MDAH collects and preserves objects of all types that help us tell the great story of Mississippi. Our holdings include archival records, historic objects, and archaeological artifacts that span 15,000 years of Mississippi history.
Make a Donation
Think you might have an item of historical significance to donate? Check the list of categories that we are currently collecting. Contact MDAH Collections staff to learn more about donating.
- List of Categories
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MDAH collects and preserves original objects and archival materials of all types that help us tell the great story of Mississippi. We are always interested in hearing from you about any potential donations.
The following categories represent areas the department is actively collecting:
Territorial Period
Early Statehood
Civil War and Reconstruction
Military History 1945-Present
African American History
Civil Rights Era
Immigration
LGBTQ+ History
Mississippi Industry
Natural Disasters
Woman’s Suffrage
Archives Collections
Search our Catalog, the ultimate assemblage of Mississippi-related primary resources including government records, historic papers, documents, photographs, maps, and audiovisual media. Some of these materials are also available online in the Digital Archives. To learn more about visiting the state archives, visit our Research page.
Search the Digital Archives Search the Catalog Donate
Collection Highlights
Eudora Welty Collection
The collections consists of manuscripts of Welty's works, incoming and outgoing correspondence, negatives and photographs, and memorabilia. Copyright ©Eudora Welty, LLC; Courtesy Eudora Welty Collection–MDAH
Medgar Wiley and Myrlie Beasley Evers Papers
This collection includes Evers and Beasley family papers, including papers of Medgar Evers as Mississippi field secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and records relating to the case of the State of Mississippi v. Byron de la Beckwith.
William H. Turcotte Diary
William Turcotte of Jackson was a member of the United States Air Force in World War II, when he was captured in Germany and kept in Stalag - Luft III, a prisoner-of-war camp. This diary was kept by Turcotte while he was a P.O.W. from October 1943 to April 1945.
Archaeology Collection
The archaeology collection consists of prehistoric and historic artifacts recovered through systematic survey, excavation, and independent collecting. The collection is available by appointment for research and loan.
Historic Objects Collection
The Historic Objects Collection contains more than 20,000 historic items. These are three dimensional objects that tell the story of Mississippi. Historic objects are housed in our state of the art storage facility located in the Two Mississippi Museums and are available for research upon request.
What's New
2023.1.1 – Gathering basket
This gathering basket came from the Failing family farm in Indianola where their home, Huckabee Hill, was built in the 1870s. The farm and this basket have passed through three generations. Baskets like these were commonly used for picking and gathering cotton during harvest season in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
2022.15.1 – COVID-19 Testing directional sign
This 36" x 48" sign directed visitors toward the COVID-19 testing site at the West Street Farmer’s Market in Jackson. The Mississippi State Department of Health and the University of Mississippi Medical Center set up numerous free drive-through testing sites across the state by mid-2020. The Mississippi Department of Transportation produced this directional sign during a peak period of social distancing in the state.
2022.27.1 – Painted serving tray
This cafeteria-style serving tray was decorated and painted by a German prisoner of war held at Camp McCain near Grenada during World War II. Camp McCain was one of four major POW base camps established in Mississippi to retain captured Axis troops mainly from the North African theater. Other Mississippi-based POW camps included Camp Clinton, Camp Como, and Camp Shelby.
Historic objects are housed in our storage facility located in the Two Mississippi Museums and are available for research upon request. MDAH also accepts donations of historic objects.