Tag Archives: Birmingham Public Library

Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham pioneers, Birmingham Public Library, Exhibition, family history, Genealogy, Historic Preservation, Research

Does Birmingham Historical Society archive historic photos and memorabilia?

Birmingham Historical Society is often asked if we’d like old family photos, artifacts, or local memorabilia. As much as we would like to archive and even permanently exhibit these historic collections, we do not currently have the space or resources to adequately catalog and preserve them. While we appreciate their importance, we are primarily a research and educational organization. Rather, we encourage individuals to consider donating their items to larger institutions that have the capability to properly care for and display such collections.

There are two places that we recommend: The Southern History Department at the Birmingham Public Library focuses on items regarding Birmingham and Jefferson County. Open to the public by appointment only, the downtown location also maintains a digital library available on demand.

City directories, local newspapers on microfilm, and state and local histories are the Southern History Department’s most used items. Research class projects, books and articles, and the histories of local houses and buildings are also popular searches.

The Alabama Department of Archives and History In Montgomery is about all things Alabama. “Founded in 1901, the Alabama Department of Archives & History is the state’s government-records repository, a special-collections library and research facility, and home to the self-guided Museum of Alabama, the state history museum.” Their vast digital collection features genealogy and family histories, maps & architectural drawings, photos, video, posters and much more.

The Alabama State Museum, as part of the Department of Archives and History, was first housed in the State Capitol. Thanks to the efforts of Thomas & Marie Owen, the current Archives and History building was opened in 1940 and the final wing was completed in 2005. Visit the beautiful building virtually HERE or plan a visit to Montgomery. To donate a personal collection to the state archives, please submit a donation form HERE, or if you have a very specific item, consider one of these history museums.

And thank you for your interest in donating historic materials!

Exterior view of the Alabama Department of Archives and History building with classical architecture and columns, under a clear blue sky.
Interior view of a marble hallway in a historic building, featuring an elevator, decorative walls, and doors in the background.

September Events at

Alabama Department of Archives & History

Construction update on the Museum of Alabama's Children's Gallery, highlighting the transformation of the space with play areas like a limestone cave and an ecology wall for children.
Collage image showcasing personal and military photographs of William Dudley Battle Jr., including a portrait with a family member, an outdoor scene of him in military clothing, and a group of soldiers interacting in a military setting.
Birmingham Historical Society, Birmingham Public Library, Census, City of Birmingham, family history, Genealogy, Research

Newspaper Database for Genealogical Research

At Birmingham Historical Society, we frequently get questions about how to research family histories. One of the best local resources is the Southern Archives at the Birmingham Public Library, and many more are linked on our website page, Other Resources.

However, we’ve recently become aware of another great newspaper resource HERE which includes 28 newspaper search tips along with step by step instructions to more effectively search ALL databases. This website also include births, divorces, marriage licenses, census reports etc. Note that the organization collecting this information, OurPublicRecords.org, is a privately owned and operated website and is not affiliated with law enforcement or a government agency.

While many public records are available online, it’s often a confusing and time consuming search. But you may also choose to search your state or county’s website and search for the Records Management or Public Records section. From there, you can usually find a link to an online database of public records. Another way to access public records for free is through the federal government’s website.

Good luck with your search!

Genealogy, Research

Genealogy Research – Ask a Librarian!

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!

Birmingham Landmarks, Birmingham Public Library, Churches, Elyton, Historic Preservation, Research

Celebrating 150 Years of Religious & Civic Growth: A Panel Discussion

“Sacred Spaces, Civic Places,
and the Building of a Magic City”

February 27, 2022
3:00PM to 4:30PM
First United Methodist Church Sanctuary
518 19th Street North
Birmingham, AL 35203

Panelists:

  • Pam King, Assistant Professor of History and Historic Preservation, UAB Dept of History (retired)
  • Jim Baggett, Head, Archives Department, Birmingham Public Library
  • Barry McNealy, Historical Content Expert, Birmingham Civil RIghts Institute & Sixteenth Street Baptist Church Historian

Participating Congregations:

  • St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 1869
  • First United Methodist Church, 1872
  • Cathedral Church of theAdvent, 1872
  • First Presbyterian Church, 1872
  • The Cathedral of St. Paul, 1872
  • First Baptist Church, 1872
  • Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, 1873
  • Temple Emanu-EL, 1882

This event is free and open to the public and childcare will be available


In 1871 the City of Birmingham was incorporated by the Elyton Land Company on farmland that would soon be the juncture of two major railroads. The location had everything – coal, iron ore and limestone, all necessary for the soon to be thriving industrial city.

At that time, there existed an African-American Methodist congregation that, according to church records, began meeting in tents in 1869. In 1872 Elyton gave five land grants to establish houses of worship for white congregants of five major denominations – Catholic, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, United Methodist and Baptist.

In 1873 the first Black Baptist church was established downtown. Then in 1882 the first temple was built for the growing Jewish community. These eight congregations comprise Birmingham’s earliest houses of worship, and they are still thriving today and have over a hundred years of sacred and civic commitment to the Magic City..

View the reprint of the 1997 newsletter with MAP here