Collections : [Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library]

Taking its name from Fairfield general Gold Selleck Silliman, this collection represents the activities and interests of the late eastern Fairfield county branch of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Founded in 1896, the Wednesday Afternoon Musical Club is one of the oldest clubs of its kind both within Connecticut and the larger United States. The club was founded with the explicit goals of fostering the musical talent of members, conducting outreach to instill residents of Bridgeport and the surrounding area with a greater appreciation of music, and encouraging performance.

The Records of the Connecticut Froebel Normal School Alumnae were created by the graduates of the school, which was created in order to instruct women and guide them in being kindergarten and early childhood educators. The collection contains minutes and financial information that charts much of the group's history, along with a subject file that shows their activities and interests.

Mostly containing scrapbooks, the Austin W. Mather collection documents the career of local architect Austin W. Mather through carefully curated clippings about himself, his firm Lyons and Mather, and architecture as a profession. Also included are several pencil pieces produced in 1979-1980.

This photograph collection features various autographed photos from stage stars of the 1920s, all dedicated to "dad", a doorman at Poli's Theatre during the 1920s. Research is ongoing to determine the identity of the doorman.

Upon her death in 1883, Catherine Ames Burroughs Pettingill left $50,000 to found the Burroughs Home â€" a place for unmarried women to live safely. From 1905 to 1994, the Burroughs Home provided assistance to Bridgeport women. The records present in the collection document the administrative history of the Burroughs Home from its founding to the 1990s

Born 1891, Vincent Leo Keating was a lawyer within the City of Bridgeport for most of his life. However, his legal career was interrupted by his service in World War I as a part of Company L, 26th Infantry, First Division at Cantigny France. The scrapbooks that Keating assembled primarily contain photographs, but also include correspondence. This central part of the collection allows for excellent visual insight into local participation in the first World War.

These papers concern William Carlson, who along with his brother Philip was the founder of Metropolitan Body Company, a truck manufacturer, in Brigeport in 1919. A small number of materials related to the company accompany a larger collection of Carlson's correspondence, records of philanthropy, photos of his role as Ringmaster in Bridgeport's 1952 Barnum Festival, and tributes following his death in 1970.

Rev. Charles William Simpson ran the original Bridgeport Christian Union when it began in 1910, staying on for a number of years. Material in the collection primarily relates to Rev. Simpson's tenure in overseeing the Bridgeport Christian Union, and includes early correspondence related to establishing the union, as well as some personal papers related to himself and his family.

The first Jewish man to serve on the Connecticut Supreme Court, Judge Samuel Mellitz was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut in May of 1891. His papers reflect legal analysis, notes, and some historical research he undertook over his years of service as a judge.