ADAH Bronze Doors - Montgomery, AL - Doorways of the World on Waymarking.com

The central part of the ADAH building was completed in 1940. Wings were added over the years. The bronze doors with their distinctive panels designed by Nathan H. Glick were originally located on the Washington Avenue side. The coordinates above are for the Adams Avenue side of the building since free parking is available across the street. The Washington Avenue entrance is across the street from the Alabama Capitol Building. There is no charge to enter the building and view the many public displays in the museum galleries. The museum hours are 8:30am - 4:30pm on Monday - Saturday. The web page is www.archives.alabama.gov.

There are two doors, each with four panels depicting scenes from Alabama history. The following is a description of the placing of the doors and the panels from a brochure I obtained at the information desk.

"Nathan H. Glick, a native of Birmingham, went from high school in Montgomery, Alabama, to four years of art school in New York City where he studied with outstanding teachers such as Eric Pape and George Ennis. At the same time he worked under James L. Clarke at the American Museum of Natural History, studying animal anatomy.

Later he returned to Montgomery as art director of Paragon Press. During this time he illustrated several books on Alabama history written by Marie Bankhead Owen, director.of the Alabama Department of Archives and History. When Mrs. Owen conceived the idea of bronze doors for the Archives building, Glick was chosen as the designer for the monumental work depicting eight scenes from Alabama history. In 1940, the bronze panel doors were placed at the Washington Avenue entrance to the building, serving as "pocket doors." When the metal track they ran on became too worn to allow the nightly closing of the doors, they were moved temporarily inside the auditorium, permitting visitors to continue to enjoy Glick's artwork. The doors will be placed in a permanent location in the proposed West Wing.

Milestones in Alabama's history as depicted in the panels of the bronze doors in the Milo B. Howard, Jr., Auditorium at the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

A. MEETING OF DESOTO AND CHIEF TUSCALOOSA
Seeking treasure in the New World, the Spaniard Hernando DeSoto came into what is now Alabama from the northeast in 1540. Traveling southward, temporarily taking local Native American leaders as hostages to ensure safe passage, DeSoto and a force of some 600 reached the town of Maubila (or Mauvilla) in southwest Alabama in October of 1540. Here, the leader of the conquistadores met Tuscaloosa, an imposing Native American leader described by contemporaries as being seven feet in height. Following an exchange of gifts, a dispute arose. Although the Spaniards suffered casualties by the score, their superior weaponry, combined with their setting fire to the great village, killed thousands of Chief Tuscaloosa's people.

B. ARRIVAL OF THE BRIDE SHIP, PELICAN, IN MOBILE
In 1702, France established a permanent port at Dauphin Island and a settlement called Fort Louis on the Mobile River. To encourage settlers to become permanent residents and provide the basis for the more rapid growth of population, colonial administrators recruited women of marriageable age from Paris convents and orphanages and transported them to the raw settlements. The Pelican arrived at Dauphin Island with the first shipment of 22 prospective brides in July of 1704. Traveling up river to Fort Louis (already known locally as "Mobile"), they were welcomed by the French commandant, Bienville.

C. BRITISH TAKE MOBILE
The Treaty of Paris in 1763 ended the French and Indian War and forced France to relinquish to Great Britian all her lands extending westward to the Mississippi River. In Mobile on October 20, 1763, the conquered French lowered the fleur-de-lis pennant while a regiment of Scottish Highlander troops played bagpipes at the surrender ceremony at Fort Conde.

D. STARS AND STRIPES RAISED IN MOBILE
The Spanish captured Mobile during the American Revolution and retained it by the terms of the war- ending Treaty of Paris in 1783. Before and during the War of 1812, the Spaniards in Mobile allowed British merchants to sell arms and supplies to the Indians to harass Americans who had begun to' settle parts of present-day Alabama. During the course of the war, General James Wilkinson took a force of American troops from New Orleans to capture Mobile. The Spanish capitulated in April of 1813 and the Stars and Stripes of the United States was raised for the first time over the entire area of what became Alabama.

E. ALABAMA TERRITORY SETTLED
With all of Alabama under the jurisdiction of the United States following the War of 1812, hardy pioneers began to flood into the area, taming the land with axe and plow. In 1817, the Territory of Alabama was created and, just two years later, the State of Alabama was born.

F. FIRST RAILROAD IN ALABAMA
The General Assembly of Alabama in 1830 chartered the first railroad in the state. Constructed over a two year period, the Tuscumbia Railroad connected the town of Tuscumbia to a point on the Tennessee River (the site of present-day Sheffield), a distance of less than two miles.

G. FIRST CAPITAL OF THE CONFEDERACY
Alabama was a leader in the movement of Southern states to secede from the Union. A state convention voted on January II, 1861, to dissolve the compact of states and Montgomery became the first capital of the Confederate States of America. On February 9, 1861, Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was sworn in as President of the new nation, taking the oath of office on the Capitol steps in Montgomery.

H. WORLD WAR I HEROES RETURN
Alabama furnished 93,000 men to the Allied cause in World War I-over 2,400 died in service. Among the forces were the men of the 167th Infantry who had distinguished themselves in action on the fields of France and as part of the army of occupation in Germany after the armistice. Upon the unit's return to the United States in May of 1919, the city of Montgomery hosted a welcoming celebration which symbolized the state's gratitude to all Alabamians who fought in the war."

Type of material of the door: Other Functional door?: No Location of this door/way: On public property Is it accessable only by paid admission": No Style: Other Address or physical location: 624 Washington Avenue Montgomery, AL 36130

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Date Logged Log User Rating   08/28/2013 the federation visited it