Fred Snitzer collection of Kings County postal ephemera
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Creator
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Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection primarily consists of Kings County postcards and envelopes (covers) collected by Fred Snitzer, the bulk of which date from 1850 to 1950. It also includes letters (housed with related envelopes), clippings, invoices, property records, and Brooklyn history and postal collecting reference materials.
Biographical note
Fred Snitzer was born in 1929. He was a longtime resident of Brooklyn and attended New Utrecht High School. He later resided at 75 Henry Street in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. He was self employed as an investment counselor, an expert rated chess player, a world traveler, and a collector of Brooklyn postal ephemera. He died, in Brooklyn, on October 26, 2012.
Sources
- "Fred Snitzer (1929-2012)" by Phillip R. Smith. The United States Chess Federation website. Accessed January 28, 2015. http://www.uschess.org/content/view/11981/512/
Arrangement
The collection's organization is based on Snitzer's system of arrangement. Folder titles are derived from Snitzer's original labels. Any folder titles supplied by the processing archivist have been enclosed in brackets.
The collection is organized into four series:
Series 1: Postcards
Series 2: Covers
Series 3: Memorabilia
Series 4: Reference
Scope and Contents
The collection primarily consists of Kings County postcards and envelopes (covers) collected by Fred Snitzer, the bulk of which date from 1850 to 1950. It also includes letters (housed with related envelopes), clippings, invoices, property records, ephemera, and Brooklyn history and postal collecting reference materials. Snitzer's extensive collection includes cross-references (photocopies) between the various series and sub-series of postal ephemera.
Subjects
Organizations
Families
Genres
People
Topics
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
All postcards published before 1923 are in the public domain. The letters and envelopes found in the collection are considered unpublished. Unpublished material remains under copyright for the life of the author + 70 years (when the author is known); or for 120 years since the date of creation (when the author is unknown, or the date of the author's death is unknown). For more information please contact library staff.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Fred Snitzer collection of Kings County postal ephemera, 2013.003, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated by Monica Lacks and Randy Skurnick, as representatives of the Estate of Fred Snitzer, in 2013.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The majority of the materials in this collection are stored offsite and advance notice is required for use. Please contact cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org at least three weeks prior to research visit.
Separated Materials
Twelve books relating to Brooklyn history have been removed to the library's book collection. These include the following:
Ierardi, Eric J. Gravesend: The home of Coney Island
Israelowitz, Oscar. Borough Park: Centennial Edition 1898-1998
Israelowitz, Oscar. Oscar Israelowitz's Flatbush guide
Jackson and Manbeck. The neighborhoods of Brooklyn
Lancaster, Clay. Old Brooklyn Heights: New York's first suburb
Landesman, Alter F. A History of New Lots, Brooklyn - to 1887
Merlis, Brian. Brooklyn: The Centennial Edition
Merlis, Brian. Brooklyn: The way it was
Merlis, Brian, et al. Brooklyn's Gold Coast
Merlis, Brian. Welcome back to Brooklyn
Robbins and Palitz. Brooklyn : a state of mind
Snow, Richard. Coney Island: A postcard journey to the city of fire
Additionally, photocopies of the Brooklyn Eagle's guides to Brooklyn, Bushwick, Flatbush, Flatlands, Gravesend, and New Utrecht have been discarded. Originals are available in the library.