InfoGuides: AVT 457: Documentary Photography: Explore Community & Local Archives

Archives & Community Collections

Special Collections Research Center (SCRC)
Collects the records of GMU, as well as rare books, archives from regional organizations, historic manuscripts, and more.
Black Lives Next Door
The Black Lives Next Door website provides a gateway to explore the pasts of George Mason University (then College) and those who lived in its surrounding communities. This project has just begun to learn about the experiences of people dislodged from a booming county, which now takes pride in Virginia's largest public university.
Center for Mason Legacies
The Center for Mason Legacies (CML) is an interdisciplinary and collaborative research center established by the University Libraries and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Our mission is to preserve and examine the legacy of George Mason IV (1725-1792), his ancestors and heirs, and the people he enslaved.
Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center
Information on the history of Old Town Fairfax and Virginia

Fairfax Local History Sites
Extensive list of local history websites and digitized sources, including cemeteries, communities, and resources for archival records.
Fairfax County Archives
Useful for recent public records from Fairfax (reports from committees, commissions, etc.)
Historic Photographs of Fairfax County
A selection of scanned images from the Fairfax County Public Library's collection of images from the late 19th-20th century.

National Archives and Records Administration
Useful for researching family histories, including census, immigration, and military records. (See "Resources for Genealogists").
Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Provides access to an unrivaled collection of primary and secondary sources, including books and journals, manuscripts, maps, broadsides, and sheet music related to the history and culture of Virginia.
Library of Virginia
The most comprehensive resourcesfor studying Virginia history, culture, and government.