The Atlanta History Center (AHC) and the Georgia Historical Society (GHS) have completed a monumental exchange of archival collections.
The exchange, supported by a $500,000 contribution from Atlanta-based railway company Norfolk Southern, consolidates related collections that were previously separated by the two history organizations, in a joint effort to make them easier to access for the public.
As part of the agreement, AHC acquired the Central of Georgia Railway Collection from GHS. Consisting of nearly 1,000 linear feet of documents, the collection will be housed alongside the Southern Railway archives at AHC’s Kenan Research Center, forming one of the country’s most comprehensive catalogs on railroad history, said a release.
In turn, GHS received several major manuscript and photographic collections from AHC, including portions of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games photo archive and files from the Georgia Film Commission, which were added to GHS’ existing collection.
“This is a historic agreement,” said Dr. W. Todd Groce, president and chief executive officer of the Georgia Historical Society. “I’m not aware of any other institutions that have swapped collections of this size or scope.”
Prior to the deal, researchers were reportedly forced to traverse between Atlanta and Savannah to access certain related materials — an issue that has been addressed as a result of the agreement between AHC and GHS.
“This is more than just an exchange of archives. It’s about making Georgia’s history easier for people to discover,” said Sheffield Hale, president and chief executive officer of the Atlanta History Center. “By reuniting collections that have been scattered for decades, we’re opening new doors for researchers, students, and history lovers everywhere.”
The funding provided by Norfolk Southern will go towards supporting the processing and preservation of the various collections, according to a press release.