About the Archive
Shorefront Legacy Center promotes understanding of Black history on Chicago’s suburban North Shore. It is an Evanston-based community archive, library, educational resource, and research center. The archival and library collections capture some of the history of African American activists, artists, leaders, politicians, and others who lived dynamic, rich lives in the North Shore. The material highlights the African American presence, experience, and impact.
Shorefront Legacy Center collects and preserves the history through its living, community archive.
Finding Aids
To get started, explore Shorefront Legacy Center’s collections via these downloadable finding aids.
Visiting the Archive
Shorefront Legacy Center is open to all researchers and the general public. Staff welcome inquiries regarding the archive's collections and information related to Black life in Evanston and Chicago's North Shore. For researchers who need assistance finding relevant materials on a particular research topic or to meet a specific information need, research consultation appointments are available.
To request an appointment, complete and submit the online request form. Please note, holidays, official school closings, and weekend days do not count as business days.
Appointment Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Friday 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
When completing the form, try to be as specific as possible regarding your topic or information need so that the Archivist can better prepare for the appointment.
Your appointment is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation call or email message.
If you need to cancel your appointment prior to the date of the appointment, please contact the Archivist directly by email as soon as possible using the contact information provided to you. If you will be late or need to cancel on the day of your appointment, please contact the Archivist by email at stacy@shorefrontlegacy.org
We look forward to working with you.
(847)864-7476
About the Archive
Shorefront Legacy Center promotes understanding of Black history on Chicago’s suburban North Shore. It is an Evanston-based community archive, library, educational resource, and research center. The archival and library collections capture some of the history of African American activists, artists, leaders, politicians, and others who lived dynamic, rich lives in the North Shore. The material highlights the African American presence, experience, and impact.
Shorefront Legacy Center collects and preserves the history through its living, community archive.
Finding Aids
To get started, explore Shorefront Legacy Center’s collections via these downloadable finding aids.
Visiting the Archive
Shorefront Legacy Center is open to all researchers and the general public. Staff welcome inquiries regarding the archive's collections and information related to Black life in Evanston and Chicago's North Shore. For researchers who need assistance finding relevant materials on a particular research topic or to meet a specific information need, research consultation appointments are available.
To request an appointment, complete and submit the online request form. Requests must be submitted at least seven (7) business days in advance of the date you wish to schedule. Please note, holidays, official school closings, and weekend days do not count as business days.
Appointment Hours:
Monday-Thursday, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Friday 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
When completing the form, try to be as specific as possible regarding your topic or information need so that the Archivist can better prepare for the appointment.
Your appointment is not confirmed until you receive a confirmation call or email message.
If you need to cancel your appointment prior to the date of the appointment, please contact the Archivist directly by email as soon as possible using the contact information provided to you. If you will be late or need to cancel on the day of your appointment, please contact the Archivist by email at stacy@shorefrontlegacy.org
We look forward to working with you.
(847)864-7476
Womens Auxiliary of Community Hospital Collection
West End Block Club Collection
Tina Lifford Finding Collection
Social and Civic Clubs and Organizations Collection
Sigma Pi Phi Delta Alpha Boule Collection
Shorefront Publications Collection
Second Baptist Church Collection
Obituary and Funeral Program Collection
Northwestern University AA Publications Collection
North Shore Illinois Chapter Links Collection
Mary Barr Friends Disappear Collection
Eastern Star Pride of the North Collection
Alpha Phi Alpha Zeta Xi Lambda Chapter Collection
Evanston Chapter NAACP Collection
Evanston Photographic Negative Collection
Randolph R Tomlinson Collection
BMRC Color Curtain Processing Project
In partnership with the Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC)*, and the Color Curtain project, 49 collections have been processed. Downloadable finding aids are available at the BMRC Processing Project site. Direct links of each collection are below.
Community Hospital of Evanston Collections
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Records
Ebenezer A.M.E. Church Records
Emerson Street YMCA Collection
Evanston Community Development Corporation Records
Evanston Connection Newsletters
Evanston Newsette Publications
Evanston Sentinel Publications
Evanston-area Lifestyle Publications Collection
For Members Only Publications Collection
Foster School Reunion Collection
Jack and Jill North Shore Chapter Collection
Lun Ye Crimm Barefield Collection
Mt. Zion Baptist Church Records
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Evanston Branch Records
North Shore Basketball Camp Records
*The BMRC is a grant funded organization surveying the Chicago Metropolitan Area collections of privately and publicly held collections related to the Black experience. In 2010, Shorefront was one of three selected “Second space” entities chosen for close partnership, modeling and training along with the Bronzeville Historical Society and the National Labor Archives. Established entities include The Chicago History Museum, DuSable Museum, Vivian Harsh Archives, Northwestern University, Roosevelt University, IIT, University of Chicago and others.
