Collections : [Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library]

Ed Gomes was an active part of Bridgeport life starting in his role as union representative for the United Steelworkers of America. He would go on to serve on the Bridgeport City Council from 1983-1989 and then again from 1999-2005, followed by representing District 23 in the Connecticut State Senate from 2005-2013 and from 2015-2019. This collection's contents primarily contain material that was kept by Senator Gomes, but not specifically generated by him. As such, there are very few manuscript documents featuring his handwriting. However, the material collected demonstrates not only the arc of his career as a politician and public servant, but also his interests and concerns in those roles and as a private individual.

Operating from 1975 to about 1981, the Bridgeport Architecture Conservancy strove to help preserve Bridgeport's rich architectural history while still helping the city meet its downtown revitalization goals. The group helped to identify important buildings and areas, advocated for preservation, and networked with similar groups in the state.

Alyce Laurayne Farrar-James (June 9, 1926-May 6, 2019) was heavily involved in the city of Bridgeport's social, economic, and political life. She worked as a local organizer for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the state of Virginia, and took her experience back to Bridgeport where she helped transform the city by taking on such diverse roles such as City Council, Board of Directors for the Young Christian Women's Association, teaching within the Bridgeport school system and so much more. This collection represents a small portion of a remarkable legacy.

Bridgeport has been the home to a large and proud Hungarian population for over a century. Focusing on the First United Church of Christ, Bridgeport, this collection documents both the church and the larger Hungarian community in Bridgeport up into the 21st century.

Older than the City of Bridgeport itself, the Bridgeport Ladies Charitable Society is one of the city's oldest continuing organizations, as well as one of the state's. The group began as a small collection of women sewing clothing and providing aid and has continued its mission ever since. Within this collection is a near continuous record of their activities from 1865 into the modern era.

The Young Women's Christian Association of Greater Bridgeport- now the Center for Family Justice - was founded in 1895. During this era, Bridgeport was a factory city with an extensive industrial arm. As such, female factory workers both born in the United States and recently immigrated were drawn to Bridgeport for work. The YWCA provided a support network, as well as leisure, entertainment, and guidance. Although the organization has gone through a number of changes over the years, its goal of supporting women and giving them the resources they need most has not changed. The records in this collection document the transformation from 1895 through the massive restructuring in the 1970s, and ends at 1990, providing insight and careful documentation of how the Center for Family Justice rose from the original 1895 YWCA.

Read's Department Stores began in 1857 as a dry goods store. Selling high quality goods, it quickly gained a reputation as one of the premier places to shop in Bridgeport. Eventually the single store evolved into a local chain, boasting clothing, hats, special restrooms, a dedicated tea room, and more. This collection focuses primarily on the visual history of the flagship Read's store in Bridgeport, located at Broad and John Streets, with photographs of window displays and interiors dominant. Also present is information for employees who worked at the store, some ledgers, and material related to the Read family.

The records of the Bridgeport Centennial Incorporated include subject files, a reading file of the managing director, and other items including photographs, oversize material, scrapbooks, and a financial ledger.

The International Institute – known variously as the International Institute of Greater Bridgeport, the Nationalities Service Center of Greater Bridgeport, the International Institute of Connecticut, and now the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants – was founded in 1918. Originally a part of Bridgeport's YWCA, the International Institute was originally created to provide social support and encourage the Americanization of young female immigrants and first-generation girls. Over time, the mission has expanded to support immigrants as well as refugees from war torn regions of the world, help individuals gain American citizenship, offer family resources, provide information, assist with family reunions, and much more. The material within the collection focuses primarily on the Institute from the late 1940s to the 1970s, documenting not only the transition of services provided, but the immigrants that America and specifically Bridgeport welcomed. Please note that this collection has restrictions due to sensitive information within.

One of the earliest Swedish owned businesses in Bridgeport, A.H. Nilson Machine Tool Company was founded by Axel Nilson and operated as a general machine shop before becoming known for making lathes, four-slides, and other machine tools. This collection primarily features patents, blue prints, and product photographs of their material from about 1900 to the 1980s.