The Orange County Regional History Center presents The Story of Harness Racing by Currier & Ives Aug. 27 through Oct. 17, featuring more than 30 rare framed original Currier & Ives lithographs. This show of original trotting prints celebrating harness racing’s history and heroes is from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen, N.Y.

American printmakers Nath-aniel Currier (1813-88) and James Merritt Ives (1824-95) captured, in an artful way, harness racing’s important role in American culture and history. The lithographs in this exhibition depict great trotting horses, bucolic mid-19th century scenes, and comedic adventures that convey a picturesque view of Americana prior to the development of photography.

The history center will complement the exhibition from its own collection with a display of items from Orlando’s Ben White Raceway, reflecting the rich history of Central Florida’s horseracing industry. Ben White Raceway, named after the patriarch of harness racing, Benjamin Franklin White, served as a top winter training center for harness-racing horses and, at its peak, was referred to as the colt capital of harness racing.

The Orange County Regional History Center, housed in a restored historic five-story 1927 courthouse in downtown Orlando, showcases the vast collections of the Historical Society of Central Florida, Inc. The museum features three floors of permanent exhibits and also presents nationally important limited-run exhibitions. The museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is accredited by the American Association of Museums.

Located at 65 E. Central Boulevard in downtown Orlando, the Orange County Regional History Center is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. General admission for this exhibition is $9, seniors, students and military with I.D. are $7, children ages 5-12 are $6, and children ages 4 and under and members of the Historical Society are free. For more information call 407-836-8500.

or visit www.thehistorycenter.org.