The Bridgeport History Center has digitized a portion of its holdings. \u00a0\u00a0We are always adding more material, so keep an eye on this page!<\/p>\n
The P.T. Barnum Research Collection<\/a> Bridgeport News Column \u2013 \u201cFrom the Historical Collections\u201d<\/a> Circus – Barnum and London Circus Poster Collection<\/a> Civil War Sketchbook: Connecticut\u2019s 8th Volunteer Regiment and the Burnside Expedition<\/a> Oral Histories \u2013 General Oral History Collection<\/a> Oral Histories \u2013 Afro American Educators Association<\/a> Oral Histories \u2013 Bridgeport Cultural Arts Center, 1970-1986<\/a> Oral Histories \u2013 Bridgeport Living History: Department of Youth Services, City of Bridgeport, 1984<\/a> Oral Histories \u2013 Bridgeport Working: Voices from the Twentieth Century<\/a> Oral Histories – Puerto Rican Oral Histories-Bridgeport and New Haven, 2023-2024<\/a> Photographs – Bicycle Clubs in Bridgeport: Rolling with the Times<\/a> Photographs – Bridgeport Cultural Arts Center, 1970-1986<\/a> Photographs – Bridgeport Public Library: Images Across the Years<\/a> Photographs – Portraits: Cabinet Cards, Part I, Abbott-Ferris. by Michael Hawkins<\/a> Photographs \u2013 Street Scenes<\/a> Postcard Collection: Vintage Views of Bridgeport, Part I<\/a>
\nOver a thousand items from the Bridgeport History Center and the Barnum Museum collections: advertisements, books, magazines, manuscripts, newspapers, photographs, prints, programs, records, sheet music, and souvenirs \u2014 all available through the Connecticut Digital Archives!<\/p>\n
\nHistory Center Head Emeritus Mary K. Witkowski<\/em> wrote over 400 articles for the Bridgeport News<\/em> during her tenure at the BHC. \u00a0From the Historical Collections articles explore many facets of Bridgeport history \u2013people, places, and things\u2013 from the renowned to the quirky, and will take readers on a delightful journey through the City\u2019s past.<\/p>\n
\nPosters produced for the Barnum and London Circus by the Strobridge Lithograph Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, 1882-1885.<\/p>\n
\nWatercolor, pencil, and ink depictions of General Burnside\u2019s expedition in North Carolina, 1861-62, by eyewitness Corporal Joseph Shadek<\/em>, CV8th, Company A.<\/p>\n
\nThe BHC General Oral History Collection contains interviews with individuals from all backgrounds, ages, and experiences and spans several decades. The department conducts an ongoing oral history program to collect interviews with members of the Bridgeport community or people with a strong knowledge of the city who have had significant experiences working or living in Bridgeport at some time or have family ties to the Bridgeport area. Additional interviews are added to the general collection each year.<\/p>\n
\nFrom 1982-1983, Bridgeport\u2019s Afro-American Educators\u2019 Association conducted interviews with black residents of Bridgeport as part of a project funded by the Connecticut Humanities Council.\u00a0 \u00a0 The project aims to examine the social and economic impacts on Bridgeport\u2019s African-American residents during World War I, the Depression, World War II, and the 1960s.<\/p>\n
\nFull audio and transcripts: Michelle Black-Smith Tompkins; Ralph Williams; Yohuru Williams; Wendy Bridgeforth; Richard Stamats; Cyril Lamont Williams; Teddy Daniel Gardner; Lucinda Anderson; Patricia Carey; Ryan Grant<\/p>\n
\nIn the summer of 1984, the City of Bridgeport’s Human Resources Development, Department of Youth Services conducted an ambitious project to train Bridgeport youth to conduct oral history interviews with older city residents. The goal of the projects was multi-fold: to encourage “respect and understanding between the two targeted groups; increase youths’ and the community’s knowledge of the city; improve Bridgeport’s public image; and assisting businesses in introducing new employees to Bridgeport.”<\/p>\n
\nCurrently available, full audio and full transcripts with chapters: John Arcudi; Angela Baldino; Hillard Bloom; Frank Bridgeforth; Richard Fewell; Emmett Johnson; Elizabeth Josephson; David Kelly; Helen Mensch-Mott; Edna Smith<\/p>\n
\nFifth year Yale University doctoral candidate Amanda Rivera conducts oral histories to facilitate her research on the bilingual education movement<\/em> in Bridgeport as led by Puerto Ricans in the 1970s. Rivera interviews community members about this topic in both Bridgeport and New Haven from 2023-2024. The interviews she conducted are now part of the History Center holdings as an oral history collection.<\/p>\n
\nAt the turn of the last Century, there were several bicycle clubs in Bridgeport. These groups took outings to city parks and the surrounding countryside. Here are some images of the members and their equipment.<\/p>\n
\nHundreds of images of the Arts Center by BCAC photography instructor Richard Stamats.\u00a0 Students, teachers and Center activities are shown.<\/p>\n
\nA collection of exterior and interior photographs of the various Bridgeport Public Library buildings over the years.<\/p>\n
\nCabinet cards were first introduced in the U.S. in 1866 when photography was already well known and quite common. But most people did not view it as something that they would use regularly in their own lives. Photographers had to increase their business by producing portraits that were relatively inexpensive and enticing to consumers as a mechanism to mark ordinary moments, professional achievements, or even leisure activities, not just births, deaths, and marriages. The 4″x6″ format was intended to be much larger than the prevailing carte-de-visite cards and provided a much more detailed rendering of the sitter’s face, clothing, and personal details they chose to include. Families made albums of their cabinet cards and kept them for entertainment and as a keepsake.
\nPhotographs – Portraits:\u00a0 Cabinet Cards, Part II, Ferris- Noble. by Michael Hawkins<\/a>
\nPhotographs – Portraits:\u00a0 Cabinet Cards, Part III, Noble-Wheeler. by Michael Hawkins<\/a><\/p>\n
\nPhotographic images taken from the History Center\u2019s general photograph collection. Check back each month for new additions<\/p>\n
\nHundreds of postcards from the Bridgeport History Center\u2019s collections
\nPostcard Collection: Vintage Views of Bridgeport, Part II<\/a>
\nHundreds of postcards from the Bridgeport History Center\u2019s collections
\nPostcard Collection: Vintage Views of Bridgeport, Part III<\/a>
\nHundreds of postcards from the Bridgeport History Center\u2019s collections<\/p>\n