Auburn Avenue Research Library Digital Exhibits

Items

• 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.
• Four 1940 Spelman Graduates Head Procession from Sisters Chapel
  Photograph showing four graduating students from Spelman College leading a commencement procession from Sisters Chapel, circa 1940. The students walk together carrying a banner bearing the college emblem while other participants stand along the pathway observing the ceremony. The procession moves beneath a wooden arch on the college grounds, framed by trees and landscaped lawns. The students wear light-colored dresses typical of formal collegiate ceremonies of the period. Processions such as this were a traditional part of commencement exercises at Spelman College, marking the formal transition of students from academic study to professional and civic life. Founded in 1881, Spelman College has long been one of the nation’s leading historically Black colleges for women, educating generations of African American leaders in education, public service, and the arts.
• Elsie A. Cuff, 1936
  Portrait photograph of Elsie A. Cuff taken in 1936 while she was a student at Virginia State College (now Virginia State University). The image shows Cuff posed against a studio backdrop, wearing a dark blouse with a rounded collar. Her hairstyle and clothing reflect the fashion of the mid-1930s. Studio portraits such as this were commonly produced for school records, yearbooks, or personal keepsakes during the early twentieth century. The photograph preserves the likeness of a young African American college student during a period when historically Black colleges and universities played a vital role in expanding educational opportunities and professional pathways for Black Americans. The photograph is part of the Jesse O. Thomas papers.
• Spelman students gathering in the old barn, Spelman College, (photo reprinted The Messenger, November 1937)
  Magazine spread featuring a photograph of students gathered in the Old Barn on the campus of Spelman College during a commemorative service held on October 18, 1937. The image shows a large assembly of students seated closely together while speakers stand on a staircase addressing the crowd. The event reflects the traditions of campus gatherings and commemorations that brought together students, faculty, and visiting leaders. Individuals identified in the caption include Dr. Otis W. Caldwell of Atlanta University, Dr. Rufus E. Clement, President of Atlanta University, Mrs. Johnnie Louise Fowler representing Spelman alumnae, Dean Jane Hope Lyons, and Spelman College President Florence M. Read. Also noted are Mr. Trevor Arnett, President of the Board of Trustees, and student representatives including Miss Eloise Usher and Mrs. Claudia White Harreld. The photograph was originally taken in 1936 and later reproduced in the November 1937 issue of The Spelman Messenger.
• Prairie View College Presents, Silhouette Magazine, January 1939
  Photos of 3 women from shoulders up