Young Men’s Christian Association (Louisville, Ky.) Photograph Collection, ca. 1920-1989

Held by The Filson Historical Society

Creator: Young Men’s Christian Association (Louisville, Ky.)

Title: Photograph Collection, ca. 1920-1989

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these photographs, contact the Collections Department.

Size of Collection: 2 boxes and 1 ovsz. folder

Location Number:  008PC21X

Scope and Content Note

Collection of photographs from the Louisville YMCA. Photographs document the growth of the YMCA throughout the twentieth century in downtown Louisville, including events the YMCA participated in or hosted, sporting activities, staff members, buildings and groundbreakings, advertisements, and other miscellaneous related photographs, slides, and film negatives.

Note: partial item list stored with collection.

Related collections
Young Men’s Christian Association (Louisville, Ky.). Records, 1859-1907. 8v. and 1 folder. [Mss. BD Y74]

Young Men’s Christian Association (Louisville, Ky.). Added records, 1879-1990. 3 cu. ft. [Mss. BD Y74a]

Young Men’s Christian Association (Louisville, Ky.). Scrapbooks, 1922-1942. 5 vol. [Mss. SB Y52]

 

Historical Note

Founded in 1853, the Louisville branch of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was one of the earliest branches in the United States. The YMCA is a global youth organization that aims to use Protestant Christian values to develop a healthy body, mind, and spirit.

The Louisville YMCA constructed buildings in 1913, at the corner of 3rd Street and Broadway, and again in the 1970s. The YMCA was also involved at Camp Knox during World War I. The YMCA also sponsored sports leagues for area churches, offered exercise classes, gymnastic classes, swimming classes and many other forms of physical education. As of 2024, the Louisville YMCA has ten branches throughout the Greater Louisville area.

 

Folder List

Box 1

Folder 1: Marathons, ca. 1920s

Various photographs of YMCA members participating in an unidentified marathon.

Folder 2: Miscellaneous sporting activities, ca. 1920s

Includes photographs of miscellaneous sporting activities. Featured are different baseball teams, including First Christian and Second Lutheran Churches.

Folder 3: Camps, ca. 1920s

Includes different events and activities at a YMCA camp in the 1920s, including baseball, volleyball, a dining tent, a beach, and a boat. These are possibly at Camp Duffy.

Folder 4: Staff members

Includes unidentified staff members and a membership drive photograph, featuring Samuel D. Boden of Louisville Textiles, Inc. (drive chairman), Hugh Nevin (vice-president of YMCA board), Jefferson Johnston (swimming instructor) and Larry Phelps (junior counselor).

Folder 5: Buildings

Photographs of the Chestnut Street and 2nd Street locations

Folder 6: YMCA photographs, ca. 1930s-1980s, part one

YMCA-related photographs that were removed from a binder compiled by the organization. Includes the groundbreaking of the 2nd Street and Chestnut Street locations, gymnasium scenes from the 1930s, activities, sports, and daycare images from the 1970s-1980s, Camp Piomingo, and photographs from other branches of the YMCA, including an image featuring James Naismith, supposed inventor of basketball.

Folder 7: YMCA photographs, ca. 1930s-1980s, part two

 

Box 2

Folder 8: Unidentified event

Unidentified event at the 2nd Street YMCA, possibly related to veterans.

Folder 9: Miscellaneous photographs

Includes two polaroids of a YMCA billboard, and several snapshots of the building of the 2nd Street YMCA

Folder 10: Southeast Family YMCA branch, part one

Includes color snapshots that were removed from a binder compiled by the organization of one of the Southeast Family YMCA branches.

Folder 11: Southeast Family YMCA branch, part two

Folder 12: YMCA of the Past (slides), ca. 1920s-1950s

Group of 35 mm slides from binder labeled “Slides- YMCA of the Past”

Includes images of YMCA activities throughout the years

Folder 13: Staff, volunteers, and capital (slides)

A group of 35 mm slides from binder labeled “Slides- Staff, Volunteers, Capital – Belle Prayer breakfast (Bkfst.), Rose dinner, Corp Goal plan, Larry 50 B-day, Misc.”

Includes images of various YMCA employees and volunteers (most identified), as well as the Belle of Louisville, Churchill Downs, the Presbyterian Center, the old YMCA, the Humana Building, and Mayor Jerry Abramson.

Folder 14: Logos/advertisements (slides), ca. 1970s

Various 35 mm slides labeled “logos/ads” primarily from the 1970s

Folder 15: Programs, events, and advertisements (slides)

Various unidentified 35 mm slides of YMCA programs, events and advertisements.

Folder 16: Advertisements

A photograph of a YMCA billboard.

Folder 17: Camps/outings (negatives), ca. 1920s-1930s

Grouping of film negatives of YMCA camps or group outings.

Oversized

Folder 18: Miscellaneous YMCA photographs

Includes an unidentified staff member, the Chestnut St. location, the L&N railroad branch, and F. W. Drybrough (president of the YMCA 1932-1939).