Gertrude Bell Elion (1918-1999): Graduating from Hunter College in 1937, Elion was excited to begin working in research labs but initially struggled to find a job due to the Great Depression as well as persistent gender discrimination in hiring. While obtaining her master’s degree in chemistry at New York University,… Read More
HAPPY NEW YEAR DURHAM! We hope you have had an enjoyable and safe holiday season and are ready for a fresh start in the upcoming year. While 2020 has been challenging, shining moments have come through in the ways the Museum has stayed connected with our community throughout the shutdown: We… Read More
Faces of Durham features a selection of familiar and lesser-known faces from the Bull City’s past and present. The exhibit highlights a broad range of contributions including industry and commerce, medicine, and human relations while mapping Durham’s development from a railway stop to a booming tobacco town, and to… Read More
Looking for a great gift for a Durham history lover? For a limited time, we’re offering a gift bundle that includes a Durham 150 t-shirt and a exhibit banner weatherproof tote bag for a donation of $50. Check out the different banners used for the tote bags here. Be sure… Read More
The Equal Rights Amendment, ensuring the legal equality of women, was never ratified at the state level in North Carolina. The current ERA- NC Alliance has been an active force in pushing for policy change since the 1980s, but there is still a long way to go toward ensuring equal rights for… Read More
Just in time for the holiday season, we have launched a new social-distance friendly exhibit right outside our front door. With generous support from Durham Merchants Association Charitable Foundation, Faces of Durham features a selection of familiar and lesser known faces from the Bull City’s past and present. The exhibit… Read More
This guest blog was contributed by Jim Wise, Durham Historian and former MoDH board member. It may have been a Durham Morning Herald headline, “City Proposes Dam on Eno,” or words to that effect. It may have been a chemical spill that produced an odiferous fish kill near her riverside… Read More
This guest blog, originally published in 2016, was contributed by Dr. Charles Johnson, Director of Public History and Assistant Professor of History, North Carolina Central University. Judge Carolyn Lucille Denton Johnson was born January 16, 1931 in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was the only child of Earl… Read More
Due to the Museum of Durham History’s closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have transitioned to online programming, including the opening event for our Votes for Suffrage: 100 Years of Women in Durham Politics exhibit. We were pleased to have about 50 attendees sign on for the Friday… Read More
Written by Kay Waller, North Carolina State University, Public History MA Student I have had the privilege of working alongside Jeanette Shaffer and the Museum of Durham History’s events committee in planning programming and community engagement activities for the Votes for Suffrage: 100 Years of Women in Durham Politics digital exhibit. Read More
