Auburn Avenue Research Library Digital Exhibits

Items

• Madeleine Berthelot, 1946
  Series of photographs of Madeleine Berthelot taken during a visit to the French Riviera in May 1946. The images show Berthelot posing in front of prominent locations including the Hotel Ruhl in Nice, the Promenade des Anglais, and the Hotel Martinez in Cannes. Her tailored coat, handbag, and composed stance reflect postwar fashion and the culture of travel along the Mediterranean coast in the immediate aftermath of World War II.
• Lucille V. Hill (nee King), Tuskegee Institute, 1945
  Yearbook portrait of Lucille V. Hill (née King), identified as “Cille,” a nursing education student at Tuskegee Institute, 1945. The accompanying yearbook text notes her hometown of Thomaston, Georgia, and lists several campus activities and organizations, reflecting the active student life and professional training available to Black women at Tuskegee during the 1940s.
• Gwendolyn Yvonne Cooper
  Photograph of Gwendolyn Yvonne Cooper walking along a residential path, 1943. Cooper wears a tailored jacket and pleated skirt typical of early-1940s fashion. The neatly maintained garden, tree with birdhouse, and quiet neighborhood homes evoke a sense of everyday life and domestic calm during the wartime era. The image captures a moment of youthful confidence and ordinary beauty within a mid-20th-century Black residential landscape.
• Gloria L. Smith (left) Miss Black America and Reda Wyatt (right) Miss Atlanta NAACP at Paschal Brothers Motel
  Photograph of Gloria L. Smith (left), Miss Black America, and Reda Wyatt (right), Miss Atlanta NAACP, standing outside the Paschal Brothers Motel in Atlanta, Georgia, October 19, 1969. Both women are dressed in late-1960s fashion, with Wyatt gesturing in the distance. The Paschal Brothers Motel was an important gathering place for African American civic leaders during the Civil Rights era. Photograph by Harmon Perry.
• Carolyn Fouch Walker (granddaughter of Ruby Blackburn) holding paper with Gov. Herman Talmadge at YMCA, undated
  Photograph of Carolyn Fouch Walker, granddaughter of Ruby Blackburn, standing with Herman Talmadge at a YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) event, circa the early 1960s. Walker holds a document while speaking with Talmadge, who served as governor of Georgia from 1948 to 1955 and later as a United States senator. The scene appears to take place inside a YMCA facility, indicated by the banner visible in the background reading “Young Men’s Christian Association.” A microphone stand and trophy placed nearby suggest the occasion may have been part of a ceremony, youth program, or recognition event. Walker is dressed in formal attire and appears to be receiving or presenting a document during the event. The photograph documents a moment of civic engagement and community programming involving local organizations and public officials during the early 1960s.
• Unidentified group of women smelling flowers, undated
  Sepia-toned photograph of a group of young women gathered around a flowering bush, smiling and smelling the blossoms. The women lean over the flowers and appear relaxed and playful, suggesting a candid moment captured outdoors beside a brick building. Their hairstyles and clothing—loose dresses, jackets, and waved or bobbed hair—reflect early twentieth-century fashion. The image offers a glimpse of leisure and friendship among young African American women during the late 1910s or early 1920s. Informal photographs like this often documented everyday moments shared among friends and family, preserving scenes of social life, beauty, and joy within community settings. The photograph is part of the Mabel Vernon Alford Collection.
• Unidentified Woman at The Regent, undated
  Studio portrait of an unidentified woman seated beside a decorative chair, photographed at The Regent studio operated by J.E. Purdy & Co.. The woman wears an elaborately patterned dress with a fitted bodice, lace collar, and ornamental hat typical of late nineteenth-century fashion. Her formal pose, jewelry, and carefully styled attire reflect the conventions of studio portraiture during the 1890s, when photographic portraits served as important personal and family keepsakes. The cabinet card photograph comes from the Selena Sloan Butler papers. While the woman’s identity has not been confirmed, she may be a relative of Selena Sloan Butler, though this attribution remains unverified.
• 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.
• Young Woman on Stairs
  Portrait of a young African American woman standing on a staircase, photographed around 1943. She smiles warmly toward the camera while resting one hand on the banister. The woman wears a belted dress with long sleeves, a decorative necklace, bracelets, and a stylish feathered hat. Her confident pose and fashionable attire highlight the elegance and self-expression of African American women during the 1940s, capturing a moment of everyday sophistication within a domestic setting.
• Woman standing, wearing feather and jeweled hat and dress, undated
  Studio portrait of an African American woman standing in an elaborately styled outfit, photographed in the mid-1920s by James Van Der Zee. The woman wears a dramatic feathered headdress and a jeweled headpiece, paired with a richly decorated dress adorned with beads, chains, and metallic embellishments. She poses confidently with one hand on her hip against a painted studio backdrop. The striking costume and theatrical styling reflect the glamour, creativity, and expressive fashion associated with the Harlem Renaissance era, a period when portrait photography celebrated individuality, elegance, and cultural pride.
• Woman reading
  Studio portrait of an African American woman seated and reading a document, photographed in the early 1910s by James Van Der Zee. The woman wears an elaborately decorated dress with lace details, gloves, and a pendant necklace. She sits within a carefully arranged interior featuring patterned wallpaper, framed landscape paintings, and decorative plants. Her composed posture and refined surroundings emphasize dignity, education, and social status. Van Der Zee’s attention to interior design and personal presentation reflects the aspirations and cultural sophistication of African American communities during the early twentieth century.
• Woman Playing Piano
  Black-and-white portrait of an African American woman seated at a piano, photographed around 1943. The woman is shown in profile, her hands poised on the keys as she plays. She wears a sleeveless dress and small earrings, her hair styled neatly back from her face. The photograph captures a quiet moment of concentration and artistry, highlighting the role of music, cultural expression, and refinement in African American life during the mid-twentieth century.
• Unidentified woman, undated
  Studio portrait of an African American woman seated beside a small table, photographed between approximately 1912 and 1916. She rests her head lightly on her hand while an open book sits on the table beside her, suggesting a quiet moment of reading or reflection. The woman wears a light-colored dress, lace gloves, and a textured cloche-style hat adorned with a flower. A delicate handbag hangs from her wrist. Her composed posture and fashionable attire reflect the grace, intellect, and self-presentation of African American women in the early twentieth century.
• 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.
• 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.
• Mrs. Luther E. Frazier, Atlanta Society Matron, The American Front Magazine
  African American women African American social life Atlanta society Portrait photography Formal dress African American community leadership 1940s Black social elites
• Miss Black Teenage America Contestants, undated
  Group portrait of contestants in the Miss Black Teenage America pageant, photographed by Harmon Perry in the 1970s. The young African American women stand together wearing pageant sashes and fashionable gowns, smiling during what appears to be a stage presentation. Their hairstyles and clothing reflect the beauty, confidence, and cultural expression of Black teenage women during the era of the Black Power and natural hair movements.
• Los Angeles Chapter, Links, Inc. 1970 Cotillionettes
  Group portrait of the 1970 Cotillionettes presented by the Los Angeles Chapter of Links, Inc., shown in a formal page from the 20th Annual Cotillion booklet. The young African American participants are dressed in white debutante gowns and gloves, seated and standing in a staged arrangement that reflects the elegance, discipline, and ceremonial traditions of cotillion culture. The event introduced twenty-six young women in a program celebrating refinement, education, and community leadership.
• Julia Bond & Dr. Horace Mann Bond, 1973
  Portrait of Julia Bond standing with Dr. Horace Mann Bond in formal evening attire, circa 1973. Julia Bond wears a long, elegant gown and headpiece, while Dr. Bond stands beside her in a tuxedo. The photograph captures a moment of formality and refinement within an African American family, reflecting traditions of celebration, presentation, and social distinction.
• Frances Lawrence with Group, 1954-55
  Group portrait of Frances Lawrence and several other African American women dressed in formal evening gowns during a mid-1950s social gathering associated with the National Conclave of Grady Graduate Nurses. The women are posed together on a stage in corsages and elegant attire, reflecting the sophistication and social traditions of professional Black women’s networks in the mid-twentieth century.
• 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.
• Darrilyn Selena Butler at Age 20
  Color portrait photograph of Selena Sloan Butler's granddaughter Darrilyn Selena Butler at age 20, wearing a floral headpiece and smiling while looking off-camera, circa 1973.
• Christmas pageant, undated
  Black-and-white photograph of a group of young women in formal gowns posing on stage during a Christmas pageant, likely held in a church or community auditorium, circa mid-1950s. The stage is decorated with a holiday backdrop featuring stars, floral decorations, and a central candle display.
• 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.