During October, the Delaware Public Archives celebrates American Archives Month. This Archives is one of the oldest public archives in the nation; beginning in 1905!   From handwritten notes and documents to the latest digital imagines of many of our holdings and collections, we have over 10.4 million documents and over 800,000 photographs that are yours […]

In the early nineteenth century, Patty Cannon was the alleged leader of a notorious gang in Sussex County that was known for kidnapping possibly hundreds of free African Americans for sale into slavery. Featured on an episode of the PBS series “History Detectives,” and the subject of numerous fictional and non-fiction accounts, Cannon’s life and […]

Are you headed to one of our incredible beaches this Memorial Day weekend? Then why not share your Delaware beach photos with us for our latest online exhibit. Not many people send postcards anymore.  With today’s technology we send pictures from our phones. We’d love to see what was happening at the beach and around Delaware at the official […]

New Exhibit – Houses of Worship: The African American Experience in Delaware   This week the Delaware Public Archives officially opened our new exhibit entitled, “Houses of Worship: The African American Experience in Delaware”. Governor Jack Markell made an appearance and signed a proclamation declaring February, African American History Month. The opening of the exhibit […]

On February 2 at 10:30 a.m., the Delaware Public Archives will, as part of its celebration of African American History month, be hosting a program by Syl Woolford of Newark entitled “The History of Black Methodism in Delaware.” John Wesley, in his vision of the Methodist Episcopal Church, established a denomination in which all human […]

Sometimes our researchers ask if I ever get out of the building.  Well the other day I had an occasion to, just not the kind that I like….. An agency called to say they had some moldy books.  I went to take a look and indeed they were moldy.  It’s amazing what 80 percent humidity […]

2012 marks the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. An exhibit about this war sometimes referred to as the Second Revolutionary War in America, will be put on display at the Delaware Public Archives starting June18th. The exhibit will present some of the Archive’s finest documents relating to the war, along with highlighting a few […]

Today Governor Markell was here at the archives to commemorate Black History Month by reading the official proclamation.  This year was particularly special as Orlando Camp was here to talk about his new book The Milford Eleven.  The Archives unveiled its newest display about African-American education in Delaware.  Included in the exhibit are facsimiles of […]

On Saturday, February 4, 10:30 a.m., the Delaware Public Archives, in one of its planned activities to celebrate Black History Month, is hosting a program entitled “The Tuskegee Airmen.”  During the Second World War, a question was raised and answered conclusively in a noble experiment that later became known as the “Tuskegee Experience.” Our nation’s […]

On Saturday, January 7, 10:30 a.m., Mike DiPaolo, Executive Director of the Lewes Historical Society, will be presenting a program at the Delaware Public Archives entitled “The War of 1812 Comes to Lewes.”  With the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 taking place in 2012, this program will address the 1813 attack on Lewes […]