Kenneth R. Cobb
The 1890 Police Census–Digitized
NYC Municipal Archives
It’s Presidents Day
Sarah Cuk
Digitizing the David N. Dinkins Mayoral ...
Kenneth Cobb
Displaced Persons
Pauline Toole
Historical Anniversaries

Ralph De Sola, WPA Photographer

Ralph De Sola, Editor and Photographer, WPA Federal Writers’ Project, 1940. WPA Federal Writers’ Project photograph collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The recent blog Because He Had a Camera, featured an interview with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Writers’ Project photographer Clifford Sutcliffe. The interview transcript was filed in the records of Barbara Millstein, curator of the Department of Records & Information Services’ exhibition NYC Work and Working: WPA Photographs. Opened in September 1980, it displayed more than 130 images from the Municipal Archives’ WPA Federal Writers’ Project (FWP) photograph collection. Ms. Millstein’s files also contained correspondence with another FWP photographer and editor, Ralph De Sola. This week’s blog reproduces De Sola’s letter to Millstein, and highlights seven of his photographs. A future blog will feature Ms. Millstein’s interview with FWP photographer Arnold Eagle. These materials add valuable knowledge about the FWP and the provenance of one of the most appealing and enduring collections in the Municipal Archives.

Ralph De Sola to Barbara Head Millstein, March 4, 1980. NYC Municipal Archives

As noted in his letter, De Sola sent Ms. Millstein a selection of photographs he took for various FWP book projects including The Maritime History of New York, Who’s Who in the Zoo, Birds of the World, Reptiles and Amphibians, and American Wildlife Illustrated. The pictures he sent were appended to the original FWP collection that had been transferred to the Municipal Library by the FWP at the conclusion of the project in 1943. (The Municipal Archives, an offshoot of the Municipal Library, was established in 1950 and many collections were transferred from the Library at that time.)

The inventory of the Archives’ FWP photograph collection lists 103 images created by Ralph De Sola. Of these, twenty-four have been digitized and are available in the gallery. 

American Eagle, photograph for American Wildlife Illustrated. ca. 1937. Ralph De Sola, photographer. WPA Federal Writers’ Project photograph collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Old wooden three-story house under the bridge, Water and Dock Street, Brooklyn side, ca. 1937. Ralph De Sola, photographer. WPA Federal Writers’ Project photograph collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Brooklyn Piers near Fulton Street, December 1937. Ralph De Sola, photographer. WPA Federal Writers’ Project photograph collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Artist, Jack Nelson, with animal paintings, ca. 1937. Ralph De Sola, photographer. WPA Federal Writers’ Project photograph collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Printing press, Brooklyn Museum, ca. 1937. Ralph De Sola, photographer. WPA Federal Writers’ Project photograph collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

WPA Bookbinder, ca. 1937. Ralph De Sola, photographer. WPA Federal Writers’ Project photograph collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

“What We Have Done,” book covers newspapers, reviews, Harry Hopkins quotation, ca. 1937. Ralph De Sola, photographer. WPA Federal Writers’ Project photograph collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Display of WPA guidebooks at Macy's, ca. 1937. Ralph De Sola, photographer. WPA Federal Writers’ Project photograph collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Clarence Ralph De Sola was born at 64 West 88th Street in New York City on July 26, 1908. His post-WPA career included technical writing and editing. From 1955 to 1968, he taught technical English in the San Diego Unified Colleges. He authored several books including Abbreviations Dictionary, Crime Dictionary, A Dictionary of Cooking, and Worldwide What & Where: A Geographic Glossary & Traveler’s Guide.  He died June 8, 1993 in California.

WNYC-TV Presents Poetry Spots

Starting in the early 1980’s, municipal broadcaster WNYC-TV shifted from primarily broadcasting public ceremonies and government press conferences to creating original programming that highlighted the diverse cultures, events and people of New York. One such television program was Poetry Spots, originally conceived of by poet Bob Holman. Poetry Spots featured award-winning writers like Allen Ginsberg and paired readings of their poems with short video art segments usually featuring the authors themselves. Airing for six seasons from 1987 to 1993, the series won two New York Emmy awards and inspired other innovative programs on poetry and video art.

Bob Holman, We Interrupt This Program

REC0047_2_158_2142: WNYC-TV Poetry Spots, April 26, 1989, Bob Holman - We Interrupt This Program

Before Poetry Spots, Bob Holman was an active organizing member of the New York City poetry community. Originally raised in rural Ohio, Holman attended Columbia University in the late 1960s, but found his artistic home in the Lower East Side. After graduating, Holman became a member of multiple local poetry organizations, like the Nuyorican Poet’s Café and the St. Mark’s Poetry Project, as well as an active director and producer of plays written by fellow poets at The Poet’s Theater. Learning from his experience producing Poetry Spots, Holman went on to refine the format for his award-winning PBS series United States of Poetry in 1996. Still active today, Holman now runs several Bowery-based arts organizations, like Bowery Poetry Club and Bowery Poetry Books.

Jessica Hagedorn, Loft Living

REC0047_2_158_2142: WNYC-TV Poetry Spots, April 26, 1989, Jessica Hagedorn - Loft Living

Jessica Hagedorn is an award-winning American playwright, composer and author who first moved to New York in 1978 after growing up in Manila and getting her education in theater in San Francisco. She quickly wrote and staged several of her works like Mango Tango, Tenement Lover, Holy Food and Teenytown. Just after her appearance on Poetry Spots, Hagedorn released her 1990 novel Dogeaters, which caused controversy among Filipino communities for exploring themes of colonialization and westernization. At the same time, it won an American Book Award and has been adapted into successful stage productions several times.

Allen Ginsberg, In My Kitchen

REC0047_2_158_2142: WNYC-TV Poetry Spots, April 26, 1989, Allen Ginsberg - In My Kitchen

Along with writers like Jack Kerouac and William S. Boroughs, Allen Ginsberg defined the Beat Generation of poets with his famous 1951 poem Howl. Born in Newark, New Jersey, Ginsberg lived in cities across the world, but spent much of his life living and working in New York’s East Village. For decades, Ginsberg was a prominent voice in the American counterculture, writing poems that denounced military actions like the Vietnam War, advocated for greater free speech and explored culturally taboo topics, like drug use and homosexuality. Ginsberg passed away in 1997 from liver cancer not long after a last public appearance at an NYU Poetry Slam. His last poem Things I’ll Not Do (Nostalgias) was written one week before his death.

June Jordan, Financial Planning and Sara Miles

REC0047_2_158_2142: WNYC-TV Poetry Spots, April 26, 1989, June Jordan - Financial Planning and Sara Miles.

June Jordan blurred the lines between journalist and poet perhaps more than any other author featured in Poetry Spots. Along with more than two dozen major works of creative writing, Jordan was also known for her journalism as a regular contributor to the publication The Progressive from 1989 to 2001, shortly before her death in 2002. Growing up in Harlem to parents who had emigrated from Jamaica, Jordan won many awards and grants as she progressed rapidly in her career, focusing on issues of racial justice, feminism, and queer rights. Her awards included a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in 1982 and an award from the National Association of Black Journalism in 1984, to name just a few. In 2019, Jordan was added to the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor at the Stonewall National Monument in 2019 for her focus on LGBTQ issues in her writings, both fiction and non-fiction.

The full version of this episode of Poetry Spots is now available on the New York City Municipal Archives digital gallery, as well as compilations and other full episodes. Hundreds of hours of other programs from WNYC-TV that focused on arts and culture are also freely available, such as New York Hotline, Neighborhood Voices and Heart of the City. From 1985 to 1996, programs like these helped New Yorkers explore their City in ways they never would have otherwise. We hope that by preserving and making them widely available, they can inspire not only New Yorkers, but people from around the world.

The 2021 ARB Report

In 2002, the City Council established the Archival Review Board. The five-member board was directed to “…render annually to the mayor a report reviewing the archival processing of any city papers.” Authored by Municipal Archives Director Sylvia Kollar, the recently published 2021 ARB Report, describes another year of exceptional accomplishments in the City’s archival program, all the more remarkable in light of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

Municipal Archives, Reading Room, Industry City, Brooklyn. NYC Municipal Archives.

Highlights of the Report:

The fiscal year 2021 accomplishments detailed in the report are many, but two in particular result from many years of planning and hard work—the new archival facility and the NYCMA Collection Guides.  When the Municipal Archives moved from the Rhinelander Building in the mid-1960s (demolished to make way for 1 Police Plaza), its subsequent  Manhattan locations (23 Park Row, Tweed Courthouse, and 31 Chambers) did not have the capacity to store the entirety of the collections. Additional storage space was provided in several locations, including a pier along the Hudson River and the Brooklyn Navy Yard, all of which were substandard for archival holdings. Beginning in 1986, the City leased space for the Archives in Industry City, Brooklyn. Although the facility was an improvement on prior locations, it was not suitable for long-term storage of archival materials. 

Finally, in 2015, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services began the process of locating and planning for an appropriate archival storage facility and subsequently funding was secured for a new space. Located within the Industry City complex (not far from its current location) the new space would incorporate environmental controls, high-density shelving, and modern spaces for research as well as essential appraisal, processing, conservation and preservation work. 

Construction of the new facility began in January 2020.  Despite COVID-19 related delays, construction was completed in May 2021. There is a public reading room for research, a digital laboratory, collections processing offices, and a conservation triage lab.  It provides more than 90,000 linear feet of storage across three floors, and a cold storage vault for photograph and audio-visual materials.  Custom storage units were designed to house ledgers, rolled and oversize flat maps, as well as drawings and unique objects. 

Preparation for moving into the new facility prompted extensive work to improve intellectual control over collections. As detailed in the report, these activities included barcoding, adding descriptive information, replacing more than 55,000 damaged containers and surface-cleaning. In total, more than 160,000 cubic feet of varied historical materials were relocated to the new site.  

In another major achievement during the fiscal year, the Municipal Archives launched the NYCMA Collection Guides, a web-based platform that provides public access to detailed descriptions of archival collections.   The Guide is the culmination of years of work on the part of Archives and IT Staff to build the vast data infrastructure of names, places and subjects that are linked to New York City agencies, offices, commissions, and administration. 

Gable-End Elevation, Brooklyn Bridge Station, Brooklyn Terminal 1881. Brooklyn Bridge Drawings Collection. NYC Municipal Archives.

The ARB report also describes progress on several grant projects:  preservation and digitization of the Old Town ledgers and processing of the Manhattan Building Plan Collection.  Other work detailed in the report includes legacy data management, the transcription projects and reappraisal work and recent “adoptions” of archival and library items in need of conservation treatment as part of the “Save New York’s Past” fundraising initiative sponsored by the New York Archival Society.

Please take a few minutes to read the report and look for updates on progress of the archival program in future blogs.  

 

“Because He Had a Camera,” the Clifford Sutcliffe WPA Interview

Fruit Seller, Manhattan, ca. 1937. Photographer: Clifford Sutcliffe. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

On September 3, 1980, the Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) opened its first exhibition as a new agency, “NYC Work and Working: WPA Photographs.” The exhibition was installed in the lobby at 31 Chambers Street. One year previously the executive and administrative offices of DORIS had moved from 23 Park Row into the first floor of the Surrogate’s Court building. The Municipal Archives relocated from Park Row to the Tweed Courthouse pending completion of renovations to the basement level of the building.  

The exhibition featured more than 130 images from the Municipal Archives’ WPA Federal Writers’ Project (FWP) photograph collection. Curated by Barbara Head Millstein, the exhibit was funded by a New York State Council for the Humanities grant. Ms. Millstein was a curator at the Brooklyn Museum and a special assistant to Archives’ Director Idilio Gracia-Pena.

To prepare for the exhibit, Ms. Millstein located several surviving photographers from the New York City Unit of the FWP, including Sol Libsohn, Esther Mipass, and David Robbins. She interviewed two photographers, Clifford Sutcliffe and Arnold Eagle, and corresponded with another, Ralph DeSola. Millstein’s interview notes add valuable knowledge about the FWP and the provenance of one of the most appealing and enduring collections in the Municipal Archives.

Waterfront scene, Manhattan, ca. 1937. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection. Photographer:  Clifford Sutcliffe. NYC Municipal Archives.

In this week’s blog we are reproducing Ms. Millstein’s notes from the Clifford Sutcliffe interview; a future blog will feature the Arnold Eagle interview and the correspondence with Ralph DeSola.

Clifford Sutcliffe lived at 41 Morton Street, in Greenwich Village. Barbara Millstein and Kenneth Cobb, then an assistant archivist at the Municipal Archives, interviewed him in his home on February 1, 1980. The following are the interview notes.

“Clifford Sutcliffe had no formal training in photography, but from the time he was five years old (he is now 74) he was involved in photography. There were always cameras and darkrooms in his home.

Sutcliffe joined the Federal Writers Project in late December 1935. His job was to rewrite material that reporters brought in for various FWP books. He remembers working on the Almanac for New Yorkers. Another FWP work was a series of books about animals which Ralph De Sola edited.  

Feeding Pigeons, Manhattan, ca. 1937. Photographer: Clifford Sutcliffe. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Sutcliffe was asked at various times to go out and take a few specific shots which were needed for the books. It seems that he was asked because he was interested in photography and he had a camera. He was the photo editor of the book Who’s Who in the Zoo which De Sola edited.

Accordion player, Manhattan, 1937. Photographer: Clifford Sutcliffe. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

At some point early on the FWP felt the need to have a formal photographic unit, mostly to help with the finances so that they could purchase film, developer, developer tanks, etc. Bobby Edwards was appointed the Senior Supervisor and given the job of running the unit, although he probably didn’t do any photography. Sutcliffe and another man (he can’t remember who) did the work.

Sutcliffe was paid about $22.00 per week and later was made the Supervisor at $27.00 per week, but he worked fewer hours. For two books, Who’s Who in the Zoo and Reptiles and Amphibians he worked under De Sola and had direction. They visited all the zoos and took many photographs, although in the end they used mostly those photographs they received from the N.Y. Zoological Society. He also did the end papers on these books.  

For the most part, though, there was no direction from above. Sutcliffe would roam around the city, but what he would photograph was his decision. The general idea was to “show contemporary life.” One way that he would work would be to take a street like 14th Street. He would start on the west end of 14th St. and take six photographs on each side of each block all the way over to the East River. He did this on several streets, and specifically remembers Washington Square and 19th Street, in addition to 14th Street. His idea was to “try to reproduce the way that the ordinary person in New York City lived.” 

Salvation Army sidewalk stand, Manhattan, 1937. Photographer: Clifford Sutcliffe. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

He also said that “the city is going to change, and a house-to-house view of each street would be valuable.” He was also “interested in showing what it was so that when it became there would be some record of it.” He tried to capture people; he was not interested in pure architectural photography, but he tried “to show the relationship between the architecture and people and city change.”

Sidewalk Santa, Manhattan, 1937. Photographer: Clifford Sutcliffe. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

He also tried to pick up signs of the times such as the outside of a barbershop with haircut 10¢, etc., and to show what people were wearing. All-in-all, he thinks he took thousands of photographs.

He also did a lot of photography of WPA people at work, especially in the theatre and indoors of WPA white collar personnel. He thinks, though, that 90% of his photographs were outdoors. 

There were a maximum of three people taking photographs for the Writers’ Project. He used his own camera and enlarger and they bought the paper, film, developer etc. He did most of his developing and printing [in his] facilities at home. There was no real darkroom at the FWP. There were very ad hoc arrangements for photographers.

He used a Zeiss Contax camera, 1:1,5, 35mm. He still has the camera. He says that in its day this was the best camera, and that in the 1930s very few people used 35mm cameras. Also, at that time the fastest film was 20 ASA. He would generally photograph and develop his film on the same day. He has a great number of “record prints” (4" x 6") in his home.

May Day Demonstration, Union Square Park, 1938. Photographer: Clifford Sutcliffe. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

WPA Federal Writers’ Project staff on picket-line, Manhattan, 1937. Photographer: Clifford Sutcliffe. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

He left the Project in about 1937, after the Dies Committee subpoenaed his photos because they wanted to show evidence of Communist Party influence in the FWP.  He had taken a good many photographs of people in sit-ins and other demonstrations. [The Dies Committee was a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, more commonly known as the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).]

Bus interior, 1937. Photographer: Clifford Sutcliffe. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

Sutcliffe believed that the WPA projects made a great contribution to the cultural life of the United States by conserving artists’ skills and also making those skills available to the public at a price that they could afford. For him personally he improved his skills tremendously, and actually learned a skill. He had been an amateur photographer and in the course of the project he became a professional.  He continued to be a professional photographer after he left the Project.

He had one opportunity to exhibit his work in a branch library. They asked for 36 8” x 10” prints but he never learned what happened to those photographs.”  

Foley Square, Manhattan, 1937. Photographer: Clifford Sutcliffe. WPA Federal Writers’ Project Photograph Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.

The inventory of the Archives’ FWP photograph collection lists 160 images created by Clifford Sutcliffe. In addition to his pictures for Who’s Who in the Zoo, he photographed a wide range of subjects such as bridges, churches, libraries, and government buildings. The collection also includes photographs documenting the “contemporary life” in NYC that he discussed in his interview.  Many of these images can be found in the “People, Local Color, Scenes About Town,” “Street Scenes,” and “Waterfront” categories in the collection. There are also images of his FWP colleagues in their offices and on strike. Only two Sutcliffe pictures are included in the selected images from the WPA FWP photograph collection available in the online gallery.

Clifford V. M. Sutcliffe was born in London, England, on November 8, 1905, and emigrated to the U.S. with his family in 1911. He died in October, 1986.

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.