Earlier this year, the Department of Records & Information Services partnered with the New York Archival Society, its affiliated 501(c) 3 non-profit organization, to promote a new program to help preserve some of the most significant items in the collections of the Municipal Archives and Municipal Library.
Spearheaded by Lindsey Hobbs, the head of Preservation/Conservation, “Adopt New York’s Past,” offers the opportunity for interested persons to choose from a selection of the city’s maps, volumes, drawings, and documents that are in a state of disrepair and make a contribution to fund the necessary conservation treatments.
Here is a sample of items from the collections that have been identified in as suitable for “adoption.”
Town of Flatbush, Kings County, 1797. Kings County Map Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.
This 1797 hand-drawn map of the town of Flatbush and surrounding areas of Brooklyn includes the homes of several early Dutch families that settled in the area, as well as Erasmus Hall (now Erasmus Hall High School) and the Flatbush Reformed Dutch Church, the longest serving religious site in all of New York City. The delicate details of the map, from the church’s spire to the 8-point compass rose, have become discolored over time and embedded with dirt and grime. The cloth-back paper has become brittle and is subject to further damage if the map is handled by researchers. Adopting this item would allow conservators to reduce the acidic discoloration of the paper, remove much of the surface dirt that is obscuring fine details, and prevent further deterioration. Your support will help to extend the life of this important New York record.
Town Proceedings, Town of Flatlands, Kings County, 1799. Kings County Clerk Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.
This volume, which documents the birth of children to enslaved women in the Flatlands area of Brooklyn, is a unique record of New York History. The binding of this volume has been damaged over time, and requires conservation treatment to make it safer for researchers to handle. Repairing the binding and creating a custom enclosure will ensure that the volume is protected both from poor handling and external environmental conditions.
Belevedere Castle, front elevation. Department of Parks Drawing Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.
The Archives’ collection includes nearly 2,000 drawings related to the planning and construction of Central Park. This drawing of the front elevation of Belvedere Castle, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, represents an early rendering of the structure and its detailed finial. Over time the drawing has become weakened and discolored by acids due to lignin content in the paper. Conservation treatment would reduce the acid and discoloration in the paper, and a new tissue lining on the reverse would add needed strength.
Brooklyn Bridge Drawings Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.
Among the Archives' nearly 10,000 plans for the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, this drawing depicts specifications for cable-making hardware that would provide support. It is a beautiful example of the artistry that went into every detail of the construction. Conservation treatment would help to remove some of the discoloration and degradation products from the paper, making the paper more stable, safer to handle, and bringing the drawing closer to its original appearance.
Third Annual Report of the Board of Commissioners of the Central Park, 1859. NYC Municipal Library.
The Municipal Library’s collection of Annual Reports of Central Park document the early development and use of the park in the mid to late 1800s in vivid detail. Each volume also contains fine lithographic foldout prints throughout. The earliest rare volumes are in need of custom enclosures that will protect the often delicate contents. Adopting one or more of these volumes will support their long term preservation by helping us to build cloth-covered drop-spine boxes to store them in.
Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York, 1850. NYC Municipal Library
One of the earliest illustrated histories of New York City, Valentine's Manuals documented change in the city each year through legislative and historical information as well as original lithographic prints, woodcut illustrations, and maps. Created by David T. Valentine from 1841 – 1866, the 1855 edition is leather-bound with edge tooling details and contains beautiful lithographic prints of Central Park and other fold-out maps. The covers have become detached from the volume from handling over the years, and the spine is deteriorated. Adopting this rare volume would allow it to be rebound and appropriately housed to protect this important piece of New York History.
Bookplate. Courtesy Catha Rambusch, Rambusch Lighting Co.
Donors will be commemorated by a label with the physical item and a note in the catalog that includes their name and an acknowledgment of the gift. The donor’s name will also appear on New York Archival Society’s website next to a picture of the “adopted” document. (Requests to remain anonymous will also be honored.) Donors will receive a thank you note with before and after photos of the adopted item once the conservation work is completed.
Please visit the New York Archival Society website Adopt New York City's Past to see more examples and to select one (or more!) of these unique items from the collection in need of conservation care.