Birmingham Historical Society frequently receives requests for information on family histories, photograph archives, or specific Southern history items.

The Birmingham Historical Society researches specific subjects and are not the best resource for genealogy. However, we are fortunate to have the excellent Department of Southern History at the Birmingham Public Library. Not only do they offer classes in computer research for genealogy, but for specific requests, you can ’ask a librarian’ in writing to research individual questions.

They offer databases of building photographs, browsing by subject and/or name, and digitized obituaries, newspapers, and magazines. Cemeteries, stories, census records, church histories, military & civil rights histories, marriage records, and maps are just a fraction of the information to which you have access.

The digital collection contains more than 30,000,000 documents and 500,000 photographs.

So next time you want to discover more about your Southern history, ask a librarian!

Local Archives & Libraries

• Birmingham Public Library (BPL) Southern History Department — The premier repository for regional research, housing extensive family files, city directories, historic maps, and rare regional manuscripts.
• BPL Genealogy & Local History Databases — Access localized research aids, including the Birmingham Obituary Guides, African-American Genealogical Research Guides, and the Historic Birmingham Street Name Changes index.
• Probate Court of Jefferson County Archives — The official source for land deeds, probate packets, and historic marriage records dating back to 1818 for the Birmingham division.

State & Digital Repositories

• Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) — Located in Montgomery, the state archives provide expansive digital collections, military service cards, and state census records.
• ADAH Genealogy & History Publications Portal — A digital library of historical newsletters, journals, and family lineages compiled by various Alabama historical societies over the decades.
• AlabamaMosaic — A statewide digital repository showcasing historic photographs, scrapbooks, and oral histories documenting the industrial and social development of the Birmingham District.

Free Community Research Roadmaps

• FamilySearch Jefferson County Genealogy Wiki — A comprehensive, free research guide detailing courthouse history, record availability, and direct links to indexed digital collections.
• Genealogy Trails: Jefferson County — A volunteer-led initiative providing free transcriptions of historical Birmingham obituaries, cemetery registries, and early county lineages.