THOMASVILLE- The new collecting year began with a monumental accession at the Thomasville History Center. The History Center is now the repository for more than 180 bound volumes of Times-Enterprise newspapers from 2005 through 2020, tens-of-thousands of film negatives from the early 1990s and beyond, more than 10,000 printed photographs from 1975-2000, and more than 2,000 CD-RWs with tens-of-thousands of digital pictures from 2005-2020. This collection joins the Ed Kelly Collection as a cornerstone in the documentation of the history, people, and stories of Thomas County.

The Ed Kelly Collection was donated to the History Center in 2009 by former Times-Enterprise co-owner Lee Edward “Ed” Kelly Jr. It includes more than 10,000 printed photographs from 1955-1977, and an estimated 300,000 negative frames from the same time period. More than 110,000 negative frames have been digitized thus far, providing an invaluable documentation of Thomasville and Thomas County history in the mid-late 20th century.

The Thomasville History Center is the gateway for the stories of the Red Hills and fosters an atmosphere that enhances a vibrant and innovative community. This additional Times-Enterprise collection will aid the History Center in its mission to connect the Red Hills’ past with its present to inspire and enrich current and future generations. The photographs, bound newspapers, and ephemera extends the reference material available to researchers and History Center staff far deeper into the present day than ever before and enables future exhibitions and storytelling.

“This donation from the Times-Enterprise greatly expands our ability to interpret regional history over the last 40 years; it also expands our resources to be able to assist individuals, businesses, and organizations seeking photographs of people, places, and things from the last 40 years, concluded Executive Director Anne McCudden.