The Eliza Bryant Center Auxiliary II (f. 1939), formerly known as the Junior Board, was a group of African American women organized by Bessie Blue to provide residents of the Eliza Bryant Center, a home for the African American elderly, with a cheerful and homelike atmosphere. To meet these provisions, the members of the auxiliary raised funds to purchase various items and supplies including kitchen equipment, linen, beds, carpeting, and electronics. By doing this, the auxiliary has also improved the image of the center. Over the years, Auxiliary II has been committed to similar tasks and to generating community awareness of the Center.
The Eliza Bryant Center Auxiliary II Photographs, ca. 1950-1989 and undated, consist of group portraits of Auxiliary members, Center residents, and program participants; and views of the Eliza Bryant Center and the programs, fundraisers, and other activities sponsored by its auxiliary. Included in the collection are photographs of Councilwoman Fanny Lewis, Congressman Louis Stokes, and Governor Richard Celeste. Events depicted include the annual Christmas Mart, a fashion show, social affairs, and fundraisers. The collection includes approximately 225 black and white and color photographs of varying sizes.
This collection will be useful to researchers studying the history of the African American community in Cleveland, Ohio, women's history, the history of volunteerism, and the operation of a social service center and the delivery of social services to the elderly.
The collection is arranged by subject and then chronologically.
The researcher should also consult MS 4637 Eliza Bryant Center Auxiliary II Records; and MS 3532 Eliza Bryant Home for the Aged Records.
Processed by Nicole Harris in 1995.
None.
[Container ___, Folder ___ ] PG 473 Eliza Bryant Center Auxiliary II Photographs, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio
These photographs were removed from MS 4637 Eliza Bryant Center Auxiliary II Records. Gift of Julia Simpson in 1992.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.