- Program
- Attend
- Resources
- Expo
Courtney Chartier and Traci Drummond, co-chairs of the Host Committee for ARCHIVES*RECORDS 2016, asked their committee members to name the one thing they insist visitors to Atlanta do, their favorite local dish or restaurant, and their best archives-related experience since they began working in the city. Their answers do not disappoint.
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University
Must Do: Walk the Beltline! I live right next to the East Side Trail and it's the perfect way to get to Piedmont Park and explore the neighborhoods it connects, like Midtown, Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park, and Sweet Auburn.
Favorite Grub: The Comfy Chicken Biscuit at Home Grown.
Best Archives Experience: Meeting regularly with other archivists as part of the Atlanta Area Digital Archivists group.
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University
Must Do: Confession: I am a music snob so I’m not only picky about my music, but also music venues. I would insist that you try to catch a live show at The Tabernacle, Center Stage, or Terminal West. My favorite venue is Moods Music, a small record store in Little Five Points.
Favorite Grub: The Chocolate Sea Salt Popsicle at King of Pops.
Best Archives Experience: I am tempted to say it was meeting my favorite writer and Emory donor, Alice Walker, but that’s too easy. In 2015, fellow archivists representing different archives in Atlanta re-formed a group focused on issues and concerns around African American collections. Several of these archivists and I presented on a panel about new research opportunities in Atlanta at the Association for the Study of African American Life and History conference last September.
The Coca-Cola Company Archives
Must Do: I always recommend visitors go to an Atlanta Braves baseball game. Especially since the Braves will soon move from downtown, now is the perfect time to take in a game and enjoy a hot dog and nice cold Coca-Cola!
Favorite Grub: A chili dog at The Varsity.
Best Archives Experience: Recently, our archives worked with The Atlanta History Center on the Atlanta in 50 Objects exhibit. It was a collaborative project, not only with our archives, but multiple repositories in Atlanta. This fabulous exhibit showcases the spirit of teamwork between archivists in the Atlanta area and highlights some wonderful objects from Atlanta.
Kennesaw State University Archives
Must Do: Go to Centennial Park. The park is lovely in itself, but more importantly, being in Centennial Park means you are within walking distance from the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coke, The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, the Ferris wheel, the College Football Hall of Fame, the CNN Center, Philips Arena, and countless other event spaces, hotels, and restaurants. If you want to do Atlanta, start in Centennial Park.
Favorite Grub: For food, I love Café Sunflower, which is a delicious vegetarian restaurant. I really like the Mu Shu Vegetables dish. For coffee or tea, I enjoy Café Intermezzo’s peach tea.
Best Archives Experience: Viewing the papers of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and then landing an internship at the Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center—the repository that cares for these records—a year later. It was surreal.
Kennesaw State University Archives
Must Do: Go to the Variety to see a show.
Favorite Grub: 5 Seasons Brewing—they have three locations, one not far from downtown.
Best Archives Experience: Conducting an oral history interview with Jon C. Greaves, one of our donors and a founder of the Cobb Citizens Coalition, who fought against the 1993 Cobb County Commission's resolution to condemn homosexuality.
Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center
Must Do: Visit the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site, including a museum, the Ebenezer Baptist Church, and his birthplace home. It is a moving experience about an Atlanta native and one of the greatest leaders in the world.
Favorite Grub: A fried chicken plate with macaroni and cheese and collard greens at Busy Bee Café in Historic Westside. If you’re looking for a great margarita, though, you can’t beat Agave!
Best Archives Experience: I love the fact that there are so many archival repositories throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area. In addition, many of the historical centers, cemeteries, and museums utilize historical documents in displays. History is found all around the city!
Cable News Network (CNN) Library
Must Do: Take advantage of one of the city, state, and national parks to go exploring in! The Atlanta Beltline is an awesome way to get outdoors while still having the city right there at your fingertips. Outside of the city, Panola Mountain State Park and Sweetwater Creek State Park give you a taste of the beauty that is to be found in Georgia. Or celebrate the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary at Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.
Favorite Grub: I love food truck food, so the Atlanta Food Truck Park is my idea of food heaven!
Best Archives Experience: My best archives experience was working with all of the wonderful people at the National Archives at Atlanta in Morrow, Georgia, for five years. Reference requests sometimes led to exciting discoveries such as finding switchblades, starting pistols, and torn dresses filed alongside records!
Archives Consultant
Must Do: If I am in Atlanta with out-of-town company, I take them to the Sun Dial Restaurant and Lounge, 72 floors above the Westin Peachtree. My preference is to go for dinner or drinks on a nice clear evening, though lunch is fun, too. The lounge rotates at the top. You can see so many landmarks and get a feel for the rolling hills and greenery of Georgia.
Favorite Grub: There are too many great restaurants to choose a favorite Atlanta dish, but I am always partial to a burger, onion rings, and a Frozen Orange from The Varsity. You know you are in Atlanta when you are at The Varsity!
Best Archives Experience: My best experience has to be the satisfaction in fighting to keep the Georgia Archives open when it was threatened with being closed except by appointment. Today, the archives is open and going strong.
Lewis H. Beck Archives, The Westminster Schools
Must Do: Zoo Atlanta is a great option for those staying in the host hotel, as they have partnered with the Atlanta Checker Cab Company for free rides to and from the Hilton. The variety of animals, natural habitats, and educational talks available at the zoo makes for a day well spent!
Favorite Grub: Eating fried green tomatoes at Mary Mac's Tea Room.
Best Archives Experience: Visiting the National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a very powerful and moving experience, not only for the stories that are told but also the ways in which they are told. Be sure to sit at the lunch counter simulator in the Rolls Down Like Water exhibit. You won't forget it.
Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library, Emory University
Must Do: I always take visitors to Oakland Cemetery. It's a gorgeous space with beautiful views of the Atlanta skyline. You can explore on your own or take a guided tour. Then afterwards, hop across the street for a bourbon and lemonade at Six Feet Under.
Favorite Grub: The macaroni and cheese at Revival (in Decatur) is insanely good—the best in the metro area.
Best Archives Experience: Because of my work on the records of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, I've gotten to meet and/or work with a number of icons of the civil rights movement including Dorothy Cotton, C.T. Vivian, Bernard Lafayette, John Lewis, Julian Bond, and Joseph Lowery. I'm always a little awed.
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Must Do: I love taking visitors to the Atlanta History Center. It gives a great overview of the history of the city and of the South. The Atlanta History Center also has beautiful grounds to walk through, weather cooperating. It’s one of my favorite museums in the city.
Favorite Grub: If it’s a visitor’s first time to Atlanta, I usually pick Mary Mac’s as the place to take them. The sweet tea, country fried chicken, okra, green beans, and banana pudding make up my favorite meal!
Best Archives Experience: Margaret Mitchell’s nephew passed away several months before I started, leaving the Archdiocese his entire estate. Utilizing estate inventories and photographs from GSU and UGA, we identified and acquired furniture, silver, books, and artwork belonging to Margaret Mitchell for the Archives. It’s one of our most fascinating (and unlikely!) collections.
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library
Must Do: I always take visitors to see the aquarium, the College Football Hall of Fame, the World of Coca-Cola, and the MLK Museum and birth home. Many of these destinations are within walking distance from each other.
Favorite Grub: BBQ at Fox Bros.
Best Archives Experience: Being a member of the Society of Georgia Archivists has a number of perks, one of which is having the opportunity to visit many interesting archives in Georgia, such as the Delta Archives and Museum, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Musuem, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Georgia Archives
Must Do: The Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern. They have shows Thursdays through Sundays which change every month. A few times a year they even have non-Shakespeare titles. They have a good dinner menu and you get your Shakespeare going on too. I love that place. http://www.shakespearetavern.com/ I also recommend the High Museum, see my picture taken from the courtyard.
Favorite Grub: Anything, anything at all from Thai Chili at Briarcliff and LaVista roads. http://www.thaichilicuisine.com/
Best Archives Experience: Probably seeing the item that got me into archives for good, the jail Docket from the DeKalb History Center, showing Martin Luther King Jr. being arrested. I volunteered there, and eventually worked there as well.
For more information on ARCHIVES*RECORDS 2016, check out the Host Committee blog at https://saa2016ATL.wordpress.com/.
Courtney Chartier (Co-Chair)
Emory University
Traci Drummond (Co-Chair)
Georgia State University
Matt Benard
John Bence
Emory University
Gabrielle Dudley
Emory University
Justine Fletcher
The Coca-Cola Company
JoyEllen Freeman
Clayton State University
Anne Graham
Kennesaw State University Archives & Records Management
Andrea Jackson
Atlanta University Center
Elizabeth Keathley
Atlanta Metadata Authority
Cathy Miller
National Archives at Atlanta
Kaye Minchew
Troup County Historical Society and Archives
Pamela Nye
The Westminster Schools
Sarah Quigley
Emory University
Angelique Richardson
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
Elizabeth Russey Roke
Emory University
Ryan Rutkowski
Jimmy Carter Presidential Library
Jennifer Sirotkin
Clayton State University
Jill Sweetapple
Georgia Archives
 |
   |
  |
