Archives & Manuscripts: Guide to the Collections

The collections of the Birmingham Public Library Archives contain more than 400,000 photographs and 30,000,000 documents, including government records, business records, maps, letters, diaries, scrapbooks and architectural drawings.

Labor Movement in Alabama

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The Collections

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Alabama By-Products Corporation

File on United Mine Workers of America, 1934-1964

ID: AR1318

Alabama By-Products was founded in 1920 as the North Birmingham By-Products Coke Oven Plant by the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Company. The company is still in operation and is a major supplier of foundry coke. This small collection contains wage agreements, material relating to unionization of workers and other material relating to the UMW.

Size: ¼ linear foot (1 box)

Collection Guide Available: Yes

Alabama Coal Miners

Oral History Interviews

ID: AR1492

Bound transcripts and supporting documentation of interviews conducted by Carl Elliott, Sr. in the 1970s, primarily dealing with black lung disease.

Size: 2 boxes

Collection Guide Available: No

Alabama Coal Operators' Association / Alabama Mining Institute

Records, 1908-1984

ID: AR916

The origin of the Alabama Coal Operators' Association can be traced to June 1900 when officials of several Alabama coal mining and steel companies met in Birmingham to discuss wage-scale negotiations with coal miners organized under the United Mine Workers (UMW). In 1908, the association organized and drafted a constitution. In response to mounting labor tensions, the ACOA adopted an open-shop policy and refused to recognize the United Mine Workers. In response, the UMW called a strike. On August 10, 1908, this strike was defeated through the intervention of Governor B.B. Comer who forbid the union to hold meetings and ordered the state militia to raze the mine workers' makeshift tent settlement. The ACOA also defeated the UMW in the later strikes of 1917 and 1919 and in the strike of 1920-1921. Aside from its concerns with labor problems, the ACOA advocated the general interests of the coal companies. It worked to improve mine safety, to import new technology, and to keep tax assessments on mineral lands low. The association opposed regulation of corporation wage-scales and commissary prices. With labor tensions considerably eased after the turmoil of earlier years, the AMI turned its attention to promoting the interests of Alabama coal mining companies. In 1992, the AMI became the Alabama Coal Association. The records contain minutes, proceedings, publications, correspondence, the constitution, annual reports of the Alabama Mining Institute, annual reports from the State Inspectors of Coal Mines, and subject files. The subject files consist of newspaper articles, speeches, reports, and pamphlets.

Size: 3¼ linear feet, 1 flat box

Collection Guide Available: Yes

Birmingham Printing and Pressman’s Union #121

Minute Book, 1914-1916

ID: AR510

Size: 1 volume

Collection Guide Available: No

Bricklayers' International Union No. 1

Minute Book and Related Documents, 1890-1893

ID: AR807

This small collection includes minutes of meetings for the period 1890 to 1893 and membership lists for 1891.

Size: ¼ linear foot (1 box)

Collection Guide Available: Yes

Brotherhood of Firemen, Locomotive and Engineermen, Ladies Society

Papers, 1941-1967

ID: AR95

This collection contains correspondence, membership records, financial records, annual reports, a constitution and ritual handbook and other material relating to the activities of the Society.

Size: 1 linear foot (2 boxes)

Collection Guide Available: Yes

Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers

Historical Material, 1890-1979

ID: AR1171

This collection contains copies of correspondence with labor leader Samuel Gompers and others, publications and other material relating to the activities and internal discord in Painters’ unions in Alabama and other states.

Size: 1 box

Collection Guide Available: Yes

Brotherhood of Red Ore Miners, Local #21937

Minutes, 1937-1938 and 1940-1941

ID: AR1623

Size: ¼ linear foot (1 box)

Collection Guide Available: No

Burttram, A. C.

Transcript of Interview, 1975

ID: AR976

In this oral history interview, conducted by Alice M. Hoffman in 1975, Burttram discusses his career as a coal miner in the Birmingham area (1921-1924), as a steel worker at U. S. Steel’s Fairfield Works (1924-1942) and describes his work as a CIO labor organizer.

Size: 1 box

Collection Guide Available: No

Committee on Fair Employment Practice

Records, 1942

ID: AR520

Size: 1 reel microfilm

Collection Guide Available: No

Federal Labor Union #23252. American Federation of Labor

Charter, 1942

ID: AR802

Size: 1 flat box

Collection Guide Available: No

Hayes Aircraft Corporation

Scrapbook, 1952-1959

ID: AR1500

This scrapbook includes newspaper clippings describing labor unrest at Hayes, a Birmingham aircraft modification facility.

Size: 1 volume

Collection Guide Available: No

Hine, Lewis Wickes

Labor Photographs, 1910-1914

ID: AR1077

These photographs depict child laborers in a variety of industries in Alabama.

Size: 109 photographs

Collection Guide Available: Yes

Industrial and Ordinary Insurance Agents Union#24177

Charter, 1947

ID: AR803

Size: 1 flat box

Collection Guide Available: No

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Local #253

Records, 1933-1967

ID: AR801

This collection includes an incomplete set of minutes books for the period 1933 to 1967, receipt books, a daybook and other material.

Size: 1 box

Collection Guide Available: Yes

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