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New-York Historical Society general correspondence

Call Number

NYHS-RG 2

Date

1805-2023 (bulk, 1805-1982), inclusive

Creator

New-York Historical Society

Extent

152.63 Linear feet in 360 boxes and 7 oversize folders.

Language of Materials

The materials are in English.

Abstract

The New-York Historical Society general correspondence record group contains chronologically arranged communications directed to and from the institution and its officers. The bulk of correspondence through the early twentieth century is incoming only, though some notes, responses, and letterpress copybooks (1876-1911) of outgoing correspondence appear. Carbon copies of outgoing correspondence commonly appear after the early twentieth century. The files are predominated by requests for reference assistance; research reports; inquiries pertaining to membership and library operations; proposals of materials for donation, sale, or transfer; arrangements for lectures, events, and publications; acceptances of election to member or officer positions; financial transactions; requests for material exchanges; and invitations, circulars, and other printed matter generated by N-YHS and outside institutions. Correspondents include N-YHS officers, prominent historians, politicians, writers and lecturers, scientists, genealogists, artists, printers and booksellers, and colleagues from libraries, societies, government agencies, and other organizations.

Arrangement

The New-York Historical Society General Correspondence (NYHS-RG 2) record group is organized in five series:

Series I. Notable Correspondents (1805-2017)

Series II. Letterpress Copybooks (1876-1911)

Series III. General Correspondence (1805-1908)

Series IV. General Correspondence (1908-1982) (Restricted for 1960 and later years)

Series V. Topical Correspondence (1917-1985)

Scope and Contents Note

The New-York Historical Society general correspondence record group contains the chronologically arranged central files of communications directed to and from the institution and its officers. These files range over almost all of N-YHS's first two hundred years of existence, from its first full year of operations in 1805 to the end of Director James Heslin's administration in 1982, though files from 1960 forward are currently restricted. In addition, the record group includes a series of selected letters from notable correspondents that ranges to 2017.

For the nineteenth century, the bulk of correspondence is incoming, but some notes, responses, and letterpress copybooks (1876-1911), of outgoing mail appear. Most communication is written or directed to the Librarian, as well as other officers. The copybooks and yearly registers of correspondents, beginning in 1876 when N-YHS appears to have formalized a system for retention of correspondence, may serve as a guide to researchers in locating materials related to specific individuals and organizations and these continue through 1908. By the early twentieth century, carbon copies of outgoing correspondence appear regularly and continues through 1982.

The record group is predominated by requests for reference assistance; research reports; inquiries pertaining to membership and library operations; proposals of materials for donation, sale, or transfer; arrangements for lectures, events, and publications; acceptances of election to member or officer positions; requests for exchanges of material, such as annual reports or other publications; and invitations, circulars, and other printed matter generated by N-YHS and outside institutions.

Internally produced correspondence includes memoranda such as meeting minutes excerpts, official acceptances and resignations, drafts and notes for deceased member memorials, presentation and resolution drafts, and informal reports on relevant legislation, commissions, funding, finances and investments, acquisitions and donations, buildings maintenance and facilities, and other aspects and issues of operations.

Correspondents include N-YHS officers, prominent historians, politicians, writers and lecturers, scientists, genealogists, artists, printers and booksellers, publishers, donors, antiquarians, and colleagues from libraries, museums, societies, government agencies, and other organizations. International repositories and individuals, many of whom are honorary N-YHS members, correspond from distant locations including China, France, Portugal, Brazil, and Denmark.

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.

Most correspondence files dating from 1960 and later are generally restricted until 2033; see Series IV.

Conditions Governing Use

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 record group should be cited as New-York Historical Society General Correspondence (NYHS-RG 2), The New-York Historical Society.

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.

Related Materials

This finding aid relates to just one record group of the New-York Historical Society archives. Although this record group includes the bulk of correspondence incoming to N-YHS throughout its history until 1982, significant correspondence on specific topics to that time can be found in several other N-YHS record groups. Post-1982 correspondence is also found in other record groups. For information about the other record groups and for overall information about the archives, please see the overview Guide to the New-York Historical Society Archives (NYHS Archives).

Collection processed by

Brynn White and Margaret Kaczorowski

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 15:48:40 -0400.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

The record group was physically processed, likely about 1990. In 2015, archivist Brynn White and, in 2016, archivist Margaret Kaczorowski refined the arrangement, integrated additional material, and described the documents in this finding aid. A few new accessions were added in 2017-18 by archivist Larry Weimer and a few items found elsewhere in the archives were moved here in 2022.

Repository

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