Georgia Archives to celebrate 100th anniversary with August dinner

AJC file photo

AJC file photo

The Georgia Archives was founded in 1918 in a small room in the State Capitol. On August 18, its centennial will be celebrated at a special dinner.

The event begins at 4:30 p.m. at the Georgia Archives — now at 5800 Jonesboro Road in Morrow — with a reception, tours and an exhibit on Georgia’s earliest land records. Next, those attending will move across the plaza to the National Archives at Atlanta for the rest of the program, featuring a dinner and special speakers. The celebration is sponsored by the Friends of Georgia Archives and History.

Governor Nathan Deal will speak, as will David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States. Also speaking will be Steve Engerrand, deputy state archivist, about the history of the Georgia Archives; Senator Valencia Seay; and Steve Wrigley, chancellor of the University System of Georgia.

The cost is $60 per person, with a August 8 deadline for purchasing a ticket. To purchase online, go to fogah.org, or purchase by mail, FOGAH, P.O. Box 711, Morrow, Ga., 30260.

Since 2013, the Georgia Archives has been under the Board of Regents, University System of Georgia. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more on the Georgia Archives, see GeorgiaArchives.org.

Atlanta Braves history at Lunch and Learn

The history of the Atlanta Braves — their 145 years, their move to Atlanta and, most recently, to SunTrust Park — is the subject of the August 10 Lunch and Learn Lecture at the Georgia Archives. Carolyn Serra, senior director, Ballpark Tours, Braves Heritage and Hall of Fame, will be the speaker. The event starts at noon and is free, but bring your own lunch. For more information, check GeorgiaArchives.org or call 678-364-3710.

Georgia records saga published in Georgia Historical Quarterly

Kevin Kiernan has written an interesting article, “The Lost Library of Georgia History: Better than DeRenne’s,” that appears in the latest issue of the Georgia Historical Quarterly. He follows the saga of the DeRenne Collection, from a private library in Savannah to being purchased in 1938 by the University of Georgia, now in the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library. He then weaves into the story the 45,000 Georgia manuscripts sold to Duke University in 1951. This fascinating tale makes you wonder how the materials survived their circuitous path to being preserved. The quarterly is at the Georgia Archives or see the Georgia Historical Society at GeorgiaHistory.com.