New-York Historical recently acquired a small set of documents related to a 19th century medical doctor, one Laura Morgan. The documents are mostly ephemera dating from the 1860s-1880s, such as admission tickets, business cards, programs. But still waters run deep and these simple fragments lie on the surface of a rich history of women pioneers…

The American Historical Manuscript Collection (AHMC) cataloging project, supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, wrapped up on January 5, 2018. Since June 2014, when the project began, our catalogers have created searchable, electronic records for thousands of small manuscript collections and single items, racking up some impressive totals: Collections cataloged:…

As we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, the American Historical Manuscripts Cataloging Project staff would like to share this lovely discovery with our readers. This illuminated manuscript, done in the Carolingian style, was executed in 1932 by Madeline Abraham Scheuer for Dr. Victor H. Palsits (1867-1952). Palsits was the Keeper of Manuscripts at the New…

Before New York State took over all New York City bus, trolley, and subway operations on June 15, 1953, the subway was controlled by private companies. The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the first to roll out an underground subway line in Manhattan on October 27, 1904, operating rails between City Hall and 145th Street. Frank…

This post is by AHMC Cataloger Noa Kasman. The American Historical Manuscript Collection (AHMC) includes a folder of material related to poet, dramatist, and philosopher, Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (1759-1805), better known as Friedrich Schiller. While cataloging the collection, I was surprised to learn that Schiller’s monument was the very first in Central Park. It…

This post is by Christine Calvo, AHMC Cataloger. The American Historical Manuscript Collection (AHMC) includes a folder of material from Lillian Jaffe Salt’s days at the Hebrew Technical School for Girls during the first half of the twentieth century. Lillian (originally Leiba) Jaffe Salt was born in 1905 near Glasmonka, Russia, and originally a citizen of Latvia….

This post is by Elizabeth Vitek, Cataloger, American Historical Manuscript Collection The process of becoming a naturalized citizen in America is older than the United States itself. Before the United States was an independent nation, a person of foreign nationality had to become a naturalized citizen of the American colonies through the British Supreme Court. On April…

This post is by Christine Calvo, Cataloger, American Historical Manuscript Collection. This month’s selection from the American Historical Manuscript Collection focuses on two early nineteenth century “watch notes.” Watchmen assignments originally developed in England, and  were later imported to the American colonies in the 1600s. The inception goes back as early as ancient Rome with vigiles.  It was…

This post was written by Matthew Murphy, Head of Cataloging and Metadata. In honor of Black History Month, the American Historical Manuscript Collection staff would like to share an item that really resonated with us. It is a note, signed by Booker T. Washington, and dated November 15, 1906. In the note, Washington states “The strongest and…