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’s materials are open to all and available for research. Archival appointments are available by appointment only. To schedule a visit, please reach out via the below channels.
(847) 864-7476 (Saturdays, 9am – 2pm)
Laurice@ShorefrontLegacy.org
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 1894
Evanston, Illinois 60204
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.
