This week, For the Record, revives the “Find of the Week” feature to highlight something surprising, exceptional, unusual, or unexpected in Municipal Archives or Library collections.
Recently, while bar-coding containers in the Municipal Archives, archivist Katie Ehrlich noticed a box labeled “Department of Parks & Recreation – Artifacts.” She discovered it held about three dozen envelopes containing an eclectic assortment of ephemera. Paperwork appended to the envelopes indicated the contents had been separated from the Department of Parks & Recreation General Files series. In accordance with standard archival practice, photographs, over-size, and other non-paper materials are separated from paper correspondence files and re-housed appropriately.
“Junior Fisherman,” badge, 1959, Department of Parks & Recreation General Files Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.
The Parks Department series had been transferred to the Municipal Archives in 1984 from a Parks Department storage facility beneath the 79th Street Boat Basin along the Henry Hudson Parkway in Manhattan. Archivists processed the collection in the late 1980s and since then this rich collection has served countless research projects.
Here are two items found in the “Artifacts” box. Look for future For the Record posts that highlight other finds. In the meantime, readers can ponder what circumstances would result in an “Official Three Stooges Fan Club Franchise” certificate filed in Parks Department correspondence.
Three Stooges Official Fan Club Franchise Certificate, 1960, Department of Parks & Recreation General Files Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.