The Fort Lauderdale Historical Society was founded for the purpose of preserving the history of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County and remains committed to expanding knowledge of the past. The Society’s collections document local history and are available for researchers such as scholars, students, genealogists, preservationists, visitors and residents.
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Photograph And Image Collections
The Society’s outstanding photographic collections contain 250,000 images relating to the history of Broward County. In addition to photographs, the Society also has notable collections of postcards and slides. Most of these images are available for reproduction.
Visit our image gallery
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History Files
These are the subject collections of the Society and contain newspaper clippings, pamphlets, brochures and ephemera. These files encompass vast amounts of information relating to the history of Fort Lauderdale and Broward County (up to the present day), from biographical files to local environmental concerns. A finding aid is available.
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Library
The Society’s non-circulating library contains volumes relating to the history and natural history of Florida as well as reference books relating to museum studies, antiques and historic preservation. The library has a substantial collection of periodicals (including many local publications past and present) not easily available locally.
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Artifact Collection
The Society’s three-dimensional collections include a variety of artifacts reflecting the life of local residents, from furnishings and clothing to agricultural implements. Some of the most treasured items are the Seminole artifacts and World War II uniforms and insignia.
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Database Collection
The Historic Preservation Board (HPB) Architects database was developed from the City of Fort Lauderdale Permit Books covering the years 1937 to 1954. This searchable database contains the permit records for all architect-designed projects in the city for those years.
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Manuscript Collection
Among the most valuable resources available at the Society, the manuscript collection encompasses a wide variety of subjects and includes three major collections: the Stranahan Collection (PDF format), containing items owned by two of Fort Lauderdale’s most important pioneer citizens; the August Burghard Collection, containing research material acquired by one of Fort Lauderdale’s first historians; and the Dr. James Glenn Collection, containing information regarding his days as a Seminole Indian Agent.
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Map, Blueprint, And Architecture Collection
This collection includes maps, plats, atlases, blueprints, architectural and engineering drawings.
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Wesley Stout Index
Wesley Stout was a local history buff and long-time columnist who collected tidbits of information on local people and events not available in other publications. The Society has a complete scrapbook collection of his clippings, with an index compiled by Mr. Stout himself, which is an invaluable finding aid for a variety of subjects not encountered elsewhere in the collections.
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Scrapbook Collection
Scrapbooks compiled by the City of Fort Lauderdale, the Chamber of Commerce and various other organizations and individuals on a wide variety of subjects of local concern.
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Newspaper Collection
The Society’s newspaper collection includes hard copies of miscellaneous editions of newspapers relating to local events, which are catalogued by date, subject and publication. Particularly outstanding are the series of newspapers relating to the “Florida Wars” (Seminole Wars) of the nineteenth century.
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Oral Histories
A collection of oral history interviews of local residents, many of which have been transcribed, documents a variety of activities and events including World War II, the hurricane of 1926, and Judaism in Fort Lauderdale. A finding aid (PDF format) is available.
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Audiovisual Collection
The Society holds a small collection of historic films and videos relating to the history of Broward County. These are available for viewing with sufficient advance notice.
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For more information contact
Research Director Merrilyn Rathbun at 954-463-4431 ext. 11. |
