Scope and Contents note

Series I is the largest of the photographic series, with approximately 850 modern silver gelatin prints. It is arranged into ten subseries by subject: Bridges and River Views; Churches and Temples; Cityscapes and Panoramas; Commercial Buildings; Hotels; Public Buildings and Institutions; Residences; Restaurants; Statues and Monuments; and Theaters. Each subseries is divided into mounted and unmounted. The views collectively document much of Manhattan, with a particular emphasis on major institutions, tourist attractions, waterfronts and bridges, and business districts. For convenience, this series includes photographs of popular tourist sites on the smaller, non-borough islands surrounding Manhattan; these include views of the Statue of Liberty, the Ellis Island Immigration Station, and Castle William on Governor's Island.

The Halls sometimes worked as marine photographers, and more generally turned their cameras toward the rivers, harbors, and bridges surrounding New York City. The Bridges and River Views subseries includes flattering views of the waterways of New York, including everything from iconic images of foot traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge to views of the three southern East River bridges. Many views encompass the rapidly changing New York skyline taken from the surrounding waterways.

The Churches and Temples subseries includes a variety exterior views of the oldest and most notable religious institutions in the city, including Trinity Church, St. Paul's Chapel, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine [Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine], and Temple Beth-El. Cityscapes and Panoramas includes views of the changing Manhattan skyline from a variety of vantage points. Hall & Son frequented the roofs of tall buildings to capture the city from a dramatic overhead angle.

Commercial Buildings includes views of a variety of buildings, from banks to department stores, such as Saks & Co. at its original Herald Square location, to such dramatic New York newcomers as the Flatiron (Fuller) Building during and after construction. Photographs in this subseries are mostly straightforward portraits of individual buildings; many of the same structures can be found within broader settings in the Street Scenes subseries. Photographs in the Hotels subseries are similar in nature to those of commercial buildings, primarily focusing on large elegant midtown hotels.

Public Buildings and Institutions contains views of many famous New York institutions, including a variety of views of Columbia University and Barnard College, City Hall, Federal Hall, and Tammany Hall. Photographs of the interior of Pennsylvania Station from the 1910s and of the excavation site before its construction are available in this series. Also included are views of several hospitals, museums (including The New-York Historical Society in 1907) and transportation centers.

Residences depicted include the Jumel Mansion and the Tiffany Mansion, as well as unidentified brownstones and Gramercy Square residences. Restaurants holds only a few images, including Delmonico's and the Metropolitan Club's interior with a banquet set for Mayor Seth Low. Statues and Monuments includes such notables as Grant's Tomb, the Statue of Liberty, and Washington Arch as well as smaller statuary.

Street Scenes is the largest subseries and provides rich documentation of the city. Buildings, street life, and transportation means are depicted with great detail. The subseries is arranged into three categories: Named Streets, Numbered Avenues, and Numbered Streets. Within these categories, photographs are arranged alphabetically, then by ascending address (for example, note that Broadway and Fifth Avenue sections of street scenes are arranged from south to north). This series also includes views of several of the popular squares and smaller parks in the city, including many photographs of Union Square and City Hall Park. Views of Broadway from its southern extremity at Bowling Green to 145th Street are available, as are photographs of the maritime businesses along South Street. Views of many of George P. Hall & Son's business premises are included within this series. A few photographs in this series show a slightly darker side of Manhattan living, such as the depiction of slum buildings along Chrystie Street. Occasional copy work is included, such as a copy of "Broadway, north from Bond Street," by Mathew Brady from 1867.

Theaters depicted include many of the popular venues of the first decade of the 1900s. Included within this category are views of Madison Square Garden (including a few interior views of exhibits), the Belasco Theatre, the Hippodrome, and the Harlem Opera House.

Scope and Contents note

Series II consists of approximately 300 photographs of outer boroughs of New York City. Photographs are arranged alphabetically by borough and thereunder alphabetically by title/description. Because the subseries for Brooklyn is much larger than for the other boroughs, it has been further subdivided as described below. Each subseries or Brooklyn subject division is divided into unmounted and mounted photographs to accommodate conservation housing needs. Numbers in parentheses refer to the number of photographs available for that subject.

Photographs of The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island are very few. Railroad and streets scenes are complemented by a few photographs of residences, schools, and institutions, such as New York University's Library and the Hall of Fame in The Bronx. A view of Queens from the Queensboro bridge toll plaza, and a photograph of a toll gate building at Jamaica Avenue and Van Wyck Boulevard are available in the Queens subseries. The few photographs of Staten Island sites include those of the Anson Phelps Stokes House and the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in St. George.

Photographs of Hall's own borough of Brooklyn are more numerous and have been arranged in the following categories: Buildings, Churches, Cityscapes and Panoramic Views, Parks and Resorts, Residences, Statues and Monuments, and Street Scenes. Thereunder they are arranged alphabetically by title/description.

Buildings depicted include many prominent Brooklyn Institutions, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, City Hall, the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences (Brooklyn Museum), and historic Ebbets Field. Images abound of Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian and Dutch Reformed churches. Cityscapes and Panoramic Views includes several rooftops views of Brooklyn, many of which include the riverfront.

The Parks and Resorts category is large, and contains views of Coney Island beaches, resorts, and hotels, as well as views of Prospect Park and Fort Greene Park. The new popular developments along Coney Islands beaches in the 1890s through the 1910s are particularly well documented. The Manhattan Beach Hotel and the Oriental Hotel are captured from a variety of vantage points, including those from ships off the coast.

Included in the Residences category is 642 Flatbush Avenue, the home of George P. Hall in the 1890s. Statues and Monuments includes a few views of the U.S. Grant Statue at Bedford and Dean Streets. Street Scenes are primarily along Atlantic Avenue, and include one unidentified parade scene.

Scope and Contents note

Series III consists of photographs of sites in the United States, focusing especially on areas of Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey. A few photographs of St. Louis, Missouri are also available, and include a view of the construction of buildings for the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. A Newark, New Jersey photograph shows President Theodore Roosevelt standing with a statue of Abraham Lincoln by Gutzon Borglum in front of the Essex County Courthouse, probably taken during his dedication of the statue in 1911. A large group of mostly interiors of Sagtikos Manor, in West Bay Shore, Long Island are included in this series. This manor house was built in 1692 by New York mayor Stephanus Van Cortlandt, and was expanded twice in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The manor's antique furnishings are depicted here, include a bed in which George Washington is believed to have slept during a trip through Long Island in 1790.

Scope and Contents note

Series IV consists of approximately 130 photographs dating from ca. 1886-1914 which are organized into the following subseries: Portraits, Ships, Miscellaneous and Unidentified. Thereunder, they are arranged alphabetically by subject. Portraits include a variety of individuals, including both George P. Hall and James S. Hall and some of their family members. Other photographs in this subseries are mostly of organized groups or clubs, such as the St. Paul's School Mandolin Club, the Hope Fishing Club, and the Tansley Republican Club. Several portraits of unidentified individuals are included.

The Ships subseries is extensive, and consists mostly of photographs taken in the late 1890s of the U.S. Navy's new steel battleships around the time of the Spanish-American War. Many of the photographs were taken in New York Harbor, but harbor details are usually not included.

Scope and Contents note

Series V consists of about 275 glass negatives of varying size. Some of the negatives in this collection were formerly part of the Negative File (PR 045), and have that file's assigned negative numbers on their enclosures. Negatives are arranged by size and thereunder by negative numbers. Those Hall negatives without negative numbers are arranged by subject. The oversize glass negatives should not generally be consulted due to their extreme fragility; researchers should discuss particular needs with a curator before obtaining access. The majority of the oversize negatives in this series are represented by photographic prints in Series I. Where numbers are missing from the numbered negative sequence, negatives bearing these numbers were either determined to belong to other collections or are presumed to have been destroyed.