The Miami Beach Digital Archive

The Miami Beach Digital Archive is the digital house of the City of Miami Beach Historical Archives. We host documents pertaining the history of Miami Beach since the beginning of the twentieth century until the present. The digital repository contains more than 39,000 images of photographs, documents, brochures, postcards, and more documenting the origins and cultural richness of the city.

About Us

 

The Miami Beach Digital Archive was born out of the City’s 100 Years celebrations in 2015. Miami Beach was incorporated March 26, 1915. For years, dedicated employees at the Office of the City Clerk and friends of the City of Miami Beach kept and indexed valuable historical and administrative documents. Since August 2014, a group of graduate students and researchers from Florida International University have worked incessantly in the digitization of this historical material, making it ready, available, and searchable to everyone. Beginning in 2015, the Miami Beach Digital Archive became a partner of FIU’s Digital Collections.

What can you find at MBDA

The bulk of the Miami Beach Digital Archive are photographs pertaining life, customs, entertainment, administration, and advertising of the City of Miami Beach. A unique part is the collection of original aerial photographs done by City photographers like Chris Hansen. The 1926 hurricane is also well documented with photographs and government documents dealing with the City’s post-storm recovery efforts. In addition, the MBDA offers postcards, brochures, and other documents that show how Miami Beach has been marketed as a tourist destination throughout the decades. There are also a varied collection of government documents such as ordinances and resolutions, as well as oral interviews and videos of the City of Miami Beach in the 1930s.