Let’s spark your imagination. It’s December 5, 1996-the day the Bienes Museum first opened to the public. The air is buzzing with excitement. James A. Findlay-the adventurous first Museum Librarian-is ready to share thousands of stories with the world. Thanks to philanthropists Diane and Michael Bienes, whose $1 million donation and personal collection of books and rare items helped get things started, Fort Lauderdale suddenly had a sanctuary for book lovers and history buffs. This place wouldn’t exist without teamwork: the Broward Public Library Foundation, the Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Arts Council all came together, and… voila! The only thing missing was a "Grand Opening: Please No Dog-Earing Pages" sign.
Inside, there’s a 25-seat conference room and a 60-seat Ceremonial Room, where people gather for lectures, programs, maybe the occasional heated debate about who’s the greatest literary villain-Captain Hook, perhaps? No matter your favorite, the collections here are jaw-dropping: more than 15,000 rare books, manuscripts, and artifacts.
One of the quirkiest and most delightful collections is the Nyr Indictor Collection of Alphabet and Related Materials. Over 2,000 items tracing the journey of alphabets around the world are here-Arabic to Yiddish and beyond. You’ll find everything from flashcards and jigsaw puzzles to clothing and ceramics. If you ever wondered what the letter "A" looked like in Serbo-Croatian, or on a rubber stamp, you’re covered!
There’s the Jean Trebbi ABC Collection, too-over 300 alphabet books collected over 20 years. Some are signed, some are first editions, and all have stories as colorful as their covers. And for the comic lovers, the museum boasts around 2,400 vintage comic books. Imagine flipping through first-edition "The Amazing Spider-Man," "Iron Man," or "Star Wars." The only thing louder than the superheroes’ capes is the laughter from Archie and Jughead-good luck sneaking those past your teacher!
A real showstopper is the collection of pop-up books and artworks by Vojtech Kubasta, a Czech paper wizard, whose creations burst off the page. The Bienes Museum has the largest collection of his works in the U.S.-calendars, greeting cards, even fold-out castles! It’s hard not to get caught up in the magic.
From Florida authors’ archives to Big Little Books that used to cost a dime, this museum is a living time capsule of imagination. Large chunks of it are now online, ready to explore from anywhere-but nothing beats standing here, where book lovers have been gathering for decades, each page and artifact waiting to jump out and whisper its own story.
And don’t forget-once you’ve had your fill, dab your brow and move along, because the next Fort Lauderdale adventure is only a stroll away!
