Russell Library Gallery Guide: Overview Information
Introduction:
Welcome to the Richard B. Russell Library Gallery! The Richard B. Russell Library for
Political Research and Studies serves as a center for research and study of the modern
American political system.
Established in 1974 through the efforts of the Richard B. Russell Foundation, Inc., the
Georgia General Assembly, and the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, the
Library’s original mission was to collect and preserve materials that document the life
and career of the late Richard B. Russell, United States Senator from Georgia from 1933
to 1971. The chair you see on display here in the lobby belonged to Herman Talmadge,
another long serving Senator from Georgia who played a key role in establishing this
library and the Russell Foundation.
Today the Russell Library is home to more than 300 collections representing politicians,
political parties, public policy organizations, federal and state appointees, and political
observers and activists.
With particular emphasis on the role of Georgia and the U. S. Congress, current
collection development and programming focus on the dynamic relationship of
politics, policy, and culture—generated wherever public interest intersects with
government. The breadth and depth of the Russell Library’s collections provide an
interconnected framework of perspectives and experiences for understanding the
increasingly diverse people, events, and ideas shaping Georgia’s political landscape.
The Russell Library Gallery
The Gallery is divided into six primary exhibit spaces. I’ll give you time to watch our
introductory film, narrated by the Russell Library’s Director Sheryl Vogt, and then lead
you on a walkthrough of all the spaces. Afterward please feel free to explore on your
own.
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The Lobby Gallery
The Floor Medallion: The Stump
Today the politician no longer speaks from the tree stump of rural America, the wagon
bed, or the hotel window. The stump is instead a radio broadcast, a cable news show,
a website, or social media tool. Technology has changed the style and speed of
delivery, but the sentiment remains the same. Modern politicians still mount their
platforms and attempt to stir their audience with a compelling message.
The Russell Library values the enduring tradition of the stump. This icon of American
representative democracy graces the floor of the lobby space as a reminder of the
dynamic relationship between politics, policy and culture – generated wherever public
interest intersects with government. Using this framework of perspectives and
experiences, the Russell Library encourages visitors to explore the increasingly diverse
people, events, and ideas shaping Georgia’s political landscape.
The Wall of Faces:
The Wall of Faces offers a glimpse at some of the many people represented in the more
than 300 collections that live in the Russell Library. You might notice some familiar faces
– Richard Russell, Herman Talmadge, Michael Thurmond, or Zell Miller. But, you’ll also see
some lesser known figures in Georgia’s political history – Melba Williams, Maxine
Goldstein, Lamartine Hardman, or Hugh Peterson. Grassroots organizers, elected
officials, and ordinary citizens – they all have a place in the Russell Library.
The screen embedded in the wall is our way of making sure that we get to continue
including new faces that become part of the collections. Our archive is always growing
and we want to make sure there is a place in the gallery for new additions. And as we
like to say, Republican or Democrat, everyone gets along on the shelves in the
archives!
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The History Lives Showcase Gallery:
This gallery features some of the most significant and treasured materials in the Russell
Library’s collection, highlighting six key collecting areas: The Politics of Politics, Politics of
Social Relations, Politics of the Public Good, Politics of the Environment, Politics of the
Economy, and Politics of Peace and War. The content in these cases will rotate twice a
year, and offers visitors a sample of the kinds of documents and objects found in the
collections.
Three walls are decorated with large format versions of political cartoons selected from
the Clifford H. Baldowski and Gene Basset Editorial Cartoon Collections. The six
selections also tie into our six key collecting themes.
Finally, perhaps the most striking element of the central gallery is not-yet-completed
mural by artist Art Rosenbaum, “Doors”. The mural represents the story of modern
Georgia politics from 1900 to the present (moving from left to right), and depicts many
of the major figures and events that shaped the state during this period.
The final section (on the far right) of the mural shows staff members from the Russell
Library engaged in their day-to-day operations in the archives: processing collections,
filming oral histories, teaching students, and more. All this is done to collect, preserve,
and provide access to our materials.
The Harrison Feature Gallery offers rotating exhibits that focus on specific themes or
historical moments from one of the Russell Library's collecting areas. The inaugural
exhibit, On the Stump: What Does it Take to Get Elected in Georgia? considers the
evolution of campaigning for political office in the state from the introduction of the
white primary in 1900 to the presidential election of 2008. The exhibition invites visitors to
step into the shoes of a candidate and onto the campaign trail: from the initial decision
to run to crafting a strategy, shaking hands, kissing babies, and everything in between.
It asks: How have politicians and the public that elects them changed over time?
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The Willson Media and Oral History Gallery offers graphic panels and interactive kiosks
with access to oral history interviews and historical film, video and sound recordings
conducted and collected by the Russell Library’s Media and Oral History Program.
SOON, The gallery WILL also feature interactive tools and directions for visitors to plan
and customize their own oral history projects.
This space also houses our in-house oral history studio. From now on oral histories done
by our staff, will take place here in the galleries – right now we’re working on putting the
finishing touches on the room!
The Office of Senator Richard B. Russell, Jr., supported by Charles and Ann Campbell,
provides a representation of the United States Senator’s Washington office that includes
much of his original furniture, photographs, books, and memorabilia. The space
conveys both a personal sense of the man who served Georgia for thirty-eight years as
well as a clear sense of the wide ranging activities, concerns, and responsibilities of a
busy congressional office.
You can see images of Russell with constituents, colleagues, and family members, as
well as plaques noting his various accomplishments. The bookcases are topped with
model airplanes, many of which the Senator received while serving as Chair of the
Senate Armed Services Committee. Many of the items on his desk provide a glimpse
into his personal life and hobbies – a framed photograph of his father, Judge Richard B.
Russell, Sr., an autographed baseball, and a small transistor radio (disguised as a
telephone!) for listening to baseball games.
One thing that is missing from this office: clutter! In his real Senate Office, the large table
in the center of the room would have been covered in books and papers, used in
researching and writing legislation and keeping up with all the comings and goings on
of the U.S. Senate.
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