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. 

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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

2024.80.1 – 36-Star American Flag used by the Pride of Natchez Lodge

2024.80.1 – 36-Star American Flag used by the Pride of Natchez Lodge

This 36-star American flag was used by the Pride of Natchez Lodge, a chapter of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America, which is a fraternal organization founded in New York in 1843 with predominantly African American members. It was one of the most influential Black fraternal societies in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Pride of Natchez Lodge, Lodge No. 1826, was established in 1877.

2024.103.2ab – Kennington’s Hatbox

2024.103.2ab – Kennington’s Hatbox

This Kennington's hatbox belonged to Eldora Spence Chadwick Leggett of Hazlehurst, Mississippi. Kennington's was one of the most prestigious department stores in Mississippi for much of the 20th century. Founded in 1905 as the Jones-Kennington Dry Goods Company, the store evolved into a multi-storied shopping center in downtown Jackson. The business was sold to McRae’s, another department store chain also from Jackson, in 1970.

2025.3.1 – Lusia Harris Stewart Basketball Hall of Fame Trading Card

2025.3.1 – Lusia Harris Stewart Basketball Hall of Fame Trading Card

This collecting card features Lusia Harris-Stewart, a pioneer of women’s basketball from Minter City, Mississippi. She played for Delta State University and won three consecutive national championships from 1975 to 1977. She went on to play professional basketball with the Houston Angels, winner of the league championship in the inaugural 1979 season. She was the first and only woman officially drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA) by the New Orleans Jazz, although she never played in the league.

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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