Scope and Content Note

The Arthur Weindorf Subway Collection spans the period from 1903-1974 and primarily contains photographs and photostats of drawings, models, and maps created by Arthur Weindorf during his tenure at the Public Service Commission. Also included are photographs taken by Public Service Commission photographers during the construction of the New York City subway system. The collection is divided into seven series: Drawings and Illustrations; Models and Exhibits; Subway Maps and Posters; Clippings; Subway Construction Photographs; Miscellaneous Materials; and Negatives.

After Arthur Weindorf's death, his daughter gave 259 items to the New-York Historical Society, all of which were numbered by the staff with Weindorf's initials; i.e. "AW17." Several newspaper clippings and eighteen negatives, which came with the same gift, were not numbered. Many of the numbered items were dispersed into other collections in the Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections; ten of these numbered items remain dispersed among other collections. As the numbering system did not appear to correspond to any sort of organization of the materials, the material was rearranged at the time of processing. An original numbered list is available in the department's Collection File.