HMCPL Digital Archives
HMCPL Digital Archives
Images of Huntsville's past and present.
Original photographs and prints are stored in the archives.
A collection of photographs dedicated to the students of Huntsville's Female College, a nineteenth century institution dedicated to the education of women in North Alabama.
An eclectic collection of photographs showcasing service stations of the twentieth century.
Photographs commemorating the history of the Dummy Line. This stretch of railway, with its destination tucked away in the woods atop Monte Sano, started its journey in downtown Huntsville.
Describe your collection for visitors to your site.
Huntsville’s Library was formed in 1818, when Alabama was still a part of the Mississippi Territory. It is the oldest continuing Library in the state, although it has changed location several times.
The Department of Archives was established in 1973 in order to house the rare, fragile, and unique material that has been part of the library collection since 1818.
Manuscripts
Manuscripts in the Archives offer the researcher a valuable source for study and writing of history relating to Huntsville and Madison County, Alabama. The collection includes business records, church records, diaries, records from local organizations, journals and scrapbooks. A prized part of our collection is the Clay Family papers, covering the period from 1812-1877. These include statehood papers from Gov. C.C. Clay, Civil War letters and family correspondence.
Photographs
The photograph collection numbers over 15,000 positive photographic prints from Huntsville and Madison County, the oldest dating from the 1850’s. They depict street scenes, buildings, churches, schools, cotton mills, portraits, and historic homes.
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