Tennessee State Museum

Welcome to the Tennessee State Museum’s Online Collections portal. This represents only a small sampling of the Museum’s collection. More artifacts will be added on an ongoing basis. If you have any questions or don't find what you are looking for, please email us at collections@tnmuseum.org.

Disclaimer: The Tennessee State Museum, serving the State through access to our collection, makes images and information on our artifacts available to the public. These images are available for personal, educational and noncommercial use only. Some materials and works of art are protected by copyright and may be subject to additional third party rights. As a courtesy, when using an image, please credit The Tennessee State Museum and cite the author or artist where available.

For questions concerning the use of images or to request a high resolution image for use or publication, please see our Museum and Copyright Policies or email photographs@tnmuseum.org.

Preserving African American History and Material Culture

The term “material culture” refers to the broad range of objects that surround and support our daily lives. Material culture can include household items, photos and documents we keep, tools we utilize, art we create, or what we use to entertain ourselves in our free time. Although the items we encounter every day may seem mundane, they help provide current and future generations with useful context about the day-to-day lives of past people. Through collecting and analyzing the material culture of past generations, we can begin to understand individuals and their responses to their own communities and to the world at large.

Item Selection	Available Actions	Object IDsort by Object ID ascending	Image	Synopsis
		1.447.1		soap dish \| African American \| Black History \| United States Colored Troops (USCT) \| Battle of Johnsonville \| Civil War \| Humphreys County
		2.633B		Corn Shuck and Oak Broom \| broom \| Broadus, Lindy \| Slavery \| Hickman County \| African American \| Black History
		2.955J		Grater \| Watson, William \| Davidson County \| Slavery \| African American \| Black History
		2.955K		Toy Fluted Pie Pans \| play kitchen \| Watson, William \| Slavery \| Cookware \| Black History \| African American \| Children
		73.1		child's chair \| Rutherford County \| Black Craftspeople \| Slavery \| Black History \| Furniture
		76.197B		William McKamey \| tintype \| Dean & Emerson, Worchester, Mass. \| Civil War \| McKamey, William \| McKamey Collection \| African American \| Black History \| United States Colored Troops (USCT) \| Knox County \| Knoxville, TN
		76.198B		"The American Farm Book" \| book \| Allen, R. L. \| McKamey, Isabella \| East Tennessee \| Black History \| McKamey Family \| McKamey Collection \| McKamey, Willis \| Farming \| Emancipation \| Slavery
		76.199.3		clothing stud \| Knoxville, TN \| Knox County \| McKamey, Charles \| McKamey Family \| McKamey Collection
		76.200.16		note \| Civil War \| United States Army \| Sutphen, Charles T. \| Henshaw's Independent Battery, Illinois Light Artillery \| McKamey Collection \| McKamey, Willis \| Knox County
		76.200.57		insurance policy \| Home Insurance Company \| McKamey Family \| McKamey, Willis \| McKamey Collection \| African American \| Black History \| Knox County \| Tornado \| Insurance
		76.200.163		receipt \| McKamey, Charles \| McKamey Collection \| McKamey Family \| Black History \| African American \| Knoxville, TN \| Knox County
		76.200.167		Bankbook \| Union Bank of Knoxville \| McKamey, William \| McKamey Collection \| McKamey Family \| African American \| bank \| Black History \| Knoxville, TN \| Knox County \| McKamey, Sarah
		76.201.1		McKamey Family Members \| photographic print \| Black History \| African American \| McKamey Family \| McKamey Collection \| Knoxville, TN \| Knox County
		84.3		"A View of Decherd, Tennessee" \| drawing \| Huebner, H. R. \| Civil War \| Franklin County \| Decherd, TN \| Buell, Don Carlos \| Black History \| African American
		88.109.89.2		C. H. Hardwick & Sons Funeral Fan \| hand fan \| Francis & Lusky Manufacturing \| funeral home \| C.H. Hardwick & Sons \| Chattanooga, TN \| Cleveland, TN \| Bradley County \| Hamilton County \| African American \| Black History
		94.144.28		hand fan \| Harper, Thelma \| Black History \| African American \| Tennessee General Assembly \| Tennessee Senate \| Tennessee State Government \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| Politics \| Democratic Party
		95.42A		W. T. Grant Lunch Counter Chair \| soda fountain chair \| counter stool \| Civil Rights Movement \| W. T. Grant \| Nashville, TN \| Davidson County \| African American \| Black History \| Sit-Ins \| Discrimination
		2001.133.2		Soldier with Rifle and Flag \| picture postcard \| World War I \| American Expeditionary Force (AEF) \| African American \| Black History
		2001.133.3		picture postcard \| African American \| Black History
		2001.133.4		picture postcard \| African American \| Black History \| family