The Joseph L. Brechner Research Center was established with a donation from Marion Brody Brechner in honor of her husband, a prominent journalist and founder of WFTV Channel 9 in Orlando.
The History Center holds the special collections of the Historical Society of Central Florida, which has been collecting materials since 1942. The Research Center is located on the fifth floor of the History Center, and is free to the public.
The History Center holds the special collections of the Historical Society of Central Florida, which has been collecting materials since 1942. The Research Center is located on the fifth floor of the History Center, and is free to the public.
The Joseph L. Brechner Research Center documents the history of Central Florida through photographs, archives and books.
Our library and archives include over 2,500 rare and out-of-print books, over 500 primary source archival collections, and a wealth of other fascinating reference materials.
Thanks to donations received from hundreds of individuals and companies, our priceless artifacts collection contains thousands of items from Central Florida's past.
Our photo archive collections contain over 12,000 photographs and postcards depicting Orange County and Central Florida history from the 1870s to the present.