Skip to main content Skip to main navigation

Burhan Dogançay (Dogancay) photographs and sketchbooks

Call Number

PR 183

Date

1983-2017 (bulk, 1983-1988), inclusive

Creator

Dogançay, Burhan, 1929-2013

Extent

12.77 Linear feet in 13 document boxes, 1 record carton, 2 flat boxes, and 5 oversize flat files

Language of Materials

The documents in the collection are primarily photographic, but textual materials are principally in English.

Abstract

The collection by Burhan Dogançay (1929-2013) contains platinum prints, gelatin silver and color photographs, black & white and color negatives, contact prints, and color slides of iron workers working on the Brooklyn Bridge, the Lipstick Building, and various other buildings in Midtown Manhattan. The collection also includes Dogancay's "Scratchity" Sketchbooks of NYC grafitti which span the years of 1996-2009 and various books and other print matter regarding Dogançay's artwork.

Biographical Note

Burhan Dogançay was born in Istanbul in 1929. During the early 1950s, he studied economics and law at the University of Paris and art at La Grande Chaumiere. In 1964 Dogancay moved to New York City, making it his permanent home. Noted primarily as an important painter with a significant interest in urban walls, Burhan Dogançay's career spanned nearly five decades. The Dogançay Museum opened in 2004 in Istanbul where it exhibits Burhan's work as well as the work by his father, Adil Dogançay. After the opening of the museum, Dogancay split his time between New York City, Istanbul, and the south of Turkey where he maintained a studio. Burhan Dogançay died on 16 January 2013 in Istanbul.

(Throughout this finding aid the form "Dogancay" is used in addition to "Dogançay" in order to ensure discovery by all search engines.)

Arrangement

The collection is organized in five series.

Series I. Bridge of Dreams (1986-1987, 1999-2000)

Series II. Photographs, Negatives, Contact Prints, and Slides (1983-2006, bulk 1983-1988)

Series III. "Scratchity" Sketchbooks (1996-2009)

Series IV. Books and Other Print Matter (1986-2008)

Series V. Memorabilia (1980s?)

Scope and Content Note

The collection contains photographs, negatives, contact prints, slides, sketchbooks, and various books and other print matter concerning Burhan Dogançay's photography and artwork. The bulk of the collection is photographic and is from 1983-1988. Dogancay photographed iron workers restoring the Brooklyn Bridge with the New York City skyline (including the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center) as a backdrop. He also photographed the iron workers building structures for buildings in Midtown. The Lipstick Building is heavily covered in this collection showing its progress from demolition of previous buildings in its place all the way to the finished building. Other notable buildings, including the Citicorp Building (Citicorp Center, now known by its address of 601 Lexington Avenue) and the Chrysler Building, make appearances in the backgrounds of images of the iron workers hard at work. Dogancay took similar photographs in France of the demolition and foundations of buildings which are included in this collection as well, but the vast majority is of New York City.

Burhan Dogançay sketched in his "Scratchity" sketchbooks graffiti that he came across on New York City walls, subways, and subway stations. This became inspiration for future paintings that he did, some of which can be found in the various books and other materials that are included in this collection. His photographs of iron workers are also depicted in some of the print matter, including a newspaper clipping and a museum brochure.

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Use Restrictions

Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.

Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.

Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions

Preferred Citation

This collection should be cited as: Burhan Dogançay Photographs and Sketchbooks, PR 183, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, The New-York Historical Society.

Credit line for material in Series I: Gift of Burhan Dogançay and Angela Dogançay

Credit line for material in Series II-V: Gift of Angela Dogançay

Location of Materials

Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Series I. - Gift of Burhan Dogançay and Angela Dogançay, 10 June 2002; and Gift of Angela Dogançay, May 2019.

Series I-IV. - Gift of Angela Dogançay, 2014-2016, 2019.

Series V. Gift of Angela Dogançay, 2019, 2021.

Related Materials

Copies of the book Bridge of Dreams: The Rebirth of the Brooklyn Bridge can be found in the N-YHS Library (call phrase: Print Room Reference; TG25.N53 D64 1999).

Collection processed by

Jessica Flon and Larry Weimer

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:48:12 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid is in English.

Processing Information

Holly Hinman and Kelly McAnnaney initially processed the collection in circa 2005; at that time the collection included only part of what is now Series I, the Bridge of Dreams photographs. Much more material was donated to N-YHS in 2014-2016. This additional material, which comprises Series II-IV of the collection, was processed in 2018 by Jessica Flon, who also integrated the earlier material into the whole. A set of 25 large format photographs of construction on the Brooklyn Bridge was received in 2019 and added to Series II at that time. Additional material donated in 2019 and 2021 was added to the finding aid by Larry Weimer in 2021.

Repository

New-York Historical Society
New-York Historical Society
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024