Phillips High School Pen and Brush Club

Two Phillips High School calendars featuring the beautiful artwork of the Pen and Brush Club are now available online for viewing.

1937 Calendar & 1938 Calendar

Birmingham Magazine October 1915

The Birmingham Magazine published by the Chamber of Commerce for October 1915 is now available online. Click here to view the entire issue.

Table of Contents

• "Economy and Efficiency in Business" by Franklin H. Tonsineire


• "Legendary Shades Mountain" by C. Bryant Schaefer


• "Bessemer End of the Canal" by W. P. Gunn


• "Buildings and Business by F. W. Fitzpatrick


• "The Leeds Highway" by Geo. H. Clark


• "Purposes of the Weather Bureau" by F. C. Horton


• "Woman Suffrage and the Legislature" by Mrs. O. R. Hundley


• "The Present Business Outlook" by W. T. Gentry


• "Accumulative Value of Advertising" by F. J. Holberg


• "The Rotary Club" by May Teressa Holder

Early 20th Century Movie Theaters in Birmingham

In the early twentieth century, Birmingham was home to numerous movie theaters. O. V. Hunt, Birmingham's well known photographer, captured the exteriors of many of these buildings. 26 of his photographs were recently added to our Digital Collections Database and the descriptions are below.

• 3rd Avenue North and 18th Street
• Alcazar Theatre advertising Peggy Hyland in Persuasive Peggy
• Alcazar Theatre's While New York Sleeps movie display
• Birmingham Theatre
• Boy Scouts at the Odeon Theatre
• Construction of the Alabama Theatre
• Erlanger Theatre
• Galax Theatre's The Kentuckians movie display
• Heliotrope at the Galax Theatre
• Law of the Yukon at the Galax Theatre
• Lyric Theatre
• Lyric Theatre advertising The Iron Horse
• North Birmingham Theatre and Waters Theatre Co.
• Odeon Theatre and The Riddle Rider
• Pantage Theatre
• Ritz Theatre
• Royal Theatre
• Silk Hosiery at the Galax Theatre
• Strand Theatre advertising Alarm Clock Andy
• Strand Theatre and Fatty Arbuckle
• Strand Theatre's Black Is White movie display
• Strand Theatre's The Round Up movie display
• Streetcar employees going to the Lyric Theatre
• Trianon Theatre advertising Anne of Green Gables
• Trianon Theatre's Charlie Chaplin in The Kid movie display
• Watts Building and Empire Theatre

Click here to see the recently added photographs.

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Three issues of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce's publication Birmingham are now available online.

October 1, 1919

November 1919

January 1920

Birmingham architecture and church directory

Two books that may be of interest to local architects, historians and genealogists are now available online.

Architectural work, Wheelock, Joy & Wheelock, Birmingham, Ala. Published in 1905, this book consists mostly of engraved images of homes and businesses within the city.

Birmingham Church Directory of Birmingham, Alabama containing a full and accurate history of each church represented, together with a complete list of the societies of each church, their officers and objects. This directory contains the membership of nine of the leading churches in the city of Birmingham. This directory was compiled by Fred W. Green in 1896.

Tuxedo Junction and three local parks

Newspaper articles covering Tuxedo Junction, Tuxedo Heights neighborhood and three parks (Inglenook, Jemison and Jordan) are available online.

Cruikshank's History of Birmingham, volume 2

The second volume of A History of Birmingham and its environs: a narrative account of their historical progress, their people, and their principal interests published in 1920 by George M. Cruikshank is available online.

Comprised of short biographies, this volume provides a glimpse into the lives of prominent Birmingham citizens. A sampling of some of the more well-known names include Yielding, Ward, Tutwiler, Ruffner, Rushton, Ramsay, Pratt, Pizitz, O'Neal, Mudd, Messer, Loveman, Jemison, Ingalls, Henley, Hanson, Estes, Edwards, Drennen, Carraway, and Caldwell. To view an index of all of the names included in volume 2 click here.

A special thanks goes to our volunteer librarian, Carole Castine who made this online version possible.

New photographs online

Twenty-five photographs have been added to the Birmingham Public Library's Digital Collections database.

Subjects include:

A. G. Gaston
Alabama Boys Industrial School
Alabama Theatre
Blach's
Cascade Plunge
David Vann
Downtown Leeds
Eleventh Avenue Methodist Church
Emory O. Jackson
Empire Theatre
Ensley High School
Erskine Ramsay
Etheridge Brothers Barber Shop
Fair Park Swimming Pool
Highland Court Apartments
Homewood Theatre
Hunter Street Baptist Church
Messer Field
Nina Miglionico
Parisian
Powell Elementary School
Roberts Field Whisky Stills
Take a look.

1911 History of the Jews of Birmingham, Alabama

In 1911, The Reform Advocate published a lengthy article titled "The History of the Jews of Birmingham". The entire article is available and searchable in Birmingham Public Library's online digital collections database.

Contents include:
Temple Emanuel history by Rabbi Morris Newfield
The Ladies Benevolent Society
The Ladies Aid Society
The Temple Chapter
The Council of Jewish Women
Temple Kindergarden
Young People's Study Club of Temple Emanuel
Phoenix Club
Birmingham B'Nai B'rith Lodge
The Young Men's Hebrew Association
Birmingham the Pittsburgh of the South by Benjamin S. Gross


Short biographies (many include photographs):
Rabbi Morris Newfield
M. V. Joseph
Gustave Rotholz
Adolph Bernard Loveman
Simon Klotz
Burghard Steiner
Samuel Ullman
Issac R. Hochstadter
Jacob Fies
Morris Adler
Benjamin Moses Jacobs
Elias Gusfield
Samuel Adler
Bertram Jacobs
Emil Lesser
Mrs. Morris Adler
Mrs. Ben Weil
Mrs. Maurice Lenk
Benjamin Samuel Gross
Leo K. Steiner
Chester G. Bandman
Benjamin Franklin Ezekiel
Joseph Beitman
Isadore Shapiro
Samuel Marx
B. Wellman
Emanuel Rubel
Samuel Stern
Aaron Stern

Woman's suffrage in Alabama

On Febrary 3, 1912, William H. Sims presented a paper before Birmingham, Alabama's Quid pro Quo Club titled Why Not Woman's Suffrage In Alabama? His entire paper is now available online. To read his stance on female voting, click here.

Cruikshank's History of Birmingham

The first volume of A History of Birmingham and its environs: a narrative account of their historical progress, their people, and their principal interests published in 1920 by George M. Cruikshank is available online. The entire text (441 pages) may be read and searched electronically. Chapters in volume one include:

Chapter I Meaning of the Birmingham
Chapter II The story of coal
Chapter III Corporate development of iron fields
Chapter IV Alabama iron, Confederate backbone
Chapter V Consolidated iron interests
Chapter VI Planning and building of Birmingham
Chapter VII Newspapers and editors
Chapter VIII Corporate history of Birmingham
Chapter IX Birmingham as it is
Chapter X Jefferson County matters
Chapter XI Professional things and people
Chapter XII The City beautiful
Chapter XIII Cultural agencies
Chapter XIV Religious and charitable institutions
Chapter XV Secret, benevolent and social bodies
Chapter XVI Banks and financiers
Chapter XVII Military and war record
Chapter XVIII Bessemer etchings
Chapter XIX Historical background

A special thanks goes to our volunteer librarian, Carole Castine who made this online version possible.

New photographs available

Twenty-seven photographs covering subjects such as grocery stores, dental clinics, bicycles, downtown buildings, Barons baseball, funeral homes and Coca-Cola are now available online. Take a look.

Ramsay High School photographs

Six photographs of Ramsay High School have been added to the collection. Take a look at the athletic field, an outdoor assembly, and the groundbreaking ceremony for Ramsay's auditorium here.

Birmingham magazine 1925-1927

June 1925, December 1925, September 1926 and December 1927 issues of the magazine Birmingham are now available online in BPL's Digital Collections database.

Some of the subjects discussed in these four issues include the history of Jemison & Company, Hercules Powder Company, Augusta Friedman Shop and Liberty Life Assurance Society. Industrial activities, civic events, state income tax and the city's growth are also highlighted.

Social interpretation of Birmingham in 1912

The weekly publication The Survey published a report about conditions in Birmingham, Alabama in January 1912. Topics included in the report cover the city's civic front, water and waste, health, childhood, labor, and religion. Numerous photographs documenting conditions in Birmingham are included in this report and make this social survey an interesting and sometimes shocking read. Local responses to the January 1912 publication were published in February 1912 and are located at the end of this document. The complete report is here.

Birmingham Magazine 1919

March and September issues of the magazine Birmingham published in 1919 were recently added to the Digital Collections' database.

1913 social directory

The names of citizens who participated "in the social and prominent life" of Birmingham in 1913 are found in the directory titled Blue Book Birmingham 1913. This book has been digitized and is available for viewing and searching. Names, addresses and phone numbers make up the majority of this book but there are also a few photographs of buildings and local advertisements included as well.

Birmingham Magazine 1915

We recently added the v.1, no. 1 edition of Birmingham Magazine to BPL's Digital Collections Database.

Table of Contents

• A Letter of Appreciation From E. H. GARY.



• The Industrial Situation By E. H. GARY.



• Social Service Work of City Commission By GEORGE B. WARD, President City Commission.



• The Diversified Farming Association, What it is Doing By MARIE BANKHEAD OWEN, Secretary Central Association.



• Education in Birmingham By DR. J. H. PHILLIPS, Superintendent of Education.



• Woman Suffrage in Alabama By MRS. BOSSIE O'BRIEN HUNDLEY.



• Editorial Comment Business Men's League Item By SAM H. FOWLKES, Secretary.



• Roads and Highways By ALMA RITTENBERRY.



• Birmingham Permanent Manufacturers' Exhibit By J. H. EDMUNDSON. Secretary-Manager.



• Library Talk By CARL MILAM, Director Public Library.



• Proceedings of City Commishion By the Board of Commissioners.



• Building Up a City



• Invitation to Alabama Merchants

Loveman's 1934 fire

In 1934, Birmingham's Loveman, Joseph & Loeb department store caught fire and burned. First-hand accounts from firemen, policemen, medical personnel and radio broadcasters were compiled and issued for the benefit of the Birmingham Firemen's Relief Association. This compilation, Illustrated Souvenir : Birmingham's $3,000,000 fire, March 10, 1934 is now available online.

1893 Birmingham book

The Birmingham, Alabama, September, 1893 : plain statement for the homeseeker, the investor and the manufacturer book is now available for viewing. There are 33 pages of text, drawings and photographs highlighting the advantages of living and working in Birmingham.

1906 Views of Birmingham pamphlet online

The 1906 pamphlet Views of Birmingham: the Iron Center of the World is available online for viewing. There are 32 pages of photographs depicting businesses, schools, churches, industry, and hospitals in the Birmingham area.

Ensley newspaper articles available

Newspaper articles about Ensley, Alabama are available for viewing. These 27 articles include the full text and cover such topics as Ensley's Chamber of Commerce, Christmas, schools, shopping, and construction. Additional items covering Ensley will be available soon.

1887 Pocket Business Directory available

The 1887 Pocket Business Directory and Guide to Birmingham, Ala. is available online with full text searching capabilities. The suburbs of Avondale, Elyton, Pratt Mines, and Woodlawn are included as well as information about city and country government, schools, churches, newspapers, and labor organizations.