The Main Library's Civil Rights Room remains closed until further notice due to ongoing renovation.
About the Collection
The Nashville Banner was a daily run newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee. It served as an afternoon update in local and global news, running in publication from April 10, 1876 to February 20, 1998. Nashville Banner owners Irby Simpkins and Brownlee Currey donated this collection to the Nashville Public Library once publication concluded in 1998. Many components of the newspaper are available for research use including clipping files, photographs, and microfilm. The clipping files include articles from both the Nashville Banner and the Tennessean, the daily morning newspaper of Tennessee, with the bulk dating from the 1950s to the early 1990s. These clippings are categorized by biographical and subject filing. The Banner Photograph Collection includes a wide range of wire photographs, printed photographs, and accompanying materials to certain photographs that are available for research purposes. These photographs cover 1934-1998, with the bulk covering 1955 to 1998. The library also houses microfilm copies of the Banner covering almost the entire run of the newspaper. It is with this expansive newspaper collection that the public is able to more readily experience what life was like in Nashville during the 20th century.
Access/Restrictions
In library use only. Access is available in the Special Collections Division during regular library hours. Some materials may be protected by copyright (Title 17 US Code). Some materials may be restricted. Please inquire with Special Collections Division staff for more information about specific items.