Auburn Avenue Research Library Digital Exhibits

Items

• Daughter-in-law (Rheba Butler) and Granddaughter (Darrilyn Selena Butler -holding toy poodle) of Selena Sloan Butler
  Color photograph of Rheba Butler and her daughter, Darrilyn Selena Butler (granddaughter of Selena Sloan Butler), taken in June 1956. The child, dressed in a light-colored dress, holds a toy poodle while being supported by her mother outdoors on a lawn, capturing a tender family moment.
• Women in painting class, c. 1940s (2 images)
  Photographs of two women participating in a painting class, circa 1940s. Each woman works at an easel in a classroom studio, surrounded by art supplies and instructional materials. The scene highlights artistic training, concentration, and creative expression in an educational setting.
• Unidentified Girl Having Tea Party w/ Toys, undated
  Photograph of an unidentified young girl hosting a tea party with toys, circa 1950s. The girl stands at a small table set with miniature dishes, surrounded by dolls, a teddy bear, and other toys in a neatly arranged bedroom, capturing a moment of imaginative play and childhood.
• Three Young Ladies in Party Dresses, undated [c. 1950s]
  Photograph of three young women seated at a table in party dresses, circa 1950s. The women wear formal evening attire and appear relaxed, holding drinks and socializing, capturing a moment of leisure and youthful elegance.
• Spelman Students Study World Events, c. 1942
  Two students examine a folded map alongside a globe and wall map, reflecting an academic focus on geography and global affairs. The image highlights intellectual engagement and awareness of international issues during the World War II era.
• Photograph: Asa G. Yancey and Family in frame, undated [c. 1960s]
  Photograph of Asa G. Yancey (seated on sofa next to wife, Carolyn) and family posed for a formal portrait, undated (circa 1960s). Their daughters Caren and Carolyn are seated on the floor. The family is arranged in a living room setting, with two adults seated and children positioned around them, dressed in coordinated, formal attire. The framed image and domestic interior reflect mid-twentieth-century family portrait traditions and a sense of pride, stability, and togetherness.
• Photo of young women attending lecture, c. 1940s
  Photograph of young women attending a lecture, circa 1940s. A speaker stands at a podium addressing an audience seated in rows, while two individuals sit at a table beside him. The image highlights the educational environment and intellectual engagement of African American students during the mid-twentieth century.
• Marion Anderson visiting Spelman College, c. 1940s
  Photograph of Marian Anderson visiting Spelman College, circa 1940s. Anderson is shown walking with a group of women, dressed in formal attire, as they descend the steps of a campus building. The image captures a moment of community gathering and highlights Anderson’s presence at a historically Black women’s college during the height of her celebrated career.
• 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.
• 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.
• Florie Trice and Martha Greer Bentley
  Photograph of Florie Trice and Martha Greer Bentley during an event associated with the National Conclave of Grady Graduate Nurses, taken in 1965. The image shows Martha Greer Bentley standing and signing a document on a table while Florie Trice sits nearby observing the moment. A man stands behind the table, leaning forward to watch the signing. Floral arrangements and formal attire suggest the occasion was part of a ceremonial or organizational gathering. The photograph documents the professional and social activities of African American nurses connected with the Grady Graduate Nurses organization. Professional nursing associations such as this played an important role in supporting Black medical professionals during the twentieth century, providing networks for professional advancement, leadership development, and community service during a period when opportunities in many medical institutions remained limited by racial discrimination.
• 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.
• Francis Fouch (Ruby Blackburn's daughter) and group at tea, undated
  Photograph of Francis Fouch, daughter of Ruby Blackburn, standing with a group of women at a social tea gathering, circa the late 1940s. The women are dressed in formal attire typical of the period, including dark dresses, jewelry, and styled hair, reflecting the elegance and social customs of mid-twentieth-century African American community gatherings. The group stands indoors behind a table set with a teapot, serving pieces, and pastries, suggesting a formal tea or social reception. Francis Fouch appears among the group alongside Hattie Holmes and other attendees. Such gatherings were important social spaces within African American communities, providing opportunities for fellowship, networking, and civic engagement.
• 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.
• Nannie Burroughs presents flowers to MacBeth star Edna Thomas
  Photograph showing educator and activist Nannie Helen Burroughs presenting a large floral arrangement to stage and film actress Edna Thomas following a performance of MacBeth, circa 1936. Thomas, an Atlanta-born performer known for her work in theater and early American film, stands near the center of the image receiving the bouquet. Other individuals identified in the photograph (from left to right) include Mrs. U. R. McDodana, Jesse O. Thomas, Samuel Houston, and John Silvera, who appears in the background. The group is gathered indoors, dressed in formal attire typical of the mid-1930s. The image documents a moment of recognition celebrating the achievements of an African American performer during a period when Black artists and intellectuals were expanding their presence in American theater, film, and cultural life despite the limitations imposed by segregation. The photograph forms part of the Jesse O. Thomas papers.
• 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.
• Unidentified woman in fur coat, undated
  Sepia-toned photograph of an unidentified woman standing outdoors near a wooden structure, likely a porch or small building. She is dressed in a long coat with a fur collar and holds what appears to be a fur muff, accessories commonly associated with winter fashion during the late 1920s and early 1930s. Her clothing and posture suggest a posed snapshot taken during colder weather. The photograph reflects everyday life and personal style during the early twentieth century. Images such as this often appeared in family albums or scrapbooks, preserving informal moments and individual portraits outside the studio setting.
• Antique Photographs: Alice, undated
  Sepia-toned studio portrait of a young woman identified as Alice, dating to approximately 1927–1930. She stands facing the camera against a plain studio backdrop, wearing a light-colored dress with a white apron and cap. Her clothing suggests either domestic service attire or a work uniform commonly worn by women employed in household or hospitality roles during the early twentieth century. The portrait reflects the conventions of studio photography of the period, in which individuals posed formally to create keepsake images for family members and personal collections. Images such as this document the lives and labor of African American women during the early twentieth century, preserving individual identity and presence within family and community histories. The photograph is part of the William and Mary Jackson Collection.
• Unidentified group sitting at table, undated
  Black-and-white photograph showing a group of men and women seated together at a long dining table during a social gathering, dating to approximately 1919–1922. The individuals are dressed in formal attire typical of the early twentieth century, suggesting a special occasion such as a banquet, club meeting, or celebratory event. The table is decorated with a tall centerpiece, and the room is adorned with streamers and other festive decorations. The image captures a moment of community life and social fellowship, reflecting the importance of gatherings, clubs, and communal meals within African American communities during the early twentieth century. The photograph is part of the Mabel Vernon Alford Collection and is preserved at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, part of the Fulton County Library System.
• 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.
• Group Photo of School Girls
  Group portrait of African American schoolgirls photographed in the 1920s. The students are arranged in three rows against a studio backdrop, wearing dresses typical of the period, including garments with sailor collars, pleated skirts, and patterned fabrics. Their hairstyles and clothing reflect the fashion of young women and girls during the early twentieth century. Photographs such as this often documented school classes, clubs, or student groups and were commonly preserved in family albums and community collections. The image reflects the importance of education within African American communities during the early twentieth century and provides a glimpse into the lives of young students during the 1920s.
• Unidentified woman next to car, undated
  Photograph of an unidentified woman standing beside an automobile on a city street, dating to approximately 1928–1932. The woman wears a cloche-style hat and a tailored coat typical of late 1920s and early 1930s fashion. Two children stand nearby, one leaning against the automobile while another stands slightly behind her. In the background, multi-story buildings, fire escapes, and other automobiles line the street, situating the scene within an urban neighborhood. Images such as this offer glimpses of everyday life during the early twentieth century, documenting fashion, family relationships, and the growing presence of automobiles in city environments. The photograph comes from the Williams family scrapbook and reflects the kinds of informal snapshots families preserved to record daily experiences and community life.