The Center for Brooklyn History makes its collections available to all researchers.
We welcome scholars, teachers and students, genealogists, artists, documentarians, and anyone who is curious about the history of Brooklyn.
Several collections are stored offsite and require a minimum of two weeks notice to use. To view the full list click here
While we work to merge our two institutions' collections, the links below will direct you to our respective holdings.
Browse our Collections
Browse Books
Books and periodicals about Brooklyn in the Brooklyn Public Library catalog.
Browse Photography
Browse Brooklyn Public Library's Photograph collections. Collections originally held by Brooklyn Historical Society, can be found here.
Browse Archival Collections
The archival collections document the history of Brooklyn and Long Island from the 1600s to the present.
Browse Oral Histories
Our oral history collections include over 1,200 interviews. Brooklyn Public Library's Our Streets Our Stories can be found here.
Browse Historical Maps
Explore digitized historical maps spanning the seventeenth century to the present. Brooklyn Public Library's map collections can be found here.
Browse Film, Audio and Video Recordings
Explore our digitized film, audio and video recordings.
Browse Art and Artifacts
CBH's art and artifact collections represent four centuries of Brooklyn’s visual and material culture. A selection are available to search online.
Browse Newspapers: Brooklyn Newsstand
Explore our collection of local Brooklyn titles and high school newspapers.
Search City and Telephone Directories
Search our collection of digitized directories.
Read Brooklynology and Photo of the Week
Fascinating Brooklyn stories rooted in the collections at CBH.
Explore More
Visit the Library
Learn about policies for visiting the Othmer Reading Room.
Research Help
Interested in Archival research? Need a hand with your project? Have a question about our collections? Submit a research request form and a librarian will contact you.
Land Conveyance Research
Looking to do House and Building research? Here's our guide to the resources most frequently consulted by researchers of Brooklyn property and buildings.
Databases & Online Resources
For digital resources about Brooklyn and New York City history.
Center for Brooklyn History collections are supported by the Coleman Family Foundation, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and donors to the Fund for the Center for Brooklyn History.
Online Resources
Ancestry.com
Search historical records to discover your family's history.
Brooklyn Newsstand
Brooklyn Newsstand is a collection of digitized Brooklyn newspapers made possible through a partnership…
Fire Insurance Maps Online (FIMO)
New York State high-definition, full-color fire insurance maps from Sanborn and other publishers.
Get Social with CBH
Become a CBH Supporter
Whether through membership or a one-time gift, your support helps connect the past to the present and makes Brooklyn's vibrant history tangible, relevant, and meaningful for today's diverse communities—and generations to come. Support us here.
Subscribe to Our Emails
Sign up to start getting our weekly programming updates, plus our popular Photo of the Week series.
Contact Us
For general inquiries regarding the Center for Brooklyn History, you can call us, email us, or submit a research request.