New-York Historical Society

In the past, the only way to find materials within the vast set of collections previously known as “Miscellaneous Manuscripts” was to ask a librarian or grapple with an incomplete card catalog. Now, thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Library is creating online catalog records that will provide intellectual…

This post was written by Tammy Kiter, Manuscript Reference Librarian. As Women’s History Month draws to a close, let’s take this opportunity to celebrate the women who served as nurses, both Union and Confederate, throughout the Civil War. Statistics vary, but it is estimated that approximately 3,000 women served as nurses during this turbulent time…

This post was written by Christine Calvo, AHMC Cataloging Assistant.   On October 29, 1754, John Harris Jr. wrote to Philadelphia politician Richard Peters about a visit from an Iroquois leader “Monacatootha” and “Severall others.” Harris was the son of John Harris Sr. (1673 – 1748), the namesake of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. John Harris Sr. was known for…

This post was written by Sara Belasco, Enhanced Conservation Work Experience conservation assistant. For the last six months, I have been working on rehousing a collection of cased images in the Library collection. Almost all of these photographs are ambrotypes, one of the earliest photographic processes on glass plates popular in the 1850s. The collection was previously…

This post was written by Alison Barr, Manuscript Department volunteer. The Charles Frederick Heartman Collection at the New-York Historical Society is comprised of a vast array of material mostly related to American history and culture. Heartman was a well-known and respected book and autograph collector, a bookseller and author who wrote on diverse topics but…

This post was written by Trish Kaiser, intern for the Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architecture. As an intern with the Library’s Graphic Materials Collections, I researched the extensive Keppler collection, which highlights Joseph Keppler and his son Udo’s influential satirical 19th century publication Puck. This collection includes 26 folders of original drawings, color lithographic prints, and…

This post was written by Ted Houghtaling, Scanning Technician. “Terrible affair that General Slocum explosion. Terrible, terrible! A thousand casualties. And heartrending scenes. Men trampling down women and children. Most brutal thing…” — James Joyce, Ulysses On the morning of June 15th, 1904, 1,358 members and friends of the St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church chartered an…

This post was written by Maureen Maryanski, Reference Librarian for Printed Collections. At the height of the Roaring Twenties, the wealthy and glamorous descended in droves on the northeast corner of 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue to hear the latest compositions, see the newest dances, and revel in the cultural and creative crucible of Harlem’s…

  This post was written by Matthew Murphy, Head of Cataloging and Metadata. One of the many interesting aspects of the American Historical Manuscript Collection is the opportunity for new research it provides. One such item that would benefit from a deeper investigation is the June 16, 1821, affidavit of freedom for Benjamin Smith. Little is…