The University of Alabama (UA) in Tuscaloosa, is receiving one of the largest collections of Americana and Southern history in private hands. The collection, which is called the A. S. Williams III Collection of History and Culture of the South, includes original written and photographic documents from the American South from the early 19th century onward. Williams is an alumnus of the university.
The collection provides valuable and unique historical documents informing of the political, social, and economic condition of Alabama and the South during the 1820s and onward. For historical and literary researchers in the field, the collection is an invaluable and rare gem.
Dr. Michael Picone, professor of French and linguistics at the University of Alabama expressed his pleasure with having such a unique collection at the University of Alabama. He said in a statement, “The Williams Collection is a treasure trove of material that will lend itself to new research initiatives for our faculty and students, and it will make our special collections library a destination of choice for many researchers from other institutions.”
Comprised of some 20,000 books, the written documents contain over 3,000 works of Southern fiction ranging from the earliest examples to contemporary writers. In addition to crafted literary works, the collection also includes a wide range of unpublished documents including diaries, unpublished letters, and manuscripts.
The collection also contains documents pertaining to the Civil War, providing unique travel accounts, textbooks, military manuals, and novels, from the time period.
In addition to the historical documents, the collection also includes Indian land grants and a wealth of information relating to the economic and financial circumstances of the time period including unpublished archival collections of 19th century business records and materials relating to the financial history of the United States from pre-revolutionary times to the founding of the Bank of the United States.
In addition to the wealth of written documents comprising the collection, there is photographic documentation, ranging from the late 1850s to the mid-1930s. There is over 12,000 photographs, including a specialized archive of pictures, documenting the Civil War titled “The Southern Photographer, 1860-1910.”
The collection also includes interesting documentation of the African-American experience in the South using books, pamphlets, and photograph.
Dr. George C. Rable, the Charles Summersell chairman in Southern history at UA expressed his thoughts on the new addition, in a university news release. “Much of the content of the Williams Collection is unique and hence not available at other libraries or through online sources.” He anticipated how useful the material would be for scholars. “The Williams Collection will support a vast array of research projects based on manuscript, print, and visual materials.”
The University of Alabama will receive the collection on Monday, June 28 at the Gorgas Library in a ceremony with the previous owner of the collection, A.S. Williams. UA President Robert E. Witt is expected to address the gathering.
The collection will be available for the public in October.
The collection provides valuable and unique historical documents informing of the political, social, and economic condition of Alabama and the South during the 1820s and onward. For historical and literary researchers in the field, the collection is an invaluable and rare gem.
Dr. Michael Picone, professor of French and linguistics at the University of Alabama expressed his pleasure with having such a unique collection at the University of Alabama. He said in a statement, “The Williams Collection is a treasure trove of material that will lend itself to new research initiatives for our faculty and students, and it will make our special collections library a destination of choice for many researchers from other institutions.”
Comprised of some 20,000 books, the written documents contain over 3,000 works of Southern fiction ranging from the earliest examples to contemporary writers. In addition to crafted literary works, the collection also includes a wide range of unpublished documents including diaries, unpublished letters, and manuscripts.
The collection also contains documents pertaining to the Civil War, providing unique travel accounts, textbooks, military manuals, and novels, from the time period.
In addition to the historical documents, the collection also includes Indian land grants and a wealth of information relating to the economic and financial circumstances of the time period including unpublished archival collections of 19th century business records and materials relating to the financial history of the United States from pre-revolutionary times to the founding of the Bank of the United States.
In addition to the wealth of written documents comprising the collection, there is photographic documentation, ranging from the late 1850s to the mid-1930s. There is over 12,000 photographs, including a specialized archive of pictures, documenting the Civil War titled “The Southern Photographer, 1860-1910.”
The collection also includes interesting documentation of the African-American experience in the South using books, pamphlets, and photograph.
Dr. George C. Rable, the Charles Summersell chairman in Southern history at UA expressed his thoughts on the new addition, in a university news release. “Much of the content of the Williams Collection is unique and hence not available at other libraries or through online sources.” He anticipated how useful the material would be for scholars. “The Williams Collection will support a vast array of research projects based on manuscript, print, and visual materials.”
The University of Alabama will receive the collection on Monday, June 28 at the Gorgas Library in a ceremony with the previous owner of the collection, A.S. Williams. UA President Robert E. Witt is expected to address the gathering.
The collection will be available for the public in October.
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