Souvenir of Babylon and Fire Island viewbook
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Abstract
Images in the viewbook depict hotels, houses, docks, boats, people, and harbor views in Babylon, N.Y. and Fire Island, N.Y.
Historical note
Long Island is an 118-mile-long island located in southeastern New York State, just east of the island of Manhattan. Long Island is comprised of four counties: Suffolk County, Nassau County, Queens County, and Kings County. Babylon, N.Y. and Fire Island, N.Y., are part of Suffolk County which occupies the eastern-most portion of Long Island. Suffolk County is the largest of the four counties by area and is known for its rich, fertile farmland and vast coastline.
The Albertype Company was a Brooklyn-based publisher that was founded by brothers Adolph and Herman L. Wittemann. In 1890, the publishing company, originally established as Wittemann Brothers circa 1879, changed its name to the Albertype Company, denoting the company's use of the collotype (or albertype) photographic process. The company operated from 1890 to 1952 and produced over 25,000 prints. The Albertype Company both produced their own photographs (Adolph was a photographer), as well as reproduced photographic images produced by other companies or individual photographers. Using the prints, the company published postcards and viewbooks. Viewbooks, also known as souvenir albums or view albums, are books that contain commercially published groups of photographs depicting a place, activity, or event.
Sources:
- Getty Research Institute: Art & Architecture Thesaurus. "Viewbooks." Accessed June 27, 2011. http://www.getty.edu/vow/AATFullDisplay?find=viewbooks&logic=AND¬e=&english=N&prev_page=1&subjectid=300026684
- The Historical Society of Pennsylvania. "Albertype Company Photographs, 1910-1950 (V-18A)." Accessed July 1, 2011. http://discover.hsp.org/Record/hsp.opac.v01-165628
Scope and Contents
The Souvenir of Babylon and Fire Island viewbook was copublished by the Albertype Company and the Long Island News Company in 1889. The viewbook contains black-and-white non-photographic prints of photographs taken by Adolph Wittemann. Images in the viewbook depict hotels, houses, docks, boats, people, and harbor views in Babylon, N.Y. and Fire Island, N.Y. The viewbook retains its original hardcover and its page size is 4.5" x 6".
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Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
Reproduction rights for images from the viewbook have not been evaluated. For information on securing rights to publish or reproduce, please see the Brooklyn Historical Society Reproduction Rights Policy.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Souvenir of Babylon and Fire Island viewbook, V1986.059, Box number, Object ID number (if applicable); Brooklyn Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source and date of acquisition for this collection are unknown. The collection was formally accessioned in 1986.
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Processing Information note
Fully processed to the item level.
