Collections : [Bridgeport History Center, Bridgeport Public Library]

The Pankiewicz family lived in Milford, Connecticut, running a farm in the area that is now along Wheeler's Farm Road. Two of their sons, John Joseph (1916-1993) and Anthony Peter (1907-1972), served in World War II. The photographs in the collection provide insight into what life on the home front was like in contrast to those serving in the war.

D.M. Read Company, later Read's Department Store, was a major purveyor of fine goods in Bridgeport, with a company history starting in 1857. The papers of the Read family offer an intimate look at family photographs and manuscripts during the store's hey-day, with a particular focus on Muriel Read and her parents, Charles B. and Eleanor.

Founded in 1913, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 488 currently covers most of western Connecticut. This small collection offers a historical snapshot of the union thanks to the history written by union member Steven Hunyadi.

Contained in this collection are various rolls and proceedings of the national and state conventions and encampments of the Grand Army of the Republic and Women's Relief Corps, as well as related miscellaneous materials spanning from 1882-1938.

Peter Spain served as a part of the Bridgeport City Council for a two year term, spured on by the sudden 29% increase in Bridgeport's mill rate/property tax rate. As a city councilor, Spain's focus was primarily on health issues, education, economic development, and governmental transparency. This is well represented in the collection, and there is particular weight to the matter of the Water Pollution Control Authority and its aggressive approach to collecting payment.

Featuring a snapshot of women's suffrage in the late 1950s through the 1970s, the Records of the League of Women Votes of Bridgeport reflects local and national concerns on key topics of the day.

The Connecticut National Bank was chartered in 1831 by the Connecticut General Assembly under the original name of the President, Directors and Company of the Connecticut Bank. Bridgeport was beginning to become a major economic center, and in need of banks in order to provide monetary services to keep up with the level of trade in the city. The early data in this collection provides insight into the city's economy.

Acting as a central hub for the numerous unions in Bridgeport, the Central Labor Union of Bridgeport sought to assist the workers in the city however it could, eventually becoming a political force that politicians had to work with or else lose votes. This collection represents the group's financial work, correspondence with members, and those it worked with over the years.

Founded in 1894 by Edward Payson Bullard Senior, the Bullard Machine Tool Company was a massive industrial player in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Creating large tools to fabricate metal parts, the company was a powerhouse for much of the early to mid 20th century. Within the collection are photographs of their major products, guides, and corporate material.

Helen Werner Liskov and her husband Samuel Liskov were ardent participants in Bridgeport politics, cooperative housing and city redevelopment, art collection and donation, and philanthropy over the second half of the twentieth century. The bulk of the collection, consisting primarily of art exhibition and donation documents, co-op administration items, news-clippings, minutes, and newsletters, dates from the 1950s through the 1980s.