Brooklyn Eagle records
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Abstract
The Brooklyn Eagle records span the years 1887 to 1955 (bulk dates 1930 to 1955) and primarily covers the last years of publication of the Brooklyn Eagle before its bankruptcy in 1955.
Historical note
The Brooklyn Eagle was a daily newspaper that was published in Brooklyn for over 114 years. Founded in 1841 by Isaac van Anden and Henry Cruse Murphy, the newspaper was originally named the Brooklyn Eagle and King's County Democrat. In 1850, the name was changed to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. By the early 1860s, the newspaper had become one of the most widely read papers in the United States. Over the years the newspaper persevered through both good and bad times, experiencing declines in readership and circulation but also winning accolades such as receiving four Pulitzer Prizes.
In 1938, the newspaper underwent another name change when it became the Brooklyn Eagle. Frank D. Schroth bought the paper in 1940 and continued to publish it until 1955 when the Eagle ceased publication during a lengthy strike by the New York Newspaper Guild. Bankruptcy followed. Between 1960 and 1963, the Eagle once again resumed publication, this time as a weekly paper (though for a short time as a daily). The run was short-lived and the Brooklyn Eagle office closed in December 1963. In 1996, J. Dozier Hasty, the owner and publisher of Brooklyn Heights Press, purchased the Eagle's name and logo and began to publish the Brooklyn Daily Eagle & Daily Bulletin. As of 2011, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle & Daily Bulletin remains a daily newspaper, published five days per week.
Sources:
- Brooklyn Public Library. "Brooklyn Daily Eagle Online, 1841-1902: Time and History." http://eagle.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/Default/Skins/BEagle/Client.asp?Skin=BEagle
- Gallagher, John J. "Brooklyn Eagle." In The Encyclopedia of New York City, edited by Kenneth T. Jackson, 156. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press; New York: New-York Historical Society, 1995.
Scope and Contents
The Brooklyn Eagle records span the years 1887 to 1955 (bulk dates 1930 to 1955) and measure 1.25 linear feet. The collection primarily covers the last years of publication of the Brooklyn Eagle before its bankruptcy in 1955. Included in the collection are materials relating to the bankruptcy of the Brooklyn Eagle; personnel records, 1955; a Tri-County Publishing Corporation minutes book, 1932 to 1940; Board of Directors minutes and resolutions, 1937 to 1939; contracts and agreements; leases; correspondence; memos; reports; financial records; and deeds, 1887 to 1905. Also included is a 1929 Brooklyn Daily Eagle Summer Resort Directory.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Brooklyn Eagle records, 1977.226, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was found in the trash when the Brooklyn Eagle office closed in December 1963. The collection was formally accessioned in 1963, donor unknown.
About this Guide
Processing Information note
Minimally processed to the collection level.
Material found in repository added to collection by Lena Evers-Hillstrom in October 2018.
