Auburn Avenue Research Library Digital Exhibits

Items

• Sigma Gamma Rho Article, The American Front Magazine
  Magazine page from the June 1947 issue of The American Front Magazine, featuring the “Atlanta Society Front” column. The article reports on several social events within Atlanta’s African American community, including a dance hosted by members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. as part of a series of National Pan-Hellenic Council activities. The column describes the event held at the Top Hat club and highlights the participation of members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council and other Black Greek letter organizations. It also references prominent sorority leaders and visiting guests, documenting the vibrant social and civic networks cultivated by Black collegiate organizations during the mid-twentieth century.
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority - Beta, Gamma and Delta Chapters, The Aurora, 1928
  Pages from the 1928 issue of The Aurora, the official magazine of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., featuring photographs and reports from several collegiate chapters. The pages highlight members of the Beta, Gamma, and Delta chapters, including group portraits of sorors posed together and accompanied by captions identifying individual members and officers. The articles describe chapter activities, leadership roles, scholarship initiatives, and social events organized by members. These images and texts document the early growth of the sorority and the important role African American women played in higher education, professional development, and community leadership during the 1920s. The photographs capture the pride, camaraderie, and intellectual engagement of young Black women building networks of sisterhood and service in the early twentieth century.
• Unidentified Woman in Shawl, 1926
  Sepia studio portrait of an African American woman standing in a doorway wearing a shawl and a fringed dress, photographed in Atlanta in 1926. The inscription on the photograph reads, “To our son from your devoted mother, November 1, 1926.” The woman may be Selena Sloan Butler, though this identification is not confirmed. The portrait reflects the dignity, style, and familial devotion expressed through formal portrait photography in early twentieth-century African American communities.
• 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.
• 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.