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New Oral History: Jesse Cutler

March 6, 2024
An oral history of Jesse Cutler conducted at Trevor Colbourn Hall at the University of Central Florida on February 8 and 23, 2024. Cutler has spent an illustrious career, beginning at age 12, as a musician, composer, actor, producer, and entrepreneur. Starting in New York City in the 1960s and then in Los Angeles from…

New Oral History: David Tossie

January 19, 2024
An oral history interview of educator David Tossie. The interview was conducted by Geoffrey Cravero and Diana Dizon over Zoom on November 8th, 2022. Some of the topics include early life and education in Oviedo, his favorite teachers, integration of Central Florida public schools, becoming an educator, thoughts on Oviedo Colored Schools Museum, and his…

New Additions to Weeki Wachee Collection

January 4, 2024
Photograph of three Weeki Wachee Mermaids in staged underwater dining scene at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park around 1950. The mermaids are eating watermelon and breathing using air hoses while sitting at a table placed on the bottom of a body of water. Along with a group of investors, Newton Perry opened Weeki Wachee Springs…

New Additions to Florida-France Soldiers Project Collection

October 27, 2023
The Florida-France Soldiers Stories Project seeks to tell the stories of the Florida soldiers buried in the American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries in France. Our goal is to honor and commemorate the brave individuals who gave their lives supporting the Allied forces, liberating France, and defeating Germany in the Second World War. Simultaneously, our goal…

New Oral Histories: Rosenwald School

March 16, 2023
A collection of oral histories taken from former students of the Rosenwald School in Altamonte Springs, Florida, at a history harvest on February 19, 2023. Watch the video by clicking here.

New Additions to the Nelson and Company Collection

September 15, 2022
The company was originally founded by Steen Nelson and Gus Nelson and called Nelson Brothers. The company changed its name to Nelson and Company after it became a three-way partnership between the brothers and Benjamin Franklin Wheeler. In 1923, Wheeler became sole owner after buying out the company. The 80-acre historic district was incorporated in…

New Oral History Interview: Oviedo Plane Crash (1962)

July 7, 2022
On Saturday, March 6, 2021, a historical marker was unveiled honoring the crew of a 1962 plane crash in Oviedo. A Naval A3D Skywarrior Airplane based at the Sanford Naval Air Station would crash in the Oviedo area narrowly missing a school ground full of children. The pilot, Lt. Charles Hodgate, was credited with navigating…

New Oral History Interview: Sister Gail Grimes

August 27, 2020
An oral history interview of Sister Gail Grimes, a Roman Catholic sister from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who moved to Apopka, Florida, in January of 1975 to serve the farmworker, low-income and immigrant communities. This interview was conducted by Jared Muha in Apopka on October 10, 2014. Some of the topics covered include moving to Apopka, working…

New Additions to the Central Florida Music History Collection

August 13, 2020
Collection of digital images, documents, and other records depicting the history of music in Central Florida. Series descriptions are based on special topics, the majority of which students focused their metadata entries around. Central Florida’s musical heritage is as rich as it is diverse, dating back to the Spanish settlers of the sixteenth century. Over…

New Collection: Judith LaRue

August 10, 2020
Bluebird brand citrus juices were manufactured and distributed by Southern Fruit Distributors, Inc., a company founded by Philip Caruso. The Bluebird juice company is currently part of Florida’s Natural Food Service. Visit the Judith LaRue Collection: https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/collections/show/216

The Orlando Gay Chorus Collection is now complete

July 10, 2020
The Orlando Gay Chorus Collection is now complete. Follow the link below for access to 134 items, including original posters, programs and oral history interviews. The Orlando Gay Chorus (OGC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization, and part of the Gay and Lesbian Association (GALA) of Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC…

New Addition to Alliance for Truth and Justice Collection

June 26, 2020
A genre-based bibliography for the Ocoee Project from the Alliance for Truth and Justice. The Alliance for Truth and Justice (ATJ) is a volunteer-based organization that engages with the community to promote education concerning the truth of local history and to advocate justice for those who have been harmed by inequities born of prejudice. ATJ…

New Additions to Orlando Gay Chorus Collection

June 8, 2020
The Orlando Gay Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization part of GALA Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles that perform annual concerts, cabarets, and a whole…

New Oral History Interview: Fairolyn Livingston

May 21, 2020
An oral history interview of Fairolyn H. Livingston, chief historian of the Hannibal Square Heritage Center in Winter Park, Florida. The interview was conducted by Geoffrey Cravero at the Hannibal Square Heritage Center on December 12, 2019. Some of the topics covered include growing up in a segregated community, finding the resources to attend college,…

More New Additions to First Unitarian Church Collection

January 8, 2020
Orlando Unitarian Universalists can follow their roots back to 1912, when Reverend Eleanor Gordon was first minister to a church formed with 21 members. Building Unity Chapel in 1913, the group shared literary and spirited discussions, fostered by transplanted Unitarians from the North. Property in an orange grove east of town was purchased in 1954.…

New Additions to the Watermark Collection

December 10, 2019
Since 1994, The Watermark has been the cornerstone source of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and others) centered news for the Central Florida region. Founded by Tom Dyer in Orlando, the publication began generating bi-weekly issues beginning August 31, 1994. Since then, The Watermark has consistently published newspaper style issues every other Thursday. Gaining traction,…

New Additions to Veterans Legacy Program Collection

November 18, 2019
New additions to the Veterans Legacy Program Collection! In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program engaged a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in the Florida National Cemetery available to the public.…

New Additions to Orlando Gay Chorus Collection

September 12, 2019
New additions to the Orlando Gay Chorus Collection! The Orlando Gay Chorus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts and humanitarian organization part of GALA Choruses. Founded on Valentines Day 1990, OGC is not only one of the largest mixed gay choirs in the United States at over 100 members, but they also boast four smaller ensembles…

New Oral History Interview: Jeannie Economos

August 21, 2019
An oral history interview of Jeannie Economos, the Pesticide Safety and Environmental Health Project Coordinator at the Farmworker Association of Florida (FAF), who also worked as Lake Apopka Project Coordinator for the FAF, as well as for non-profit organizations such as the Audubon Society and Save the Manatee Club. The interview was conducted by Jared…

New Oral History Interview: Benjamin Franklin Wheeler III

August 16, 2019
An oral history interview of Benjamin Franklin Wheeler III, a descendant of the Wheeler and Lawton families in Oviedo, Florida. The interview was conducted by Desta Lee Horner at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, on June 18th, 2019. Some of the topics covered include the family history of the Lawtons and Wheelers,…

New Collection: First Unitarian Church of Orlando

June 25, 2019
New Collection: First Unitarian Church of Orlando Orlando Unitarian Universalists can follow their roots back to 1912, when Reverend Eleanor Gordon was first minister to a church formed with 21 members. Building Unity Chapel in 1913, the group shared literary and spirited discussions, fostered by transplanted Unitarians from the North. Property in an orange grove…

New Additions to the VLP Collection!

June 5, 2019
In 2017, the University of Central Florida was one of three universities selected to launch the National Cemetery Administration’s Veterans Legacy Program Project. The program continues, engaging a team of scholars to make the life stories of veterans buried in national cemeteries available to the public. The project engages UCF students in research and writing…

Screening of “The Yard” at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando

May 21, 2019
Photographs from a screening of the 60-minute documentary, “The Yard”, at the First Unitarian Church of Orlando. The event took place on March 7, 2019, from 6:30pm to 9:00 pm. The screening of the film was followed by a panel discussion that included the filmmaker. Partners in the event included Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), First…

New Oral History Interview: Debbie Simmons

May 10, 2019
An oral history interview of Debbie Simmons, the co-owner of Shelbie Press and a founding member of the Metropolitan Business Association (MBA), an organization supporting LGBTQ businesses in Orlando, Florida. As MBA president, she also helped found Come Out with Pride and the LGBTQ History Museum of Central Florida. This interview was conducted by Sara…

New Item: A Side Walk with the Art Festival

November 2, 2018
A Side Walk with the Art Festival by Elizabeth Bradley Bentley. The book celebrates two decades of the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival in Winter Park, Florida. Bentley documents the festival’s history using newspaper articles, oral history interviews, personal experiences, scrapbooks, programs and minutes. Each chapter in Section One represents one year of the festival.…

Watermark Collection Now Through 2006!

September 27, 2018
Since 1994, The Watermark has been the cornerstone source of LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and others) centered news for the Central Florida region. Founded by Tom Dyer in Orlando, the publication began generating bi-weekly issues beginning August 31, 1994. Since then, The Watermark has consistently published newspaper style issues every other Thursday. Gaining traction,…

Happy Holidays from RICHES!

December 22, 2017
Happy Holidays from all of us at RICHES! Check out this Army Air Forces menu created for Christmas of 1943, from the private collection of Thomas Cook. The cover shows Santa Claus piloting an airplane over an airbase. There are illustrations of a decorated Christmas tree, a palm tree and what appears to be orange…

New Release of RMI

September 29, 2015
Browse the Featured Items or Collections.  Also select the Collection Overview to see an explanation of many of our collections.  See all of the Featured Items by clicking the title of that section.   Learn more by watching a Tour of RICHES MI, or reading about our project.  Follow us on social media with the social…

New Collection – The Maitland News Collection

August 24, 2015
The Maitland News was a local newspaper originally published by the Maitland Realty Company (and later by The Maitland News Company) which began circulation in April 1926. The Maitland News Collection includes a number of early issues published from 1926 to 1927. Newspapers were contributed by the Maitland Historical Museum, as part of the Art & History…

New Additions to the Rock Collection

August 3, 2015
The Rock Collection explores the history of rock music in Central Florida. Items in this collection were curated by UCF graduate Geoffrey Cravero and include photographs, newspaper articles, ticket stubs, and videos. These new items were donated to RICHES from the private collection of professional photographer Alicia Lyman and features the following local bands and artists: Beeb$ and Her…

New Additions to the Oviedo Historical Society Collection

July 22, 2015
The Oviedo Historical Society Collection encompasses historical artifacts donated for digitization at the Oviedo Historical Society’s History Harvest in the Spring semester of 2015. Items in this collection were curated by UCF graduate student Porsha Dossie and include photographs, newspaper articles, maps, programs, pamphlets, booklets, and deeds. These new items were donated to RICHES from the…

New Collection: Oviedo Historical Society Collection

July 13, 2015
The Oviedo Historical Society Collection encompasses historical artifacts donated for digitization at the Oviedo Historical Society’s History Harvest in the Spring semester of 2015. Items in this collection were curated by UCF graduate student Porsha Dossie and include photographs, newspaper articles, maps, and artwork. Items were donated to RICHES from the private collections of Sue…

New Additions to the Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation Collection

June 23, 2015
RICHES MI has added a number of photographs to the Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation Collection. The Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation is located on the Bethune-Cookman University campus at 640 Doctor Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard in Daytona Beach, Florida. The foundation was established on March 17, 1953, as “a place to awaken people and to have them realize…

New Collection – Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens Collection

June 23, 2015
We’ve added a new collection to RICHES MI: the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens Collection. This collection features photographs, oral histories, and other items donated by the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens, located at 633 Osceola Avenue in Winter Park, Florida. Albin Polasek, known internationally for his sculptures, retired to Lake Osceola in Winter Park…

Analyze and Annotate your book bag! RICHES MI 3.0 arrives.

May 1, 2015
RICHES Mosaic Interface released its new version last week and it includes more ways than ever to analyze your book bag. Create folders for your bookbag Change the order of items in your bag See your selected folders on a timeline or map Choose suggested items from Connections to add to your bookbag View a…