Collections

MDAH collects and preserves objects of all types that help us tell the great story of Mississippi. Our holdings include archival records, historic objects, and archaeological artifacts that span 15,000 years of Mississippi history. 

Make a Donation

Think you might have an item of historical significance to donate? Check the list of categories that we are currently collecting. Contact MDAH Collections staff to learn more about donating. 

List of Categories

MDAH collects and preserves original objects and archival materials of all types that help us tell the great story of Mississippi. We are always interested in hearing from you about any potential donations.

The following categories represent  areas the department is actively collecting: 

Territorial Period
Early Statehood 
Civil War and Reconstruction
Military History 1945-Present 
African American History 
Civil Rights Era 
Immigration 
LGBTQ+ History
Mississippi Industry 
Natural Disasters
Woman’s Suffrage  

 

Archives Collections

Search our Catalog, the ultimate assemblage of Mississippi-related primary resources including government records, historic papers, documents, photographs, maps, and audiovisual media. Some of these materials are also available online in the Digital Archives. To learn more about visiting the state archives, visit our Research page.

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Collection Highlights

Eudora Welty Collection

Eudora Welty Collection

The collections consists of manuscripts of Welty's works, incoming and outgoing correspondence, negatives and photographs, and memorabilia. Copyright ©Eudora Welty, LLC; Courtesy Eudora Welty Collection–MDAH

Medgar Wily and Myrlie Beasley Evers Papers

Medgar Wiley and Myrlie Beasley Evers Papers

This collection includes Evers and Beasley family papers, including papers of Medgar Evers as Mississippi field secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and records relating to the case of the State of Mississippi v. Byron de la Beckwith.

William H. Turcotte Diary

William H. Turcotte Diary

William Turcotte of Jackson was a member of the United States Air Force in World War II, when he was captured in Germany and kept in Stalag - Luft III, a prisoner-of-war camp. This diary was kept by Turcotte while he was a P.O.W. from October 1943 to April 1945.

Historic Objects Collection

The Historic Objects Collection contains more than 20,000 historic items. These are three dimensional objects that tell the story of Mississippi. Historic objects are housed in our state of the art storage facility located in the Two Mississippi Museums and are available for research upon request. 

What's New

2023.21.1 – Gold medal awarded to Gunnison Chapman & Co

2023.21.1 – Gold medal awarded to Gunnison Chapman & Co

This gold medal was awarded to Gunnison Chapman & Co. for winning the Best Steam Engine for Agricultural Purpose held by Mississippi Agricultural Bureau at Jackson in 1859. The company was founded by Arvin Nye Gunnison (1825 - 1882) and known for its award-winning cotton gins. Gunnison later went into partnership with Samuel Griswold (1790 - 1867), a successful industrialist based in central Georgia, and expanded their business into the production of a variety of agricultural and domestic necessities.

2023.27.1 – Purse belonged to Kate Slater Taylor

2023.27.1 – Purse belonged to Kate Slater Taylor

This purse belonged to Kate Slater Taylor, who was born into slavery in Alabama in 1858. Kate Slater moved to Mississippi where she married Maurice Taylor (1855 - 1929) in 1885. They settled in Hinds County by 1900 and reared five children there. The purse, originally decorated with enameled designs on both sides, was manufactured by the Whiting and Davis Company in Massachusetts, which introduced the first handmade mesh handbag in 1892.

2023.32.3 – Daguerreotype portrait of Charles Henry Manship's daughter

2023.32.3 – Daguerreotype portrait of Charles Henry Manship's daughter

This daguerreotype features one of Charles Henry Manship's daughters. Manship (1812 - 1895), an ornamental painter and mayor of Jackson from 1862 to 1863, built the Gothic Revival residence known as the Manship House in 1857 for his large family of fifteen children with his wife Adaline Daley Manship (1823 - 1903). The house was occupied continuously by generations of the Manship family until 1975 when it was acquired by the state of Mississippi.

Historic objects are housed in our storage facility located in the Two Mississippi Museums and are available for research upon request. MDAH also accepts donations of historic objects.

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Volunteer

Be part of history. Volunteer with MDAH and help us preserve and connect Mississippi’s rich historic resources with people around the world.


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