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.

The Collections

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Early, Frank

Papers, 1861-1863

ID: AR174

This collection includes correspondence of H. F. Early for the period March 1861 to April 1863. One letter, written by M. F. Arness, includes a detailed description of the battlefield at First Bull Run. The papers also contain some material relating to the United Daughters of the Confederacy and Sybil Bergin.

Size: ¼ linear foot (1 box)

Collection Guide Available: Yes

East Lake

Library, 1950, 1953, 1957, 1961, 1963

ID: AR685

These files contain material relating to the East Lake Branch Library.

Size: Fiche and Negative

Collection Guide Available: No

East Lake, Ala. Board of Mayor and Aldermen

Minutes, 1901-1911

ID: AR1679

Size: 1 reel microfilm

Collection Guide Available: No

Edmonds, Henry Morris

Papers, 1895-1961

ID: AR159

Henry Morris Edmonds was born in York, Alabama, in 1878. He was educated at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Edmonds came to Birmingham in 1913 to become pastor of the South Highland Presbyterian Church. A split in the congregation led to the formation of Independent Presbyterian Church on Highland Avenue in 1915. Edmonds remained at Independent until his resignation in 1942, when he accepted a deanship at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. After five years in Winter Park, Edmonds returned to Birmingham. Edmonds was a prolific writer. Throughout his career he contributed to the Birmingham Post-Herald and various magazines, and he published several books. He died in Birmingham in 1960. The bulk of this collection spans 1915-1960, and includes correspondence, magazine articles, newspaper clippings, sermons, eulogies, speeches, books of prayer, diaries, scrapbooks, photographs, and books, magazines, and pamphlets. Among the letters and newspaper clippings are many relating to the theological differences between Edmonds and members of the congregation of South Highland Presbyterian Church, the split that developed between the supporters and opponents of Edmonds, the resulting North Alabama Presbytery Court Hearings, and the formation of Independent Presbyterian Church. Other correspondence is from church members, family, and family friends

Size: 24 boxes

Collection Guide Available: Yes

Edmonds, Henry Morris (A)

Daily Column, September, 1942-July, 1955

ID: AR476

This collection contains copies of many, but not all or Edmonds’ newspaper columns written for the Birmingham Age-Herald and Birmingham Post-Herald.

Size: 1 reel microfilm

Collection Guide Available: No

Elovitz, Mark H.

Research Material on Birmingham Jewish History

ID: AR781

Elovitz is an attorney who served for a time as rabbi of Temple Beth-El in Birmingham, Alabama. In 1973 Elovitz earned a Ph.D. from New York University with his dissertation “A History of the Jews of Birmingham, 1871-1971.” He later adapted his dissertation into the book A Century of Jewish Life in Dixie: The Birmingham Experience (University of Alabama Press, 1974). The research files contain both primary and secondary sources including newspaper and magazine clippings, oral history interviews, correspondence, and organizational and institutional publications, handwritten research notes, drafts of the dissertation text, and a final draft of the text which was published by the University of Alabama Press. This material covers the years 1872-1977, but a majority of it comes from the period between 1920 and 1970.

Size: 3 boxes

Collection Guide Available: Yes

Emond, Burgin, Hill Families

Papers

ID: AR112

These papers contain correspondence, diaries, memorabilia and photographs relating to three Birmingham families. Included are courtship letters from Lee Merrill of Chicago to Dolly Burgin of Birmingham dated 1896; courtship letters between Ernest Hill and Neat Burgin dated 1899 to 1900; a diary of Janie Hill kept while she was a student at the University of Alabama in 1923; and a sketchbook, European travel diary and newspaper clippings relating to artist Carrie Lillian Hill.

Size: 5 boxes

Collection Guide Available: Yes

England, Peggy

Scrapbooks, 1940-1957

ID: AR1954

Peggy England and her husband Edmund lived in the suburbs south of Birmingham, Alabama. Peggy was active in the Civettes Club and other organizations. Edmund worked as an accountant for Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company. They were members of Highlands Methodist Church. Peggy England died in November 2007. The scrapbooks include newspaper clippings, maps and other travel literature and souvenirs relating to New York City and the New York World’s Fair; Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Florida; the Great Smokey Mountains; and Gatlinburg, Tennessee; greeting cards; a small amount of material relating to World War II; material relating to Highlands Methodist Church and material relating to the construction of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Birmingham.

Size: 1 box (2 scrapbooks)

Collection Guide Available: No

English, George M.

Letters

ID: AR1238

Size: 1 reel microfilm

Collection Guide Available: Yes

Ensley High School Parent-Teacher Association

Scrapbook, 1942-1943 and 1992

ID: AR1658

Size: 1 linear foot (1 volume)

Collection Guide Available: No

Ensley, Ala. Board of Mayor and Aldermen

Minutes, 1899-1909

ID: AR1681

Size: 1½ reels microfilm

Collection Guide Available: No

Episcopal Diocese of Alabama

Records, 1830-

ID: AR1046

The records of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama include correspondence and financial records; parish registers, vestry minutes and other material from active and defunct parishes; photographs; newspapers and other publications of the diocese; and other material.

Size: 50 boxes

Collection Guide Available: No

Equal Rights Amendment

Scrapbook, 1980-1982

ID: AR530

This scrapbook contains newspaper clippings relating to the campaign to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

Size: 1 reel microfilm

Collection Guide Available: No

Erdreich, Ben

Jefferson County Commission Reports and Studies, 1973-1981

ID: AR599

This collection contains reports and studies on a wide variety of topics collected by Erdreich during his service on the Jefferson County Commission.

Size: 5¼ linear feet (5 boxes)

Collection Guide Available: Yes

Erdreich, Ben

Papers, 1973-1982

ID: AR334

These files relate to Erdreich’s service as Jefferson County Commissioner of Public Welfare. The collection also contains some material relating to Tom Pinson, a previous member of the Commission.

Size: 8½ linear feet (9 boxes)

Collection Guide Available: Yes

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