On Friday, February 26, Thronateeska Heritage Center will open an exhibit focused on the historical and groundbreaking 1953 documentary film, All My Babies, which featured Albany midwife Mary Francis Coley. Midwife Coley was one of the legendary midwives of the South, who provided obstetric care to hundreds of black women who were banned from hospital care due to segregation. The stills from photographer Robert Goldbraith, who worked on the film with director George Stoney, provide a rare and intimate glimpse into the African-American granny midwife tradition.

When originally produced, the film's importance was immediately recognized by the Georgia HealthDepartment, which commissioned the film as a training tool for other granny midwives throughout the  South. Recently, the Library of Congress also recognized the film's important historical contributionby deeming it one to be preserved for all time and archiving it in the Smithsonian Institution.

 “It is timely that this exhibit is opening during African-American History Month,” said Todd Deariso, Director of Thronateeska Heritage Center. “Midwives like Albanian Mary Francis Coley provided a vital safety net when segregation and poverty made access to medical and hospital care impossible for women of color. Legendary midwives across the South wereknown in their communities for their compassionatecaring. And today, the compassion, caring and support that midwives provide to women and their families during and after birth are the reasons that so many women in this country continue to seek outtheir services.”

Thronateeska Heritage Center is open Thursday-Saturday from 10 am-4 pm. There is no charge for admission. Visitors should check in at the Science Museum before visiting the All My Babies exhibit, which is housed in the historic train depot.