Collections : [Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library]

Within the records of the Fairfield County Historical Society are annual reports and minutes that help to provide an overview of the group's activities both before they moved into the building gifted to the by P.T. Barnum and afterwards. In addition to correspondence and some preserved research that members generated, it is possible to have an overall sense of how the group operated and their interests, up into the mid-1890s.

The Connecticut Foreign Trade Association began in July 1920 at the University Club in Bridgeport, among a group of manufacturers who wished to start a group for those involved in exporting. Named the Export Managers Club of Bridgeport, it was intended to be a group that exchanged information regarding the shifting issues of export. The collection primarily contains minutes and bulletins and newsletters, offering documentation of executive level management and what was communicated to membership from the group's founding to the time of donation.

The Connecticut Audubon Society was founded by 1898 and received its first land donation in 1914 from Annie Burr Jennings. From there, the Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary grew into the one of the foremost conservation organizations in the state of Connecticut. While not a comprehensive collection of the organization's records, this group of select inactive office files document key eras of the group's history. Of particular note are the late 1910s observation books of birds and the environment at the Birdcraft Museum and Sanctuary in Fairfield, Connecticut, along with early membership rolls, office files, and scrapbooks focused on outreach and events.

Bridgeport Generation Now is a grassroots social action network founded in 2016 focused on responding to systemic issues in the city and building civic engagement among residents. The current contents of the collection consists of material meant for the public. This includes election time mailing information including reminders about the voting dates and endorsed candidates, annual policy platforms, flyers for events including their signature Civics 101 workshop, and additional handouts such as bumper stickers and t-shirts.

Louis H. Hertz was born in New York City on May 17, 1922. Around the age of 19, he began to collect toys, with a particular emphasis on model railroading. In quick order, this saw him become an authority on model trains, as well as a remarkable toy historian. His interest included that of the Ives Manufacturing Company, a major model train maker based in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Began in 1904, the Bridgeport Dental Society acted as a sort of trade organization for city dentists. The material within charts the overall growth of dentistry as a profession, and evolving effort to have the public regard oral health with the same level they regard their overall physical health.

A part of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, the Carpenters District Council of Bridgeport and Vicinity represented all carpentry related work in the city during the early 20th century. It regulated job ranks and paygrades, provided benefits to those injured, and was active within the larger New England region as well. This collection focuses on the earliest history of the union.

John Chernak was a plant-floor supervisor at the Bridgeport's Metropolitan Body Company, a manufacturer of vehicles and engines founded in 1919. It was bought out by the Chicago-headquartered International Harvester Company in 1948. The collections consist of plant communications, newspaper clippings, advertising, in-house journals, and photos.

Serving in the Civil War from 1863-1865, the documents and forms of Edward W. Marsh chart the career of Captain Edward W. Marsh and his time as quartermaster sergeant through captain with the 2nd Regiment of Connecticut's heavy artillery unit. Most material is in the form of official forms and reports.

Focusing on the Brooklawn area of Bridgeport, this weekly newspaper was published by three young teenagers living in the area. Arthur Williams and Bradley Hunt served as editors, and Phillip Grout was the group's business manager. In addition to a complete run of the Brooklawn Weekly News, the collection features handwritten versions of various articles that would later appear in the paper.