Scope and Contents

The series includes the paper-based records of the Victorian Society of America, Metropolitan Chapter (VSNY), with some early records of the parent organization. Overall, the VSNY records include newsletters, Board minutes and other governance matters, financial records, event publicity, membership forms, and other material ranging from the 1970s to 2019.

The files retain VSNY's original chronological order and the coding structure used by VSNY to arrange each year's documents by subject matter. These codes (i.e, letters A to X) were used consistently to sequence the folders for newsletters, minutes, and so forth for each year. Following is a description of the content for the letter codes used by VSNY for the records. However, not all documents/codes are present in every year.

Folder Code A) Metropolitan Chapter Newsletters

VSNY began publishing a Chapter newsletter in 1983. The newsletter is published twice a year, in the spring and fall, with occasional additional issues and/or a Chapter update leaflets. The newsletter contains news and updates on VSNY's preservation advocacy; VSNY awards, scholarships, and grants; VSA Summer Schools; Board news and interviews, member news and lists; past events; and comprehensive calendar of all lectures, seminars, and tours; among other recurring features.

Folders contain as many extant copies as were delivered by VSNY and some issues are missing.

Before 1983 news from the VSA Chapters was contained within the VSA's national publication, The Victorian; see Folder Code J) National Publications.

 See also:
– Series II, Digital, may contain draft articles and photos submitted to the newsletter and some PDFs of printed issues
– Issues from 2007-present are available at https://vicsocny.org

Folder Code B) Board Minutes
Contains extant monthly Board meeting agendas, minutes and, possibly, some correspondence outside of Board meetings that affect agenda items.

The VSNY Board begins its term on July 1, annually, and ends on June 30. From July to September VSNY Committees meet to plan the next year and the monthly board meetings begin in September. In earlier years, Board terms of service were limited to one year and, eventually, VSNY adopted longer, multi-year terms.

Of note, some VSNY Board Members, such as William (Bill) J. Dane, served on VSA national's board and committees, and VSNY correspondence may sometimes be commingled with national business (Folder Code K).

 See also:
– Folder Code C) Treasurer's Reports
– Folder Code D) Annual Meeting
– Folder Code I) Officers and Volunteers, for committee lists, resignations and absences, and board nominations
– Folder Code K) VSA National Conference and Tours / National Board Minutes
– Series II, Digital: Contains some agendas and minutes in digital format (e.g., Microsoft Word DOC).

Folder Code C) Treasurer's Reports and Budgets
Contains annual budgets and projections, year-to-date accounting distributed at Board meetings and the Annual Meeting, paid invoices, and sometimes cancelled checks, ledgers, and receipts for petty cash.

Folder Code D) Annual Meeting
Contains flyers, postcards, and/or invitations to the VSNY Annual Meeting, held annually in May, at a historic location in New York City. The Annual Meeting is a public Board meeting and a continuation of business from Folder Code B) Board Minutes. Nominees to the VSNY Board and some administrative issues are voted on by members at the Annual Meeting. Occasionally may also contain duplicates of VSNY Award documents, speakers' scripts, and/or 35mm presentation slides. May also contain minor ephemera such as venue information, history, and correspondence about the venue.

 See also:
– Series II, Digital: May contain photos from Annual Meetings, PowerPoint files, and miscellaneous Annual Meeting-related correspondence.

Folder Code E) Lectures
Contains flyers, postcards and/or invitations to VSNY-hosted lectures. May also contain administrative records as to brainstorming and planning, speaker biographies, and attendee lists. (Does not include scripts, slides, or materials from the presentation.) Note that in some programming years, the VSNY employed a Publicity Committee to send press releases to local newspapers and other media outlets to promote upcoming events. If an announcement was formatted as a press release, it may be located in Folder Code V) Media Contacts / Press Releases.

Folder Code F) Tours
Contains flyers, postcards and/or invitations to VSNY-hosted tours. May also contain administrative records as to brainstorming and planning, budgets and bills, correspondence, attendee lists, research materials, and, occasionally, tour guide scripts. Note that in some programming years, the VSNY employed a Publicity Committee to send press releases to local newspapers and other media outlets to promote upcoming events. If an announcement was formatted as a press release, it may be located in Folder Code V) Media Contacts / Press Releases.

Folder Code G) Preservation Advocacy
Contains correspondence with government agencies, planning authorities, NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, and others, voicing VSNY support for restoration projects and landmark designation and identify sites and structures falling into disrepair. As preservation advocacy touches most, if not all, parts of VSNY's operations, materials may be found across numerous folders.

Folder Code H) Special Events / Parties / Fundraisers
Contains invitations and occasional photographs from events outside of the regular calendar of Lectures, Tours, Annual Meeting, and Summer Schools. Often, there were two to three special events per year, including a summer social outing, winter VSA Summer School scholarship fundraiser, and a holiday- or new year-themed tour or event.

Folder Code I) Officers and Volunteers
Contains lists of Board members and Officers; Committee assignments; descriptions of roles and responsibilities; Nominating Committee candidates, candidate resumes, and memos; and contact information. May also contain communications about Board business not discussed within the context of a Board or Annual Meeting, such as notes of absence, letters of acceptance and resignation, Board packets, and other Board management materials.

 See also:
– Folder Code B) Board Minutes
– Folder Code C) Annual Meeting

Folder Code J) VSA [National] Publications
Contains printed newsletters produced by the national VSA organization. Note that before 1983, the VSNY did not produce a Chapter newsletter, so the bulk of inclusive dates are from the mid-1980s and earlier.

Folder Code K) VSA National Conference and Tours / National Board Minutes
Contains invitations, schedules and agendas, attendee packets, and information and administrative correspondence about the VSA Annual Meeting. Also contains VSA national Board Agendas and Minutes.

Folder Code L) Summer School
The VSA Summer School program is managed by the VSA (U.S.) national organization and the Victorian Society (U.K.) sister organization. VSA Summer Schools are held in the United Kingdom and other European destinations; Newport, Rhode Island; and Chicago, Illinois, and alumni of the program are enrolled in a non-regional VSA Alumni Association Chapter. Contents may include brochures and info session materials, applications and related correspondence, enrollment lists, photos, thank you notes from attendees, and other related materials. The VSNY and VSA offer scholarships to defray the costs of the program so VSA Summer School scholarship correspondence may also be filed in Folder Code N) Awards and Scholarships.

Folder Code M) Education
Primarily includes local VSNY programs such as Hands On History student engagement programs.

 See also:
– Folder Code E) Lectures
– Folder Code F) Tours
– Folder Code L) VSA Summer School

Folder Code N) Awards and Scholarships
Contents include nominations, applications, and information for a VSNY Award, which began in 1976. Submission categories include, but are not limited to, recognizing excellence in publications, preservation advocacy, restoration, individual achievement, exhibition, lifetime achievement and other categories by bestowing awards during its Annual Meeting (May). The number of award categories and awardees has grown significantly over the years. Scholarship applications and correspondence concerning the VSA Summer Schools may be contained in Folder Code L) Summer School.

Folder Code O) Membership
Contains membership forms, flyers, and brochures; membership lists and/or labels; and some correspondence.

Folder Code P) Legal / Operations / Bylaws
Contains VSNY operational documents such as liability insurance contracts, space use and rental contracts, tax exemption certificates, and bylaws and bylaw updates.

Folder Code Q) Correspondence
Contains general correspondence between VSNY and members and related organizations. May also contain acknowledgement of donations to and by the VSNY.

 See also:
– Folder Code D) Treasurer's Reports and Budgets

Folder Code R) VSA Correspondence with Chapters
Contents include correspondence between the VSNY and the VSA national organization regarding the filing of annual reports with the national organization (bulk) as well as some minor correspondence between chapters.

Folder Code S) Special Publications
This Folder Code is rarely used as most VSNY special publications overlap with cast iron preservation.

Folder T) Margot Gayle Papers / Fund / Projects
Contents include personal papers and ephemera collected by Margot Gayle. Contents mostly concern VSNY business but also includes some projects, advocacy, photos, and work with the Friends of Cast Iron Architecture, of which she was a founding member. In 2003, the Margot Gayle Fund was established to fund preservation awards. After Gayle's death in 2008, applications for the Margot Gayle Fund and correspondence on funded Projects make up the bulk of this Folder Code.

Please note that Margot Gayle served simultaneously on VSNY's Board as well as the Friends of Cast Iron Architecture (FCIA) and some materials produced by FCIA are included in Gayle's VSNY papers.

 See also:
– Folder Code G) Preservation Advocacy
– Folder Code X) Cast Iron Advocacy

Folder Code U) Stationery
Contains extant samples of VSNY letterhead and/or envelopes. Early letterhead lists Board members and Officers and are offset printed. Later letterhead is digitally printed and without Board and Officer lists.

Folder V) Media Contacts / Press Releases
Contains NYC metropolitan area media contacts. Also includes VSNY lecture and tour announcements formatted as press releases generated by the VSNY Publicity Committee.

 See also:
– Series I, Papers, E) Lectures
– Series I, Papers, F) Tours
– Series I, Papers, H) Special Events / Parties / Fundraisers

Folder Code W) Name Change
Contents include correspondence among VSNY Board members and between VSNY and the VSA national organization regarding changing the Chapter's name to better reflect New York City and the commissioning of a new logo. The correspondence concludes in 2011 with VSA national rejecting the proposed name change but approving new artwork.

Folder Code X) Cast Iron Advocacy
Contents include materials related to the research (correspondence, maps, site photos, contracts, etc.) of cast iron buildings in SoHo in preparation for a petition to designate (NYC LPC designated, 1973) and later extend (NYC LPC designated, 2010) the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District. Contents also include promotional materials and artifacts, newspaper clippings, inventories and commissioned surveys, photographs, and correspondence with the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) concerning the applications. Also includes materials for walking tours and printed editions of  Cast Iron Architecture in New York City by Margot Gayle and Edmund V. Gillion, Jr. [Friends of Cast Iron Architecture (FCIA), ©1974, 1983; VSA Metropolitan Chapter on behalf of FCIA, ©2011].