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The Duncan Teague Collection Overview
Archival overview describing the Duncan Teague Collection at the Auburn Avenue Research Library. The page outlines Teague’s work as an activist, writer, and founder of ADODI Muse, and describes the significance of the collection within AARL’s Black LGBTQ+ archival holding
“Hundreds of Thousands Demonstrate in D.C.” — Gay Rights March Article
Newspaper article reporting on a large gay rights demonstration in Washington, D.C., highlighting participation by Black LGBTQ+ activists including members of BWMT/Atlanta (Black and White Men Together).
Fantasia Magazine Cover
Cover of the premiere issue of Fantasia Magazine, a publication created for same-gender-loving people of African descent. The issue features commentary addressing homophobia in the Black church and includes news, arts, and community reporting.
Certificate of Training Awarded to Duncan E. Teague
Certificate issued by Positive Impact, Inc. recognizing Duncan E. Teague for participation in the training “Keeping Our Brothers in Mind: Black Gay Men, Mental Health and HIV.” The training addressed HIV-related health and mental health issues affecting Black gay and bisexual men.
“Black Gays Coming Out in Face of Hostile Reception” — Atlanta Journal-Constitution Article Featuring Duncan Teague
Newspaper article discussing the experiences of Black gay men organizing in Atlanta. The article includes commentary from Duncan E. Teague, co-chair of the African American Lesbian/Gay Alliance (AALGA), reflecting on community visibility and advocacy.
Venus Magazine Cover Featuring Ann Nesby
Cover of Venus Magazine, Volume 3, Number 1 (January 1997), featuring singer Ann Nesby. The magazine focused on news, culture, and issues affecting lesbians and gays of African descent.
BLK Magazine Cover — “Has Winnie Lost It?”
Cover of BLK: The National Black Lesbian and Gay Newsmagazine, Volume 3, Number 5 (May 1991). The issue features coverage of Black LGBTQ+ culture, politics, and current events.
CLiKQUE Magazine Cover — “Remember Me? I’m Still Kicking and Raising Hell”
Cover of CLiKQUE Magazine, Volume 2, Number 6 (November 1998), featuring a photograph of two men and the headline “Remember Me? I’m Still Kicking and Raising Hell.” The publication served as a news and entertainment magazine for Black LGBTQ+ communities.
Portrait of Duncan Teague
Color portrait of Duncan E. Teague, an Atlanta-based social and political activist, writer, and community organizer associated with Black LGBTQ+ organizing and the ADODI Muse ensemble. The portrait depicts Teague resting his hands together while looking directly at the camera.
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.
Big Bethel A.M.E. Church Choir, undated
Group photograph of the choir of Big Bethel A.M.E. Church in Atlanta, Georgia, taken between approximately 1946 and 1953. The image shows a choir of men and women standing in several rows on a stage while a conductor leads them in song. The singers wear coordinated dark attire with light collars, typical of mid-twentieth-century church choir uniforms. The conductor stands at the left foreground with his arm raised, directing the performance. A microphone positioned near the front suggests the performance may have been part of a recorded broadcast, public program, or special church event. Big Bethel A.M.E. Church, founded in 1847, has long served as one of Atlanta’s most prominent African American congregations and a center of religious, cultural, and civic life in the city. Church choirs such as this played an important role in African American communities during the mid-twentieth century, contributing to worship services while also fostering musical training, fellowship, and community identity.
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.
Anne Thomas in Soc-Lit Circle, 1933
Group photograph of members of the Soc-Lit (Social–Literary) Circle in Atlanta, Georgia, dated October 1933. The image shows a large group of children and adolescents arranged in three rows outdoors in front of a brick building. The group includes boys and girls dressed in formal or semi-formal clothing typical of the early 1930s, including suits, dresses, and hair bows. Anne Thomas, identified in the caption data as having long curls, appears in the back row, second from the left. Social and literary circles such as this were common community and youth organizations in African American communities during the early twentieth century. These groups often fostered reading, public speaking, social development, and intellectual engagement among young people. The photograph documents youth participation in organized educational and cultural activities in Atlanta during the Great Depression era.
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.
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.
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.