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Searching for Nancy

An exhibit of records drawn from the collections of the Municipal Archives lines the basement corridors at 31 Chambers Street. One grouping holds particular interest—three documents related to black people living in New York City—both free and enslaved in the early 19th century. The grouping includes replicas of the cover sheet for the 1810 census, an 1811 certificate of manumission for Lecretia Dixon signed by Mayor DeWitt Clinton, and an 1816 letter issued by Mayor Jacob Radcliff to a free woman named Nancy.    

Certificate signed by Mayor Jacob Radcliff regarding Nancy, August 31, 1816. Common Council Papers Collection, 1670-1831. NYC Municipal Archives.

The exhibit, installed in 1989, offers highlights from the Archives extensive collections ranging from the early regulations proposed by Governor Petrus Stuyvesant in 1647, to a photograph of Mayor David N. Dinkins in the Yankee dugout on April 15, 1991.  By 2014, time had taken its toll, with faded images and grimy frames. Staff painstakingly removed all of the exhibit items, rescanned images, and re-hung approximately 30% of the content including the three documents.  

Each item documents government activity. But they also raise questions about the individuals named in the records. Who were they? Where did they live? What happened to them? This blog was spurred by recent remarks to the volunteers and contributors to our Neighborhood Stories program whose personal stories add a human dimension to the institutions operated by City government: schools, hospitals, streets, etc. Those short histories will add human context to records documenting government decisions. That gave rise to the questions: who was Nancy and could we use the various historical records in the Municipal Archives to learn more about her?

Nancy is a name on a document. She was approximately 60 years old and had the wherewithal to pay $2 for a letter from the Mayor stating she was free.

1810 Census Coversheet. Common Council Papers Collection, 1670-1831. NYC Municipal Archives.

The cover sheet to the 1810 census shows who lived in the City (only Manhattan at this time) by a variety of categories. The data indicates that a total of 8,915 Black people lived in the City, approximately 9% of the population, including 7,319 free people and 1,596 enslaved people. Women comprised more than half of the residents. The fifth ward was home to the largest number of free people—702 men and 1,002 women. Would Nancy be among these residents? The 1816 census lists, organized by ward, might provide an answer.

One would think that searching for a person using only a first name would be impossible. That may have been the situation prior to 2021 when researchers used the microfilmed records and scrolled through page after page of cursive writing. But, in March 2020, in preparation for working from home, the Head of Collections Management had the foresight to put together a transcription project in which agency staff entered information from hand-written lists, including the census, into a database. This made a first name search possible. (Currently in the quality-assurance phase, the databases will be added to our online collections).

Searching the index showed there were seven women named Nancy living in the Fifth Ward. The ward covered a good chunk of what we now call Tribeca and our subjects lived on Broadway, Chambers, Reed (sic), Duane, Thomas and Jay Streets. A review of the hand-written entries for all seven women named Nancy in the Fifth ward eliminated each either because of race or age. The Tenth ward in 1816 is what is now the Lower East Side with streets named Orchard, Essex and Delancey. A name search for “Nancy” in the index produced two people named Nancy in this ward: Nancy Sleet and Nancy Thorp. They, too did not meet the search criteria. Unfortunately, the census, while fascinating, yielded no clues to Nancy.

Since the letter had been issued by Mayor Jacob Radcliff (whose two terms alternated with those of DeWitt Clinton) searching the Mayoral Collections for back-up correspondence made sense. That proved a dead end since the Mayor’s papers in the Archives begin in 1826—a decade later. Where did Mayor Radcliff’s letter come from?

Interestingly, records from mayors preceding 1826 can be found in another collection: the Records of the Common Council spanning 1670-1831. During that time in the City’s history, the Mayor presided over the Council, so records documenting mayoral activities are in the Council Collection which is organized chronologically by subject.  Pulling the three boxes dated 1816 provided information on many topics including manumission and slavery.     

Manumission of Hetty Davis, July 15, 1815. Page 1. Common Council Papers Collection, 1670-1831. NYC Municipal Archives.

Manumission of Hetty Davis, July 15, 1815. Page 2. Common Council Papers Collection, 1670-1831. NYC Municipal Archives.

The “Manumission” folder contained one completed and several blank manumission forms to be filled-out when a person was released from bondage.  Generally, records from this period are hand-written in ink on heavy paper. Whether it is a petition to open a street or close a bawdy house or applications to be named the grain weight-master or inspector of public wood, the documents are written in cursive with brown, iron-gall ink. The Manumission records are different. Most are pre-printed forms that begin with the title:

Know All Men by these Presents, That…

A statement to “fully and absolutely manumit, make free and set at liberty” is followed by blanks to enter the gender, the name of the formerly enslaved person and language to relinquish and release all rights, titles and property. None of the documents in this folder related to Nancy.

Statement regarding John Cumberland’s relocation to Kentucky, April 1816, Page 1. Common Council Papers Collection, 1670-1831. NYC Municipal Archives.

Statement regarding John Cumberland’s relocation to Kentucky, April 1816, Page 2. Common Council Papers Collection, 1670-1831. NYC Municipal Archives.

The folder titled “Slavery” contained four documents including the original of the letter in the exhibit. One is a manumission certificate for Hetty Davis. Another, sadly, contains various statements documenting an appearance before Radcliff by John Cumberland who planned to move to Kentucky from New York City and was asking to take with him an enslaved woman named Charity. A 1813 State Law meant to protect servants from being sold/moved into slavery required that municipal officials review such plans.

Statement of John Bancker regarding Nancy, to Mayor Radcliff, August 31, 1816. Common Council Papers Collection, 1670-1831. NYC Municipal Archives.

The fourth document, however, transcribes a statement by John Bancker that provides a little information about Nancy. Bancker stated that he had been acquainted with Nancy for approximately sixteen years “last past” and that Nancy had been a free woman for at least five years. She had been sold for “a period of service which hath long since expired and on the expiration of which she was to be free and that she hath always since enjoyed her freedom.”

How did Bancker know Nancy? Would finding him produce more information about her? Efforts to locate Bancker in the census indices proved futile (as did efforts to locate Mayor Radcliff). Perhaps they resided in Wards 4 and 6 for which the Archives does not have 1816 census records.

The next step was to try the City Directories. Various companies printed directories listing the names of individuals, businesses individuals and institutions. Two volumes in the Municipal Library for 1811 and 1815-16 were issued by David Longworth “from the Old Established Directory Office Shakespeare.” 

Bancker appears in each. In 1811 there is an entry for Bancker jun. John residing at 9 Harison (sic). The 1815 volume lists Bancker junr. John, merchant, Jones n. Broadway. Nothing here provides any information about Nancy. The street address was confusing because neither Jones Lane nor Jones Street are anywhere near Broadway. Apparently, there was a short alley running behind numbers 48 and 50 Broadway named Jones Court. But, alas, none of this leads to Nancy.

A search of the Proceedings of the Common Council produces various entries for John Bancker and John Bancker Jr. But none provide further information about Nancy.

And the trail ends there.

Department of Buildings - Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, 1866-1977

The Western Union Telegraph Company Building, 60 Hudson Street, Perspective of Hudson & Thomas Streets, May 29, 1928. New Building application 278 of 1928. Architects: Voorhees, Gmelin & Walker. Department of Buildings - Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 144, Lot 33-56. NYC Municipal Archives.

For the researcher investigating the built environment of New York City, material contained within the Municipal Archives is a gold mine. Recent blogs have described three of these resources, the Assessed Valuation Real Estate Ledgers, the Manhattan Department of Buildings docket books, and the Manhattan building plan collection, part 1, and part 2.

This week’s subject is another series from the Department of Buildings Record Group (025)—the application permit folders, a.k.a. the block and lot folders. The series is a subset of the Department of Buildings Manhattan Building Plan Collection, 1866-1977 (REC 074).

Totaling approximately 1,230 cubic feet, the permit folders provide essential and detailed construction and alteration information for almost every building in lower Manhattan from the Battery to 34th Street. In addition, a wide range of historical subjects can be explored using these records including the effect of planning, zoning and technology on building design, the role of real estate development as a gauge of national economic trends, and the evolution of architectural practice, particularly during the period of professionalization in the latter part of the 19th century.

Established in 1862, the Department of Buildings (DOB) “had full power, in passing upon any question relative to the mode, manner of construction or materials to be used in the erection, alteration or repair of any building in the City of New York.” All DOB personnel were required to be architects, masons, or house carpenters. Then, beginning in 1866, New York City law required that an application, including plans, be submitted to the DOB for approval before a building could be constructed or altered.

The provenance of the collection in the Municipal Archives dates to the 1970s when the DOB began microfilming the application files and plans as a space-saving measure. They intended to dispose of the original materials after microfilming. The project began with records of buildings in lower Manhattan, proceeding northward to approximately 34th Street when it was discovered that the microfilm copies were illegible. The DOB abandoned the project and the original records were transferred to the Municipal Archives for permanent preservation and access. 

NB Application 34 of 1890, page 1, for a “Nurse Building” to be appended to the Society of the New York Hospital at 6 West 16th Street. Architect: R. Maynicke for George B. Post. Department of Buildings—Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 817, Lot 29. NYC Municipal Archives.

NB Application 34 of 1890, page 2, for a “Nurse Building” to be appended to the Society of the New York Hospital at 6 West 16th Street. Architect: R. Maynicke for George B. Post. Department of Buildings—Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 817, Lot 29. NYC Municipal Archives.

Most applications are accompanied by a site plan showing the building’s location. Site plan for the “Nurse Building” at 6 West 16th Street. NB Application 34 of 1890. Department of Buildings—Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 817, Lot 29. NYC Municipal Archives.

New Building (NB) Applications

In theory, there should be an NB application for every building constructed after 1866. Unfortunately, prior to the mid-1960s, DOB policy was to dispose of the files of buildings that were demolished. The result is that the Municipal Archives collection generally comprises only records of buildings extant as of the mid-to-late 1970s.

The NB application provides the most complete and detailed information about a structure. The form includes location (street address and block and lot numbers); the owner, architect and/or contractors; dimensions and description of the site; dimensions of the proposed building; estimated cost; the type of building (loft, dwelling factory, tenement, office, etc.); and details of its construction such as materials to be used for the foundation, upper walls, roof and interior. Every NB application was assigned a number, beginning with number one for the first application filed on or after January 1, up to as many as 3,000 or more by December 31, each year.

Specifications form, front NB application 222 of 1919, the Cunard Building, 25 Broadway. Department of Buildings—Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 13, Lot 27. NYC Municipal Archives.

Specifications form, reverse, NB application 222 of 1919, the Cunard Building, 25 Broadway. Department of Buildings—Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 13, Lot 27. NYC Municipal Archives.

As buildings incorporated new technologies such as elevators and steel-frame construction, the approval process became more rigorous, requiring more extensive information about the proposed structure. Permit folders for larger buildings often contain voluminous back-and-forth correspondence between the DOB examiners and the owners and architects. If any part of an NB application was disapproved the owner or architect was obliged to file an “Amendment” form stating what changes would be made to the application so that the building would comply with building codes.   

Amendment to NB Application 44 of 1925, filed November 23, 1926 for the building at 35 Wall Street. Each point on the amendment explains how the architects were modifying their plans to meet DOB objections. (Note point no. 4. “The height of the Wall Street front has been altered to meet the requirements of the Building Zone Resolution—Article 3, Section 8. All setbacks have been clearly noted on elevations and setback plan.)” Department of Buildings—Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 26, Lot 1. NYC Municipal Archives.

Correspondence from the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works in the Office of the President of the Borough of Manhattan, to the Department of Buildings regarding NB application 222 of 1919 (the Cunard Building at 25 Broadway), and possible disruption to sewers and sidewalks, August 21, 1919.  Department of Buildings—Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 24, Lot 27. NYC Municipal Archives.

Correspondence from the Zoning Committee to the Department of Buildings regarding the height of the Cunard Building, 25 Broadway, NB application 222 of 1919.  Department of Buildings—Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 24, Lot 27. NYC Municipal Archives.

When the DOB approved a NB application, they issued a permit and construction could begin. Periodically during construction, inspections would be made by DOB personnel and their reports would also be included in the application file.

Other Applications

After a building was completed and the final inspection report submitted, any subsequent work on the building would require a separate Alteration (ALT) application. As building technology became more complex, the DOB began to require separate applications for elevator and dumbwaiter installations, plumbing and drainage work, certificates of occupancy and electric signs. The permit files also contain numerous Building Notice (BN) applications pertaining to relatively minor alterations. The DOB also mandated a “Demolition” application to raze buildings. The permit files generally do not include documents related to building violations.

DOB building permit folder, Block 551, Lot 21, 26 West 8th Street. Department of Buildings—Manhattan Block and Lot Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

The DOB organized all applications and related correspondence into folders according to the block and lot where the building was situated. After 1898, each block in Manhattan was assigned a number, beginning with number 1 at the Battery, and each lot within the block was also assigned a number. The original block and lot filing scheme has been maintained by the Municipal Archives for the block and lot permit collection. An inventory of the permit folder collection is available in the new online Municipal Archives Collection Guides.  

The Municipal Archives has also maintained the original permit folders, whenever possible. The folder lists the application paperwork contained within and serves as a table of contents. If paperwork related to an application listed on the folder is missing, it is possible to trace at least basic information about the action using the DOB docket books as described in a recent blog Manhattan Department of Buildings docket books.

American Exchange Irving Trust Company, to the DOB, December 28, 1928, regarding application to the Board of Standards and Appeals. NB application 419 of 1928. Irving Trust Company Building at One Wall Street. Department of Buildings—Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 23, Lot 7. NYC Municipal Archives.

Application for Variation from the Requirements of the Building Zone Resolution filed by the American Exchange Irving Trust Company, for One Wall Street, NB application 419 of 1928. Department of Buildings —Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 23, Lot 7. NYC Municipal Archives. (N.B. The variance was approved.)

Building bulk calculation diagram submitted with Application for Variation from the Requirements of the Building Zone Resolution filed by the American Exchange Irving Trust Company, for One Wall Street, NB application 419 of 1928. Department of Buildings—Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 23, Lot 7. NYC Municipal Archives.

The collection provides detailed data about specific buildings and enables the researcher to explore broader topics. For example, one theme of interest to architectural historians is the impact of New York’s 1916 zoning ordinance. The regulation had been imposed partly in response to construction of the massive Equitable Building on lower Broadway, but more generally to reduce the growing density of the built environment. It is usually argued that the law was responsible for the setback style of New York skyscrapers constructed throughout the 1920s. In an examination of the NB applications for several skyscraper buildings erected before the Depression, such as the Irving Trust tower at 1 Wall Street, it was found that very often the original NB application was disapproved, in part because the building plans violated some part of the 1916 zoning ordinance. In response, however, the architects did not revise their plans, but instead appealed to the City for a variance and invariably received permission to proceed with their original plans.

Application to convert a stable to a sculptors studio, ALT 531 of 1903, no. 26 West 8th Street / 5 McDougall Alley. Department of Buildings—Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 551, Lot 21. NYC Municipal Archives.

The permit folder collection also provides ample opportunity for researchers to study the long tradition of adaptive re-use of buildings in lower Manhattan. Although many of the buildings in these neighborhoods pre-date establishment of the DOB, the collection is rich with applications submitted for later alterations, as architects, homeowners, and developers converted older structures into “modern” dwellings by removing stoops and covering facades with light-colored stucco, mosaic tile, and shutters. 

Correspondence from architect Cass Gilbert to DOB, September 22, 1905. NB application 1376 of 1905, 90 West Street Building. Manhattan Block and Lot Collection, Block 56, Lot 4. NYC Municipal Archives.

The permit folders, along with the associated building plans, contain documentation for the study of individual architects, as well as architecture as a profession. Scholars will find an abundance of unique materials that detail the professionalization of the field, especially during the latter half of the 19th century.

Together with the Assessed Valuation of Real Estate ledgers, the several Department of Buildings series—docket books, architectural plans, and the permit folders, provide an unparalleled opportunity for detailed research on the built environment. Few other cities in the nation possess a body of documents whose scope and completeness can compare with these New York City records. 

Honoring Duke Ellington

For most of the 20th century, the City of New York ran the largest municipal broadcast organization in the United States, consisting of WNYC-FM, AM and TV. During this time, WNYC brought the diverse lives and cultures of the city into the homes of its residents through original entertainment, journalism and educational programming. Since the separation of WNYC from the City in 1996, the Municipal Archives has been caring for the thousands of films and video tapes from WNYC-TV, and thousands of radio recordings in partnership with the WNYC Foundation’s Archives. Some recently digitized items added to the online gallery  show deep appreciation for the life and work of music legend Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington.  

Duke Ellington, with Mrs. Ellington, receives the Bronx Medal from Acting Mayor Paul Screvane (left), August 2, 1965. Official Mayoral Photograph Collection. NYC Municipal Archives. 

Duke Ellington Day was proclaimed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on April 29th, 2009, which would have been the jazz legend’s 110th birthday. Ellington is famous for adding his piano to brass orchestral jazz with songs such as “It Don’t Mean a Thing (if it Ain’t Got that Swing),” and was house band leader of the influential and infamous prohibition era Harlem venue the Cotton Club. The City of New York has honored the composer several times for his work and 2009 was not the first Duke Ellington Day. In 1965, Duke Ellington was presented with the Bronze Medal by Acting Mayor Paul Screvane, and Mayor John V. Lindsay also proclaimed Duke Ellington Day on September 15th, 1969, in honor of his contributions to American culture. WNYC Radio and TV covered the two events.  

WNYC recording, Duke Ellington Day, City Hall, August 2, 1965.  

Long before the awards and honors, Ellington arrived in New York in 1923, leaving his successful career in his hometown of Washington, D.C. for opportunity in the vibrant art scene of Harlem. That Manhattan neighborhood was in the middle of a cultural awakening now described as the Harlem Renaissance, when many enduring works by African American artists were created. Aside from Ellington, other musical giants like Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong wrote and performed in clubs across Harlem. Writers like Arthur Schomburg and Langston Hughes penned famous works such as ‘The Weary Blues’ in 1926 and visual artists Richmond Barthé and Meta Vaux Warwick Fuller portrayed the beauty of black physicality.   

Duke Ellington had gained recognition as a member in other bands already, but his career really took off once he became the band leader at the Cotton Club. Although the venue was highly popular among its exclusively wealthy and white clientele, the real surge in popularity came when CBS began broadcasting the performances across the country, making Duke Ellington the first nationally-broadcast African American band leader. This popularity quickly led to short films with RKO Pictures and recording deals with major record labels.  

Ellington and his band left the Cotton Club in 1931 and found great success in composing and recording original music, as well as touring internationally despite the onset of the Great Depression. Some of his most enduring work, like ‘Caravan’ and ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing’ were composed and performed for the first time during this period. Ellington also began to win major awards for his work when he scored a film titled ‘Symphony in Black’ (1935), featuring Billie Holiday, which won the Academy Award for Best Musical Short Piece that year.

WNYC-TV Collection, Duke Ellington and his band perform at Duke Ellington Day, with Mayor John V. Lindsay, City Hall Plaza, September 15, 1969. NYC Municipal Archives.

Ellington’s popularity waned during the 1940s, only to resurge in the 1950s and ‘60s after his headline-grabbing appearance at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. The resulting vinyl record of the performance has become the best-selling album of Ellington’s entire career. Soon he and his orchestra were in high demand to play at festivals across the country. Ellington spent the later years of his career split between expanding his discography and receiving awards and accolades for his decades of musical innovation. In addition to honors from the City of New York, Duke Ellington also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame and won 12 Grammy’s as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Although the original Cotton Club no longer exists, the indelible mark that Duke Ellington left on the City and its culture is evident not just in the awards he was given, but the material now preserved and publicly available through a grant from the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund. You can find the WNYC-TV recording of the 1969 Duke Ellington Day on the Municipal Archive’s digital gallery along with hundreds of hours of WNYC-TV programming.  

Processing the Old Town Records Collection

Over the past several months as a project archivist at the Municipal Archives, I have been processing the Old Town records. Funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), the project is to preserve and digitize a huge collection of volumes that are remarkable records of the earliest days of New York City. The Old Town collection, which dates back to the seventeenth century, contains records from the villages and towns that eventually became the five boroughs in 1898. They consist of deeds, minutes from town boards and meetings, court records, tax records, license books, school district records, city charters, information on street and sewer construction, and much, much more. It is a collection rich with fascinating content and the chance to make it more accessible through this grant-funded project is a great opportunity.

Old Town Records Collection, MSS 0004, Subgroup 2, Series 2, Subseries 14, Vol. 1: Department of Health, City of Brooklyn, 1892-1894, Cover. NYC Municipal Archives.

It is always interesting to find parallels to modern life when looking through books and papers that are centuries old. The old adage that history repeats itself does, at times, seem to ring true. One such instance is a Board of Health ledger from Kings County, dating from September 15, 1892 to December 31, 1894.   

Flipping through the book, topics and problems facing the Board of Health become readily apparent: records of deaths due to illnesses that were reported to the board, salaries and raises for board officials, unpaid bills, resignations and appointments to various positions (doctors, sanitation workers, etc.), and regulations regarding the storage of meat are just some of the subjects in this minute book.

But as you turn the pages, a word that has become very familiar of late jumps out many times: “vaccination.” After looking at these entries in more detail, the story becomes clearer: there was a smallpox outbreak in Brooklyn in the winter of 1893-1894, and this book documents the Board of Health’s efforts to contain it, largely by vaccinating as much of the population as possible.

A plan for the vaccination is laid out:

Old Town Records Collection, MSS 0004, Subgroup 2, Series 2, Subseries 14, Vol. 1: Department of Health, City of Brooklyn, 1892-1894, page 19, Orders Issued to Vaccinators. NYC Municipal Archives.

“February 9, 1894,

Orders issued to vaccinators and sanitary inspectors as follows:

You will vaccinate in ward and make daily reports to the Inspector of the district. You will urge vaccination upon all who have not been vaccinated within five (5) years.

Yours truly,

Z. Taylor Emery, M.D.

Commissioner”

We also find printed pages distributed by the Department of Health pasted into the book:

Old Town Records Collection, MSS 0004, Subgroup 2, Series 2, Subseries 14, Vol. 1: Department of Health, City of Brooklyn, 1892-1894, Rules for Vaccinators. NYC Municipal Archives.

Old Town Records Collection, MSS 0004, Subgroup 2, Series 2, Subseries 14, Vol. 1: Department of Health, City of Brooklyn, 1892-1894, Further Instructions. NYC Municipal Archives.  

The above Rules for Vaccinators, and Further Instructions includes phrases like:

“This applies with especial force in times of epidemic prevalence.”

“In case persons are found who have never been vaccinated, every effort should be made to induce them to accept it, and, if necessary, they should be visited a second or third time.”

“When the inmates of infected houses refuse to be vaccinated, the vaccinator may—at his discretion—direct the Sanitary Police to maintain a quarantine until they are vaccinated.”

These instructions indicate how this was a matter of utmost importance to the Board of Health. The sense of urgency is, again, a familiar one in the current pandemic.

We continue to learn of the city’s efforts to immunize its people:

Old Town Records Collection, MSS 0004, Subgroup 2, Series 2, Subseries 14, Vol. 1: Department of Health, City of Brooklyn, 1892-1894, page 38, Vaccinating the Bakery. NYC Municipal Archives.

Another familiar scenario: vaccination stations were set up around Brooklyn.

Old Town Records Collection, MSS 0004, Subgroup 2, Series 2, Subseries 14, Vol. 1: Department of Health, City of Brooklyn, 1892-1894, Vaccine Stations. NYC Municipal Archives.

They then took their efforts to the public schools:

Old Town Records Collection, MSS 0004, Subgroup 2, Series 2, Subseries 14, Vol. 1: Department of Health, City of Brooklyn, 1892-1894, Meeting. NYC Municipal Archives.

“Conference was held between the Commissioner [and] President of the Board of Education…with regard to the measures to be taken for the protection of the Public School children from the danger of smallpox. The Commissioner insisted on the necessity of an examination of all the children in the Public Schools in order to determine whether or not they had been vaccinated….”

An official plan was made:

Old Town Records Collection, MSS 0004, Subgroup 2, Series 2, Subseries 14, Vol. 1: Department of Health, City of Brooklyn, 1892-1894, Schools Announcement. NYC Municipal Archives.

As seen above, the goal was to vaccinate any child who hadn’t yet been, for whatever reason. Those who were not vaccinated were not allowed to attend school until they brought a certificate of vaccination.

It was a swift process, lasting only a few weeks, as we see an entry dated April 23, 1894: “Vaccination of the children in the public schools completed this day.”

A few months later we see a letter from Henry H. Morton, a contagious disease expert, requesting statistics to show “the protective power of vaccination”: 

Old Town Records Collection, MSS 0004, Subgroup 2, Series 2, Subseries 14, Vol. 1: Department of Health, City of Brooklyn, 1892-1894, Statistics Request. NYC Municipal Archives.

And, the last entry referencing the vaccination effort is a congratulatory letter from the Medical Society of the County of Kings.

Old Town Records Collection, MSS 0004, Subgroup 2, Series 2, Subseries 14, Vol. 1: Department of Health, City of Brooklyn, 1892-1894, Congratulations. NYC Municipal Archives.

The efforts that the city made to vaccinate its citizens were no doubt controversial at the time, and in fact resulted in a number of legal cases. But as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it is interesting to learn about previous efforts to contain a serious threat to the population’s health. A few things are clear: virus and disease is a consistent problem throughout human history; controversy over vaccines and the methods in which government decides to distribute and encourage them is not a new issue; and vaccines have been an effective, safe method to fight serious health threats for centuries.

 

Archival processing and digitization of the Colonial Old Town Records is made possible by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. 

 

Gifts from the Archives

This week we ask our readers to take a look at the first ever Holiday Gift Catalog for a selection of truly unique items. The proceeds support the work of the Municipal Archives and Library.

Impress friends and family with knowledge of park designer Frederick Law Olmsted that you glean from the Municipal Archives book publication, The Central Park: Original Designs for New York’s Greatest Treasure. With the 200th anniversary of Olmsted’s birth coming up in April 2022, and Central Park considered by many to be his masterpiece, the book will certainly be a popular gift. (And stay tuned for more info about the many events celebrating the Olmsted Bi-Centennial next spring.)

The Central Park: Original Designs for New York’s Greatest Treasure. By Cynthia S. Brenwall, New York City Municipal Archives, Abrams 2019.

The photographs featured in the catalog include some of the most popular and iconic images from the Archives collections. The pictures of the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queensboro Bridges were taken by Department of Bridges photographer Eugene de Salignac using a large-format camera. The sale prints have been produced from super-high-res. scans that capture all the fantastic detail from the original 8”x10” negatives. Or, choose evocative photos of Grand Central Terminal and the Flatiron Building taken by WPA photographers in the 1930s.

BPS III 544: Manhattan Bridge from Washington Street looking west, Brooklyn, June 5, 1908. Eugene de Salignac, Department of Bridges/Plant and Structures Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

And for truly unique one-of-a-kind gifts consider a selection from the limited supply of original redeemed vintage bonds and stock certificates dating from the 1920s to the 1980s. Beautifully illustrated with ornate artwork, multi-color logos and symbols, they are desirable for both their historical significance and as distinctive objects. 

Original Bonds range in size from 8 ¾” x 12 ¼” to 17” x 20” and are priced between $120.00 and $250.00.

The holiday catalog also offers the opportunity to support conservation of historical documents. Interested persons may choose from a selection of maps, books, drawings and documents from the Municipal Archives and Municipal Library collections that are in a state of disrepair and make a contribution to fund the necessary conservation treatments. The “Adopt New York’s Past,” program is sponsored by the New York Archival Society, DORIS’ affiliated 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Donors are commemorated by a label with the physical item and a note in the catalog that includes their name and an acknowledgement of the gift. (Requests to remain anonymous will also be honored.) Upon completion of the conservation treatment, the donor receives a report describing what was done.

And take a look at the beautiful buttons reproducing drawings of Central Park tiles, and the Brooklyn Bridge tote; there is certainly something for everyone in the catalog.

These handsome buttons reproduce original encaustic tile designs by Jacob Wrey Mould for Central Park’s Bethesda Terrace.

 Enjoy the holidays!