Amateur historians and photographers are needed to help with a special project by the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, as commission officials are looking for photographs depicting African American life in the Hub City from the 1800s to the 1900s.
Participants are asked to submit photos of special events, activities, gatherings, groups, organizations and buildings. The pictures will be used in an upcoming exhibition by the commission, which runs several Hattiesburg attractions such as the African American Military History Museum, the Hattiesburg Zoo, the Saenger Theater and the Eureka School Museum.
“This will be a permanent exhibition, and we want to showcase African American life,” said Latoya Norman, manager of museums for the Hattiesburg Convention Commission. “There’s not a ton of photographs that we’ve been able to find in an archive, so we thought it would be best to reach out to community members and try to grab some of these pictures that we know are out there.”
Any pictures depicting African American life in that time period will be accepted, but particular areas of interest include the following items:
•The 1977 Hattiesburg Little League Baseball World Series championship team and any games featuring that team;
•Any Hattiesburg Little League games;
•Milton Barnes Baseball Park activities;
•Elks Lodge events in the 1960s;
•Sporting event spectators;
•Smith Drug Store;
•The Mobile Street District – including, but not limited to, Mobile and Dabbs streets.
•Home porch gatherings;
•Spotlights on fashion from the 1900s to the 1960s;
•Sullivan’s Dance Class;
•Summer fun;
•Church gatherings, such as Easter eggs hunts or Dinner on the Grounds;
•The eight apartments on Katie Avenue;
•The Jerry B. Owens Business and Professional Plaza;
•The Katie Avenue Clinic;
•Bettie Pearl Jackson and other staff of the Katie Avenue Clinic;
•Dahmer Lake at the 4thof July;
•Activities around Williams Cab;
•Pineview Park activities, such as Easter Egg hunts and swimming;
•Star Theater events or activities; and
•African American social clubs – men and women.
“It’s very important, because some of the areas that we’ve identified were staples in the Black community,” Norman said. “That history will be lost if we don’t make a concerted effort to try to obtain these photographs.”
Officials are requesting that photographs be submitted before July 23. Photos can be dropped off at the front desk of Lake Terrace Convention Center, located at One Convention Center Plaza in Hattiesburg.
“We’ve got some images that have already come in, so we’re very excited,” Norman said. “We want to continue to get the word out, just so we can reach all of Hattiesburg.
“Again, there is a disparity of these images in any archive that I’ve been to, that really showcase African American life in Hattiesburg. That’s what this initiative kind of derived from, is just trying to create that.”
Photo submission does not guarantee inclusion in the exhibition, but all photographs will be returned to the owner. For mailing instructions and other questions, call the African American Military History Museum at (601) 450-1942.
“We just need a scan of the original, and we will return it back to them,” Norman said. “If it’s just a few photographs, we can scan them and give them back while they’re there and give them back the same day.”
If all goes according to plan, the exhibition will open some time this year, but the location is not being divulged at the moment.
“We do want there to be an element of surprise for the exhibition, so we don’t want to give too much away,” Norman said.
