2. The Dr. Phebe A. Hayes Collection
  3. The Dr. Phebe A. Hayes Collection

The Dr. Phebe A. Hayes Collection

The Dr. Phebe A. Hayes Collection

The Dr. Phebe Hayes Collection documents African American family history and community life in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, through photographs and historical records spanning the nineteenth century to the present.
Credit: 
Collection assembled and contributed by Dr. Phebe Hayes. Digitization, description, and stewardship provided by the Iberia African American Historical Society, Center for Research and Learning.

The Dr. Phebe Hayes Collection is a descendant-curated body of materials reflecting genealogical research and lived experiences connected to African American families in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, and surrounding areas. Assembled through family preservation and community memory work, the collection centers both identified and unidentified individuals whose lives contribute to a broader historical narrative.

Materials in the collection include individual and family portraits, church and group photographs, school-related images, military portraits and records, and other personal and communal documents. Together, these items highlight themes of kinship, faith, education, service, and everyday life across multiple generations.

In addition to documenting known family lineages, the collection intentionally preserves unidentified photographs, recognizing their value as communal records that may one day be reconnected with descendants. The collection supports genealogical research, descendant engagement, and public interpretation while honoring the cultural and historical significance of African American life in the region.