Through its collections, the Atlanta History Center documents historical events that have shaped the Atlanta region. The links below provide access to documents, photographs, books, and artifacts that document some of Atlanta’s most important moments. They are intended as a starting point to help you find resources relevant to these areas of research.
After locating materials of interest, please contact reference staff at Kenan Research Center at 404.814.4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com to arrange an appointment to view these resources or to discuss your specific research needs.
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Search materials documenting the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition, a world’s fair designed to facilitate trade between the American South and South American countries. The event was held at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park.
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Search materials documenting the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia and the history of the Olympic Games.
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Search materials documenting one of the most violent episodes in the Jim Crow era.
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Search materials documenting the aftermath of the Great Atlanta Fire of 1917 in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward and other east side neighborhoods.
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Search materials on the pivotal series of battles that helped turn the tide of the Civil War.
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Search materials from the Corona Collective, a digital collection illustrating how Atlantans experienced and responded to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.
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Story
One hundred years ago the Great Atlanta Fire of 1917 destroyed 300 acres of the city. The Fourth Ward would never be the same.
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Story
In times of uncertainty, humans look to the past for guidance. It’s no surprise in a new era of public health that we’re digging through our medical history as a species, looking for answers and solace in previous pandemics.
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Exhibition
Atlanta ’96 tells new stories and expands on memories of the city’s Olympic and Paralympic history.
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Story
Rural communities, industrial complexes, Native American sites, along with agricultural land uses assist in telling the rich story of how our country developed.