Photographs from the M.S. Brown Collection Now Available

M.S. Brown

Self-portrait of M.S. Brown

Photos from the M.S. Brown Collection are now available on DigitalNC. The collection includes hundreds of photographs taken by Milton Steele Brown throughout the early to mid 1900s, and prominently features citizens, organizations, and events taking place in Tarboro, N.C., Rocky Mount, N.C., and surrounding Edgecombe County areas.

Grand Stands in the Baseball Field

Grand Stands in the baseball field

Known locally as “Coca Cola” Brown, M.S. Brown opened a Coca-Cola plant in Tarboro in the early 1900s and served as a town commissioner. He was active in community organizations and local government, regularly attending and assisting with various events. As an avid photographer, Brown documented Coca-Cola sponsored events, town social gatherings — such as baseball games, 4-H Club meetings, and the Gallopade Parade — and historical sites such as the Tarboro Town Common and the Barracks.

Annual Meeting for Edgecombe County Bureau at the Baseball Field. August 24, 1946. (left and center). People at the Baseball Field during a 4-H Club Event, surrounding the Coca-Cola crates. (right)

Annual Meeting for Edgecombe County Bureau at the baseball field. August 24, 1946. People at the baseball field during a 4-H Club Event, surrounding the Coca-Cola crates.

Additionally, Brown photographed active community members, including the Tarboro Merchants Association secretary Mary Godfrey and Congressman L.H. Fountain.

Miss Mary Godfrey at her desk and Congressman L.H. Fountain (center) at Belk-Tyler's ribbon cutting.

Miss Mary Godfrey at her desk and Congressman L.H. Fountain (center) at Belk-Tyler’s ribbon cutting.

This extensive collection covers over 40 years of Tarboro and Edgecombe County history. It is an ongoing project with the Edgecombe County Memorial Library, with more images expected in the future.


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