New-York Historical Society

The West’s relationship with Hebrew is a complex and sometimes contradictory story. The study of Hebrew by Christians, or “Christian Hebraism,” which emerged in the Renaissance and continued into the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and beyond, was generally not a reflection of its adherents’ interest in Jewish contemporaries, or Judaism, per se. Rather, knowledge of the…

This post was written by Catherine Falzone, Cataloger, American Historical Manuscripts Collection. In cataloging the many small collections that make up the American Historical Manuscripts Collection (AHMC), we catalogers first turn to our card catalog. Many (but by no means all) items in our collections are represented by a card. Sometimes these cards give us…

This post was written by Jill Reichenbach, Reference Librarian, Department of Prints, Photographs and Architectural Collections. At this time of year, many people fantasize about going on a relaxing vacation somewhere exotic, or at least warm. And while some lucky people actually do get to go on vacation, still more might receive a postcard from…

This post was written by Megan Cherry, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow for 2016-2017. New Year’s comes with its own unique traditions, especially in New York. Approximately a million people will be gathering in Times Square this New Year’s Eve to watch the ball drop – a New York tradition since 1907. But one New…

This post was written by Tammy Kiter, Manuscript Reference Librarian. During chillier seasons, one may feel constricted by layers of sweaters, coats, scarves and other accessories designed to keep us warm and comfortable. But imagine how our foremothers felt in their confining corsets, also known as “stays,” of yesteryear. Although corsets had been in use…

This post was written by Saira Haqqi, Enhanced Conservation Work Experience (ECWE) Assistant. Our upcoming exhibition, Tattooed New York, will feature this delightful sketchbook containing tattoo designs by an unknown artist. Before it could be exhibited, the book needed some conservation treatment. When it came to the lab it showed signs of extensive use: the covers…

This post was written by Matthew Murphy, Head of Cataloging and Metadata Books can often tell stories far beyond the texts they contain. Every book is an artifact, built up from a multitude of components in a myriad of ways. Whether it is the paper the text is printed on, the thread the book was sewn with,…

This post was written by Matthew Murphy, Head of Cataloging and Metadata Though it may often seem like an archival collection is a static thing, the fact of the matter is that many collections are always expanding. The American Historical Manuscript Collection is a prime example of this; it continues to grow as new materials…

This post was written by Nina Nazionale, Director of Library Operations. With the approach of the winter holidays, many of us find ourselves flipping through recipe books we’ve compiled over the years—a motley mix of cards and sheets, handwritten and typed, photocopied and downloaded, clipped from newspapers and magazines — while also searching through cookbooks,…