Free Community Archiving Day

The Historic Avenue Cultural Center, in partnership with Vanguard Archives Consulting (VAC), will host a Free Community Archiving Day on the avenue. This event is open to the public at no cost, and no appointment or RSVP is required.

Archiving Services

Attendees are encouraged to bring photos and other scannable family valuables to be digitized on-site by a professional team. Participants will receive digital files of their items, along with expert guidance on preserving family records, stories, and memories.

Items Accepted for Digitization

• Photos
• Letters and cards
• Recipes
• Programs
• Obituaries
• Other scannable family valuables
• Photos or records related to Mobile’s historic Davis Avenue

Preserving Mobile’s History

In addition to digitizing personal family archives, the event seeks photos or records related to historic Davis Avenue for potential future use in cultural center exhibits and educational resources. For more information, contact Vanguard Archives Consulting.

About Vanguard Archives Consulting (VAC)

Based in Mobile, Alabama, VAC specializes in archival consulting, storytelling, and community-driven documentation. The organization works with institutions, organizations, and private families to preserve historical records. Past collaborations include partnerships with Cave Canem, an internationally recognized organization for Black poets and poetry, and the Carnegie Museum of Art.

The Historic Avenue Cultural Center

The Historic Avenue Cultural Center officially opened on October 4, 2023, with the exhibition Remembering the Avenue, curated by Jada Jones. The center is housed in a historic building listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983. Originally constructed as a mini-replica of the Ben May Library, it served as the Davis Avenue Branch of the Mobile Public Library during segregation before becoming the National African American Archives & Museum. In 2018, the Mobile County Commission, under Commissioner Merceria Ludgood, secured the building under a 50-year agreement, investing in renovations before reopening it as a cultural hub. Today, it serves as an anchor of Mobile’s emerging Civil Rights & Cultural Heritage District.