This series is comprised of assorted files relating to Brooklyn (history and culture) and the historic preservation movement that were collected by the Ortners, dating from circa 1880 to 2008. The files include publications, typescripts, correspondence, photographs, posters, 16mm films, VHS tapes, notes, and other materials. It contains a small of amount of historical memorabilia, including an engraving print of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, a Brooklyn Young Republicans ribbon, and a menu from Trommer's restaurant. Architectural drawings for buildings on the south side of Ninth Street (east of Eighth Avenue) in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn are also available in the series.
The series documents several Brooklyn organizations, including the Park Slope Betterment Committee, Park Slope Block Association, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Brooklyn Museum, Long Island Historical Society/Brooklyn Historical Society (LIHS/BHS), Brownstone Revival Committee/Coalition, Brooklyn Union Gas Company's Cinderella projects, and Preservation Volunteers. Of particular note are the files relating to the Park Slope Betterment Committee, which was established in the mid-1960s and was a precursor to the Park Slope Civic Council. The efforts of these groups led to landmarking of the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. Also of note are files relating to the Board of Directors of both BAM and LIHS/BHS.
The series contains two 16mm films: a WCBS-TV Eye on New York segment titled "So You Want To Own A Brownstone" and a film titled Brooklyn Bridge.