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? Learn more about donating to our collection here.
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.
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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
2025.61.1 – Demitasse cup recovered from Windsor Ruins
This Demitasse cup was the only Daniell family china that was found intact at Windsor Ruins after the 1890 fire. Designed by David Shroder and constructed mainly by enslaved labor for the Smith Coffee Daniell family, Windsor Mansion was the largest Greek Revival house ever built in Mississippi. On February 17, 1890, a fire swept through, leaving only twenty-three brick columns with metal capitals and the cast iron staircases standing.
2025.74.1 – Feather mantle made by Cherokee Nation artist Lisa Rutherford
Cherokee Nation artist Lisa Rutherford created this mantle with a hand-tied net base and goose feathers. It is a replica of historic feather mantle. Rutherford’s work, including pottery, jewelry, oil paintings, traditional feather capes and mantles, etc., is featured in museums across the country. She was named a Cherokee National Treasure in 2018.
2025.81.1 – Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded Posthumously to Fannie Lou Hamer
This Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded to Fannie Lou Hamer posthumously by President Joe Biden in January 2025. The President’s remarks at the ceremony: "Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer transformed the struggle for racial justice in America. As a founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, she challenged the exclusion of Black voices in the political system and laid the groundwork for the 1965 Voting Rights Act."
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.