Albany, Georgia, and environs, circa 1900s-1997, bulk 1994

Scope and content:

In the Albany, Georgia area, Behind the Veil (BTV) project staff conducted 52 interviews with African Americans in summer 1994. Earlier dates represent historical images accompanying interview materials. In addition to Albany, Georgia, interviews were conducted in the small towns of Moultrie, Sylvester, and Newton. Interview listings are in alphabetical order by last name. Administrative folders which accompany almost all the interviews can include detailed biographical data sheets, interviewer notes and summaries. They also occasionally contain small amounts of donated original papers such as documents, obituaries, booklets, and news clippings; their presence is recorded in the administrative file note. A subset of over 300 interviews also come with transcripts created by Behind the Veil staff, available as digital files. Finally, some interviewees donated historical photographs and other materials to be imaged by BTV staff at the interview sites and turned into slides. The original materials were then returned to the donors. If there are slides associated with an interview, they are listed at the end of the interview entry in this collection guide. There are 292 slides in the Georgia series. The Behind the Veil (BTV) project records and preserves the living memory of African American life during the age of legal segregation in the American South, roughly from the 1890s to 1950s. Most of the over 1200 interviews were conducted by BTV staff in private homes with one person or two people, often a married couple or two siblings; in many interview recordings one can hear additional voices in the background. There are also a number of larger group interviews usually associated with a family or local club. The interviewers came to the sessions with a standard list of questions crafted by staff for the project. The collection guide entry for each person interviewed usually offers biographical data voluntarily provided by the interviewee; details may include date of birth, place of birth, and present and past occupations. The interviews typically lasted at least one or two hours, but some lasted much longer and were sometimes conducted over several days. They were recorded on audiocassettes which have been digitized and are available online along with other associated materials.

Contents

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Collection restrictions:

Access note. Collection contains audiovisual formats that may need to be reformatted before use. Contact Research Services for access.

Access note. Some materials in this collection are electronic records that require special equipment. Contact Research Services with questions.

Access note. Collection contains fragile materials such as film negatives that may require extra assistance from staff. Contact Research Services for access.

Use & permissions:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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