Grundy Archive: Bristol History
Postcard: 4th grade class photograph, unidentified school, 1917.
MISSION
The Grundy Archive contributes to the understanding of our local heritage by preserving and making available materials pertaining to the history of Bristol, Pennsylvania and the surrounding communities, as well as the pursuit of local genealogical research to audiences of all ages and interests. In addition, the Archive preserves and maintains records belonging to the Grundy family (which have traditionally been overseen by the Grundy Museum) and the institutional records of the Grundy Foundation, as well as serves as custodian of the Bristol Borough Municipal Records
To learn more about what we collect and why, please refer to our Grundy Archive Collection Management Policy.
LIBRARY RESOURCES
LOCAL HISTORY COLLECTION
The Library houses public access materials related to local Bristol history in the open stacks of the library available for use during library hours. They are largely comprised of duplicate materials from the archives made available for independent local history and genealogy research. These include primarily books, pamphlets, and directories. These items are identified as “Local History Collection” Bucks County library catalog.
MICROFILM
The Library also maintains a microfilm collection which includes:
| Bristol Observer | 3/26/1892 – 3/31/1897 | Bucks County Independent | 4/29/1921 – 2/5/1932 |
| Bristol Pilot | 3/20/1986 – 3/23/2011 | Bristol Borough Council Meeting Minutes | 1730 to 1998 |
| Bucks County Gazette | 8/14/1873 – 12/31/1926 | John Black Funeral Home Record Books | 2/28/1894 – 7/21/1930 |
ONLINE RESOURCES
FINDING AIDS
The Library also houses original, archival collections related to local Bristol history that are available by appointment only.
Our archival collection can be explored by viewing our finding aids, which provide context, provenance, processing information, biographical information and more.
A portion of our collections featured on this database are processed, while those without available (or incomplete) finding aids are unprocessed, meaning that the organization of these collections is still in-progress or in need of revision.
Our collection includes
– Deeds
– Maps & atlases
– Photographs
– Rare local history books
– Clipping & scrapbooks
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
Some of our archives are available online. Digitizing our collections is an ongoing project that has been made possible by generous donors. Images from our digital collections are available for research and publication to the public, non-profit, and commercial organizations. Permission to reproduce materials for publication from the Grundy Archive must be secured in writing prior to publication. For more information on image reproduction rights and policies, please consult our Collection Management Policy.
Items currently available include digital versions of our past exhibits, such as “Answering the Call: Bristol’s First Responders” and the Grundy Museum’s permanent exhibit, “Made in America: the Grundy Mill and the Business of Spinning Wool.”
