ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Government, the City of Orlando and the Historical Society of Central Florida through the Orange County Regional History Center have announced the launch of the One Orlando Collection, digital gallery.
Orange County’s Regional History Center remains the proud guardian of more than 5,000 memorial items, which were meticulously collected and preserved in the wake of the Pulse Nightclub tragedy.
While these items remain under the care of the History Center, approximately 600 images of memorial items have been made available online at www.OneOrlandoCollection.com. The digital gallery includes photographs of items collected at various memorials, including the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Pulse Nightclub and Lake Eola. It provides a first glimpse of these items since the History Center retired them from public memorials. The online gallery also allows loved ones to see the many displays of support and love received from across Central Florida and the world.
The digital gallery features a navigation tool that searches for artifacts by name or memorial. The gallery is intended to capture the stories behind the artifacts, including where the items came from and what the tributes represented to those who left them.
“The Pulse tragedy and the heartbreaking loss of 49 lives is a permanent part of history – it’s a story that will always be told,” said Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs. “Through the One Orlando Collection, we have the chance to tell the other side of the story – how our community reacted with compassion and understanding to this senseless act of violence and hate, and how Central Florida reacted with unity, resilience and strength in caring for our brothers and sisters within the LGBTQ, Latinx and Hispanic communities, as well as the loved ones of those who were lost.”
In addition to the launch of the digital gallery, the Orange County Regional History Center will host a free exhibit of nearly 200 memorial items that will be on display through June 17.
