[CIVIL RIGHTS]. Letterhead and envelope from the A.G. Gaston Motel, where Martin Luther King, Jr., stayed during the Birmingham Campaign. Ca 1950s.

11 x 8 1/2 in. illustrated letterhead, unused, accompanied by 4 x 7 1/2 in. illustrated envelope, unused, each promoting the A.G. Gaston Motel located in Birmingham, AL, ca 1950s (minor edge wear to letterhead; some light toning to envelope).

In addition to illustrating the many features offered by the A.G. Gaston Motel, the letterhead includes a portrait of the hotel's founder, entrepreneur Arthur George Gaston (1892-1996). He opened the establishment in 1953, during the Green Book era, as part of the national network of businesses offering lodging to African American travelers. The Gaston motel is best known as an important site for civil rights activities in 1963, serving as the headquarters for Martin Luther King, Jr., and additional leaders from the SCLC during the Birmingham Campaign of April and May 1963. The hotel, which was in use through 1996, is now jointly owned by the National Park Service (NPS) and the City of Birmingham and is a part of Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.
This lot is located in Cincinnati.