Archives Awareness Week celebrates Tampa’s 137th birthday

From July 14th through 20th, Archives Awareness Week celebrates Tampa’s 137th birthday with a packed schedule of programs and events. 

Recognizing the need to document and preserve the development and unique heritage of Tampa and its government, the City of Tampa Archives was founded in 1987,” a city press release says. “Archives Awareness Week was established in 1992 by the City of Tampa Archives Advisory Committee. During this week, local archives come together to present their collections through exhibits and programs that convey the value of archives in the identification, preservation and conservation of historic records.”

Here is the schedule. All events are free unless otherwise noted.

• “Everything Musical” at the Philpitt Store
  Sunday, July 14th • 1:00 p.m.
  Henry B. Plant Museum
  401 West Kennedy Boulevard • Plant Hall, Grand Salon
  
  In 1924, S. Ernest Philpitt proudly proclaimed that Tampa residents could find anything musical – any musical instrument, a player piano, a Victrola, records, or sheet music – at his shop on Lafayette Street. Join Historian in Residence Dr. Charles McGraw Groh for an entertaining look at Philpitt’s impact on Tampa’s music scene in the 1920s. Then join us in the Museum for a live demonstration of several rare self-playing instruments. These mechanical marvels are featured in the current exhibit Imperfect Harmony: Man, Machine, and Music at the Tampa Bay Hotel. Complimentary admission. Water and light refreshments provided.
   
• Aging Gracefully: The Cigar Industry in Tampa from 1953 to 2010
  Monday, July 15th • 11:00 a.m.
  J.C. Newman Company • 2701 North 16th Street
  
  J.C. Newman Cigar Co. operates the historic El Reloj cigar factory building as the last cigar manufacturer in Tampa. Join company historian Holden Rasmussen in J.C. Newman’s The American cigar rolling room as he charts the changes to America’s cigar industry since 1953, and the ways those changes affected Tampa. Historic cigar boxes, archival materials, and cigar factory photographs will be on display before the presentation.
   
• Happy Birthday, Tampa!
  Monday, July 15th • 3:00 p.m.
  City of Tampa • Old City Hall, Council Chambers 315 East Kennedy Boulevard
  
  Celebrate Tampa’s 137th birthday at historic Old City Hall. City Council member Charlie Miranda will share memories from his thirty years in office, and Fred Hearns, Curator of Black History at the Tampa Bay History Center, will present an informative talk, “1924: Commission Rule in the City of Tampa.” Following the program, birthday cake will be served, and guests will receive a commemorative booklet, 100 Years Ago: Tampa in 1924.
   
• Bookbinding for Beginners
  Monday, July 15th • 6:30 p.m.
  Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library
  3910 S. Manhattan Avenue
  
  Attendees will learn the basics of bookbinding and will create a small journal to take home using their new skills! Recommended for adults. Register through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org.
   
• Lynn Ash: The Story of Tampa
  Tuesday, July 16th • 10:00 a.m.
  City Center at Hanna Avenue
  2555 E. Hanna Avenue, Community Room
  
  Learn more about The Story of Tampa painting during this special discussion featuring its creator, local artist Lynn Ash. Guests will receive a complimentary Story of Tampa poster.
   
• Central Ave Live
  Tuesday, July 16th • 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
  Tampa’s Black History Museum • 1213 Central Avenue
  
  An all-star lineup of Tampa musicians will perform songs from artists that were an integral part of Central Avenue’s musical heyday, including Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Billie Holiday, Hank Ballard, Etta James, Tampa Red, Cannonball Adderley and more. Guest speakers will talk about Tampa’s musical history. There will be a children’s activity, Instrument Petting Zoo, presented by Instruments 4 life from 5:00-5:30, and 7:00-7:30.
   
• 1924: Life in Tampa’s Scrub Community
  Wednesday, July 17th • 5:30 p.m.
  Tampa’s Black History Museum • 1213 Central Avenue
  
  Fred Hearns, Curator of Black History for the Tampa Bay History Center, and Ashley Morrow, Program Manager for Tampa’s Black History Museum, will offer an insightful glimpse into the lives of Black residents in one of Tampa’s oldest communities 100 years ago. This program is free, refreshments will be available, and registration is not required.
   
• Objects from the Archives from 1924
  Thursday, July 18th • 11:00 a.m.
  Tampa Bay History Center • 801 Water Street
  
  Rodney Kite-Powell, Director of the Touchton Map Library, and Heather Culligan, Curator of Collections, will use maps and artifacts from the Tampa Bay History Center’s collection that offer a glimpse into Tampa life in 1924. The program is free but limited to 20 guests. Register: tampabayhistorycenter.org
   
• Tony Pizzo’s Tampa: Screening and Discussion
  Thursday, July 18th • 4:00 p.m.
  Tampa Theatre
  711 N. Franklin Street • John T. Taylor Screening Room
  
  The University of South Florida Libraries welcomes you to this free event. Join Curator Andy Huse for a look back at Tony Pizzo’s Tampa, a TV show produced by WUSF in 1979 to explore Tampa’s rich history. We will view clips from the show and discuss its merits as the show turns 45 years old in 2024. The program is free but limited to 43 guests. Register: tampatheatre.org
   
• Genealogy: Your Photos - Dating, Storing, and Improving
  Thursday, July 18th • 6:00 p.m.
  Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library Virtual, with John Beaumont
  
  Explores the art and science of preserving, dating, and restoring family photographs, ranging from early daguerreotypes to digital images. This session covers identification techniques, archival challenges, and modern tools for enhancing and safeguarding these precious historical records. Register through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org
   
• Memorial Park Cemetery Historical Marker Dedication
  Friday, July 19th • 10:30 a.m.
  C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. Public Library
  2607 E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
  
  Join members of the Hillsborough County Historical Advisory Council and community leaders to unveil a new historical marker recognizing Memorial Park Cemetery.
   
• Remembering the News at the C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. Public Library
  Friday, July 19th • noon - 2:00 p.m.
  C. Blythe Andrews, Jr. Public Library
  2607 E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
  
  Tour our Florida Sentinel Bulletin Collection and learn about this publication’s history and its impact on Tampa’s African American community. View periodicals, microfilm, and more.
   
• Decade of Change
  Friday, July 19th • 1:00 p.m.
  Tampa Bay History Center • 801 Water Street
  
  Join this lively tour of the History Center’s Wayne Thomas Gallery with docent Jim Dinsmore. The program is free but limited to 20 guests. Register: tampabayhistorycenter.org
   
• 110 Years of Knowledge: A Look Back at the Library History Collection
  Saturday, July 20th • 10:30 a.m.
  John F. Germany Library • 900 North Ashley Drive
  
  Attendees will get a look at the library history collection detailing the first libraries, how and why they were started and how the system has evolved over the years. Register through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org.

There are also several special exhibits at local museums. Admission fees apply. The exhibits include:

• 110 Years of Knowledge: A Look Back at the Library History Collection
  Saturday, July 20th • 10:30 a.m. John F. Germany Library • 900 North Ashley Drive
• Centuries of History: Tampa in 1924 and Fort Brooke in 1824. City of Tampa • Old City Hall Mascotte Room 315 East Kennedy Boulevard
• Decade of Change: the 1920s. Tampa Bay History Center • 801 Water Street
• Imperfect Harmony: Man, Machine, and Music at the Tampa Bay HotelHenry B. Plant Museum • 401 West Kennedy Boulevard
• Photo Ybor (begins July 18). Florida Museum of Photographic Arts 1630 East 7th Avenue
• Remembering Central Avenue. Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library 1505 N. Nebraska Avenue

For more information on the week's programming and exhibits, go to tampa.gov/aaw.