stands beside a small table arranging flowers in a vase, wearing a fashionable dress with layered fabric and styled hair typical of the era. The staged studio backdrop and elegant pose highlight the grace, style, and self-presentation of African American women during the early twentieth century.
• Antique Photographs: Alice, 1931 - in fur
  Sepia-toned studio portrait of a woman identified as Alice, taken in 1931. She has dark hair styled in soft waves and wears a dark blouse or dress. She is posed in a three-quarter profile, looking slightly to the side with a calm expression against a plain studio backdrop. (Wm. & Mary Jackson Collection).
• "Silhouette" Fashions In Bronze Silhouette Magazine, January 1939
  Photo spread of wardrobe modeled by slender woman
• Prairie View College Presents, Silhouette Magazine, January 1939
  Photos of 3 women from shoulders up
• Cover, Silhouette Magazine, January 1939
  Three women in mini skirts, lips formed as though singing
• Cover, Candid Magazine, October 1938
  Black and white image of women in swimsuit laying on sand, surrounded by field of dark blue