N-YHS Digital Collections

: Edwin Martin "NYNY" photograph collection, 1994-2000; Collection of 62 photographs of New York City storefronts, street vendors, and restaurants primarily from the late 1990s.

: Edward Yorke McCauley diary, 1853-1854; Edward Yorke McCauley's illustrated diary, from February 13th, 1853-June 10th, 1854, of his time aboard the USS Powhatan during its visit to Japan under Commodore Matthew Perry. Contains McCauley's written observations, as well as over 50 illustrations.

: Burr McIntosh photograph collection, 1898-1910; The Burr McIntosh Photograph Collection consists of 596 glass plate negatives and 3,822 photographic prints dating from 1898 to 1910. Burr McIntosh (1862-1942) distinguished himself in many careers, including those of actor, reporter, publisher, lecturer, cinematographer, and radio pioneer, as well as photographer. While many of these endeavors were short-lived, they gained him prestige and popularity among the stylish set, including prominent figures in the arts, society, and politics, many of whom were his friends and acquaintances. Most of the photographs are celebrity portraits from the first decade of the twentieth century. The collection also depicts society and sporting events, and contains 41 views of Cuba taken around the time of the Spanish-American War, as well as over 80 photographs documenting William Howard Taft’s good will trip to the Philippines in 1905. The digitization of the photographic prints in this collection was funded by a grant from the Metropolitan New York Library Council.

: William Morris tune-book, 1776-1777; Tunebook of musician William Morris of Captain Tucker's Company, New Jersey's First Regiment, Hunterdon County, dated 1776-1777. Volume contains approximately fifty patriotic and martial tunes including "Liberty Song," "American Artillery," "Quick Step Bunker Hill," "The Basket of Oysters," and "The Wild Irish Man." Some tunes are entered twice. Four staves printed on each page; music and titles in manuscript. Inscription on the inside of front cover reads: "William Morris, First Regiment, Hunterdon [Co., N.J.], 1776, 1777.", Musician in the Continental Army; served in Captain William Tucker's Company, First Regiment, Hunterdon County Militia, New Jersey.

: Eadweard Muybridge's Panorama of San Francisco from California St. Hill, 1878; 360-degree panorama of San Francisco in 13 panels photographed from the roof of the Mark Hopkins residence on Nob Hill by Eadweard Muybridge in 1878. The views in this panorama are from the same perspective as those in a smaller-sized 11-panel panorama issued in 1877, but the appearance of some of the buildings confirms that they were photographed the following year. Muybridge's panorama was purchased for the New-York Historical Society by Daniel Parish in 1897. In the 1897 letter to the Librarian of the New-York Historical Society included in this digital collection, Muybridge says "permit me to suggest that you have the names of the principal buildings and places copied from those I wrote on the copy at the Astor Library [now part of the New York Public Library]". The title of each photograph is based on Muybridge's annotations on the New York Public Library's copy.

: Solomon Nash diary, January 1776-January 1777; Diary kept by Solomon Nash from January 1776-January 1777, while serving in Captain Jotham Drury's artillery company in Massachusetts and New York. Nash writes of his daily routine in the army and his experiences in the Boston and New York areas. He mentions such events as engagements with the British, the evacuation of Long Island, the plot against General Washington, destruction of the statue of King George, and activities of the artillery on Governor's Island, as well as actions of British ships, desertions, and fatalities. Solomon Nash was a Revolutionary War soldier from Abington, Massachusetts.

: John Jacob Omenhausser's Rebel prison scenes, Point Lookout, Maryland, 1864; The forty-two color ink drawings presented here were made in 1864 by a Confederate prisoner of war at Point Lookout, Maryland, the Union's largest Civil War prison camp. The drawings highlight the concerns and experiences of prisoners of war; most scenes show prisoners playing cards, buying food, or engaging in barter with food vendors. All of the prison guards depicted are African American, and encounters are recorded between these guards and the Confederate prisoners. The album into which these sketches were pasted also includes photographs of commanding officers at Point Lookout, printed orders to prison guards about the treatment of prisoners, and letters from prisoners to President Lincoln asking to be released. The volume is part of the Naval History Society Collection, which was donated to the New-York Historical Society in 1925 by James Barnes. James Barnes was the son of the Naval History Society's founder, John S. Barnes, whose own father, Brigadier General James Barnes, commanded the Point Lookout prison. John S. Barnes found the album among his father's papers after his death in 1869., Manakee, Harold R. 'Omenhausser's Confederate Prisoners of War Sketch.' Maryland Historical Magazine (June 1958): 177-179 and cover.

: Harris Pierce photographs, 1888-1900; The Harris Pierce Photograph Collection spans the period from 1888-1900 and contains 300 gelatin silver photographs of residences and businesses during the grading and improvement of streets in the Bronx. Little is known about Harris Pierce, but his stamp appears on the verso of the photographs and gives his address as 1921 Oostdorp Ave and his profession as 'Photographer'. Trow's New York City Directory lists his profession from 1883-1908 as 'Stenographer' at various addresses on Nassau Street, with his home in the West Farms area of the Bronx. The photographs appear to have been made as evidence in supporting the cases of claimants filing for damages against the city. They include views of the construction of sewers, construction sites, street improvements and grading, residences, vegetable gardens, children, churches, and businesses such as grocery stores, brewers and liquor stores, bakers, barbers, plumbers, and real estate offices. The photographs also include views of the New York Central Harlem Line and train stations such as the Tremont Station, social clubs such as the Suburban Club, the Artistic Bronze Co., the American Pie Baking Co., and stables and feed stores. Gift of Herbert Berger-Hershkowitz, 6 July 2007; gift of Leo Hershkowitz, 2008.

: John Pintard Journal of studies, 1797-1804; John Pintard (1759-1844), of New York, was a merchant, philanthropist and founder of the New-York Historical Society. Despite amassing a considerable fortune, he was briefly imprisoned in Newark, NJ for debts incurred during the financial panic of 1792. His extensive “Journal of Studies” (1797-1802) begins shortly before his imprisonment in 1797, and continues after his release thirteen months later, complementing a number of diaries and journals found in Pintard’s personal papers. Initially, the journal is a record of intellectual pursuits, specifically documenting his voracious reading habits, but other activities as well such as languages he is studying (e.g., Hebrew, Italian and Spanish). Also included are notes kept on occurrences at the debtors prison a highlight of which is a description of a prisoner’s escape and subsequent capture. His reading tastes are broad, including noted works in the following: classics, law, poetry, plays, novels and philosophy. Around 1800, the journal evolves into a more traditional diary, with less regular details of his reading, giving brief daily entries commingling personal experiences and public events. Among myriad topics and information recorded are politics, deaths and birthdays, business activities, travel (Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, Havana, New Orleans), weather and nature observations, and daily miles walked.

: Victor Prevost photograph collection, 1853-1857, undated; Victor Prevost (1820-1881) was born in France and studied art before moving to California in 1847 and to New York in 1850. On a visit back to France in 1853, he learned Gustave Le Gray's calotype process, which was based on the process developed by William Henry Fox Talbot and employed sensitized waxed paper to make photographic negatives. When he returned to New York, Prevost opened a photography studio. The Victor Prevost photograph collection consists of 44 calotype negatives and several generations of contact prints. The artfully composed scenes are thought to be among the earliest surviving paper photographic views of New York City. They are prized as fine examples of the calotype process, which was rarely used in the United States.

: Arnold A. Rand and Albert Ordway, Photographs of the War of the Rebellion, Volume 20: U.S. Navy, Edisto Island, Morris and Folly Islands, Fort Warren, Mass., Andersonville Prison, miscellaneous, 1861-1865; Album of ca. 100 albumen photographic prints taken from 1861 to 1865 and printed later. Images include Navy ships and sailors during the blockade of southern ports; army camps; Edisto Island, South Carolina; plantations and African Americans; Fort Warren, Massachusetts; and Andersonville Prison, Georgia. Many of the Edisto Island photographs were taken by Henry P. Moore of New Hampshire. This album is vol. 20 from a 31 volume set of photograph albums compiled by Arnold A. Rand and Albert Ordway. They created a number of such sets throughout the 1880s and into the 20th century, using their personal collection of approximately 4,000 negatives as the source for the album prints., Gift of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Commandery of the State of New York.

: John Randel's Cadastral map of Manhattan, approximately 1815; This cadastral map of Manhattan in 26 sections on 13 sheets appears to be a draft of another map printed in Sackersdorff, Otto. Maps of farms, commonly called the Blue Book 1815 (New York: 1868). The map shows property lines and owners’ names, some existing roads and projected streets, and shows relief by hachures. Pen-and-ink, watercolor on paper. Sackersdorff gives the date of the manuscript map as circa 1815. Attributed to Randel by the cataloger; for provenance, see Stokes, I.N.P. Iconography of Manhattan Island, v. 3, p. 565.

: Elizabeth Ransom photograph collection, 1891-1892; The collection contains 61 glass negatives of buildings, parks, events and portraits in New York City and state. Also included are three albumen prints of the steamboat Harlem and an unidentified residence. The collection was donated by Elizabeth Ransom to the New-York Historical Society, but other than her name, nothing else is known about her or her connection to the negatives. The photographer is unidentified.

: Joseph Reed and Esther De Berdt Reed papers, 1757-1874; Joseph Reed (1741-1785) was a lawyer, Revolutionary War soldier, and statesman born in Trenton, New Jersey. His wife, Esther De Berdt (1747-1780), organized aid for the Continental Army during the Revolution and was born in London, England. The collection consists of letters and documents that pertain to such matters as colonial politics; trade between England and America; De Berdt family affairs; Joseph’s pre-Revolution law practice; relations between Great Britain and the colonies; the supply of the Revolutionary Army; Joseph’s activities in the Continental Army and as a member of Continental Congress; his work as president of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania from 1778-1781; and lists of donations raised by the ladies of Philadelphia for the benefit of the soldiers of the American Army collected under the leadership of Esther in 1780.

: William J. Roege photograph collection, 1910-1937; This collection of 476 photographs by William J. Roege (1893-1970) includes film and glass plate negatives taken between 1910 and 1937, and contact prints made between 1968 and 1970 by Klein Brothers Studio, New York, from oversize glass negatives. The collection consists primarily of views of popular New York City buildings, streets, and businesses produced by Roege while he was employed by commercial photography firms, including American Studio and Boyette. Typical views show Times Square and Manhattan hotels in the 1910s, Columbus Circle in 1918, and upper Fifth Avenue residences in the 1920s. The photographs also depict saloons on Chatham Square in the Bowery, German ocean liners interned in New Jersey during World War I, and several rooftop views of Manhattan and the Hudson and East Rivers.

: John Rogers sculpture collection, 1859-1888

: Thomas Prichard Rossiter's The legend of Breakneck, undated, not after 1868; Original manuscript of the poem "The Legend of Breakneck," written and illustrated by artist Thomas Prichard Rossiter. Manuscript contains 67 full and half page black and white illustrations executed in ink wash. Pasted onto the second front fly leaf is a letter written to Rossiter by George William Curtis, dated Jan. 1, 1868, thanking him for the opportunity to examine the illustrations to the Breakneck legend. Bound in brown leather with a hand tooled decorative title frame executed in brown and green on the cover. Bound by Edith Rossiter Bevan and dated and initialed by her on the bottom border inside the back cover: "19 . E . H. R. 09".

: Harold Roth photograph collection, 1937-1950; The collection consists of 25 gelatin silver photographic prints, 11 x 14 inches, by photographer Harold Roth, capturing New York street life between 1937 and 1950. The photographs show Roth's attention to light and composition, and range from a group of children playing in the spray of an open fire hydrant in the waning sunlight to a view of foot traffic in Madison Square Park against the hazy backdrop of the Flatiron Building. Other views include the interior of Grand Central Terminal, a hot dog vendor at work, the Parachute Jump at Coney Island, and an aerial view of a stickball game. The photographs in this collection were printed by Harold Roth from his vintage negatives between 1991 and 1995. Prints are numbered, captioned, and in most cases signed on the verso by Roth.

: Philip John Schuyler account book, 1763-1770; Account book kept by Philip John Schuyler in Saratoga, New York. Schuyler was an American soldier and statesman of Albany, New York. He was a participant in the French and Indian war and the American Revolution and was the owner a substantial estate in Saratoga, New York. Entries record small daily sales of a general store trading in such merchandise as rum, tea, salt, boards, wheat, flour, hides, sugar, molasses, drygoods, herring, fabrics, powder, glass, etc. and additionally include payments for labor and services such as mending shoes, keeping cattle, sawing logs, weaving, dressing flax, milling, repairs, etc. Hundreds of daily entries include the names of Cornelius Van Denbergh, William Vrooman, John Earhart, William McNeash, Benony Smith, Robert Armstrong, William Duer, Elihu Webster, William Boyd, Joseph Chethert, Nicholas Clute, Abraham Welch, and many other early residents of Saratoga and neighboring communities.

: Benjamin Segan letters, 1943-1945; Approximately 760 letters written by U.S. Army private Benjamin Segan (b. 1924) to his fiancée, Judith Berman, in New York City, describing his activities at basic training in Fort Dix, New Jersey, Camp Croft, South Carolina, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, and his experiences in North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany during World War II.

: Granville Sharp collection, 1768-1803 (bulk 1768-1773); The collection includes three volumes, correspondence, and documents, 1768-1803, related to English abolitionist and reformer Granville Sharp (1735-1813). The first volume contains copies of letters and related documents, 1768-1773, sent to Granville Sharp, transcribed in his own handwriting and concerning such matters as slavery, the slave trade, its evils, legal and social aspects, etc. It includes letters from Joseph Banks, Anthony Benezet, William Blackstone, Jacob Bryant, John Fothergill, Francis Hargrave, Arthur Lee, Michael Lort, and Benjamin Rush. The second volume contains Granville Sharp's copy of proceedings in the Court of King's Bench, London, February and June, 1771, in the case of Thomas Lewis, an enslaved Black man, against his alleged owner, Robert Stapylton, along with John Maloney and Aaron Armstrong, for assault and imprisonment. Proceedings include transcripts of testimony given by Lewis and others. Also included are tipped-in copies of Granville Sharp's remarks on the case and transcripts of the 1st and 2nd motions for judgment against Stapylton. The third volume consists of Granville Sharp's copy of part of the court proceedings in the 1772 case of James Sommersett, an enslaved man from Virginia belonging to Charles Stewart. The case was heard in the Court of King's Bench, London, before Lord Chief Justice Mansfield and three other Justices. Granville Sharp involved himself in the case, and it was the subsequent decision of the court that enslaved people became free upon entering England. The volume contains the arguments for Sommersett of William Davy and John Glynn, and ends with Mansfield adjourning the proceedings to the following term. In addition, the collection includes miscellaneous documents and letters, 1772-1774 and 1784-1803, including extracts from letters of Anthony Benezet, and letters written by Granville Sharp to correspondents such as Benjamin Franklin, Campbell Haliburton, Rufus King, Joseph Reed, William White, and John Witherspoon.

: Buckingham Smith's Map of the coast of Florida from St. Augustine to the St. Lucie River, 1605 [between 1854 and 1858]; Copy of a 1605 map depicting the coast of Florida from St. Augustine to the St. Lucie River, removed from a bound volume in the Buckingham Smith papers at the New-York Historical Society. The volume includes transcriptions of 17th-18th century documents made between 1854 and 1858, probably from originals at the Real Academia de la Historia in Madrid, Spain, and also includes hand-drawn maps and correspondence to Smith. The map is listed in the handwritten list of contents as "Rutier of Mexia from St. Augustine to Ays, 1605".

: James Reuel Smith springs and wells photograph collection, 1893-1902; The James Reuel Smith Springs and Wells Photograph Collection includes 852 glass negatives, acetate negatives, and photographic prints relating to his book "Springs and Wells of Manhattan and the Bronx, New York City, at the End of the Nineteenth Century," published by the New-York Historical Society in 1938. Smith was born in 1852 in Skaneateles, New York. Family money enabled him to actively pursue his hobby of photographing and investigating springs and wells. He spent much of the years 1897 to 1901 bicycling around northern Manhattan and the Bronx looking for them and photographing them. His enthusiasm was well-matched with his photographic eye and his meticulous note-taking on the locations and conditions of the springs and wells he saw. He died in 1935.

: Lysander Spooner papers, 1844-1886; Correspondence, including letters received and copies of letters sent by Boston lawyer and abolitionist Lysander Spooner (1808-1887). Many of the letters pertain to Spooner’s activities as an abolitionist and author of works opposing slavery. Included are 100 letters to or from George Bradburn, 106 letters to or from Gerrit Smith, 7 pieces of correspondence with Charles D. Cleveland, 7 with Daniel Drayton, 19 with Richard Goodell, 10 with Charles D. Miller, 9 with John A. Thomson, 11 letters from Daniel McFarland, and 4 letters from Lewis Tappan.

: Moses Sproule diary, 1779; Journal, May 17, 1779-October 17, 1779, kept while Sproule was quartermaster sergeant in the Third New Jersey Regiment on Sullivan's Indian Campaign. The journal records events of the campaign against the Iroquois in Pennsylvania and New York, including the battle of Newtown, and the Iroquois's capture and killing of Thomas Boyd. It also includes a diagram of the army's order of march. Published in R.W.G. Vail, 'The Western Campaign of 1779,' New-York Historical Society Quarterly, 41 (1957), p. 35-69.

: Ebenezer Stevens papers, 1739-1860; Ebenezer Stevens (1751-1823) served as a soldier and officer in the Continental Army and the New York State Artillery Corps during the Revolutionary War. Post-war, he was an agent for the United States War Department as well as a successful merchant in New York City. This collection documents his activities as a merchant and as a commanding officer, focusing particularly on daily functions and the fortification of New York Harbor in the years 1802-1814. The papers do not contain much information about Stevens' Revolutionary War efforts, aside from two military orders.

: Ebenezer Stevens letter book, 1807-1814; Letter book, New York City, August 28, 1807-July 29, 1814, containing copies of letters sent (and a few received) by Stevens as Major-General of Artillery, New York State Militia. The subjects of the letters are military matters and the War of 1812, and the correspondents include Solomon Van Rensselaer, Jacob Morton, and Gov. Daniel D. Tompkins., Major-General of Artillery, New York State Militia.

: George E. Stonebridge photographic negatives, 1897-1918 (bulk 1899-1904); 4,670 images by George Ehler Stonebridge (d. 1941), an amateur photographer who lived and worked in the Bronx, New York. The photographs document both everyday life and special events such as parades, from the end of the nineteenth century to the beginning decades of the twentieth century. The collection includes views of Manhattan sights as wells as Bronx parks, the Croton Dam strike, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the funeral of General Franz Sigel, the Dewey Naval and Land Parade, Niagara Falls, the May Walk (1898-1899), the Cycle Parade (1897-1898), wrecks, fires, the Sportsman's Show, the Stevens airship, baseball teams in action, scenes from Garrison, N.Y., and grim photographs of the victims of the "General Slocum" steamboat disaster.

: George Templeton Strong diary, 1835-1875; The four-volume diary of George Templeton Strong (1820-1875) is a detailed chronicle of the activities, interests, and relationships that characterized its author’s life. Beginning in 1835, and continued consistently into 1875, its thousands of individual entries contain descriptions of all facets of Strong’s experience, typically beginning with the weather and going on to discuss matters such as his legal work, family life, health, social ties, politics, and the arts. The diary documents upper class life in mid-nineteenth century New York City and provides reflections on the lives and attitudes of his peers. The reporting of personal activities is supplemented by Strong’s reactions to current events, most notably those related to the American Civil War. Digitization of the diary was made possible by a grant from the Peck Stacpoole Foundation.

: Charles Sumner's The anti-slavery enterprise, 1855; Charles Sumner (1811-1874) was a United States senator from Massachusetts and a campaigner against slavery. This is a draft of a version of the speech delivered in New York on May 9, 1855, and published that year under the title "The anti-slavery enterprise." Internal evidence indicates that it was to be delivered to a Boston audience, probably on May 15, 1855. The digital collection includes the draft along with the published version (Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1855).

: J.G. Swift's Report on the Defence of the City of New-York, Accompanied With Maps, Views, and Topographical Plans, 1814; "A collection of thirty-three maps, plans, and views of the fortifications constructed on Manhattan Island during the War of 1812 originally bound up with a beautifully engrossed Report on the Defence of the City of New-York ... Addressed to the Committee of the Common Council by J.G. Swift, Brigadier General, Chief Engineer of the United States, New York, 1814 ... According to a statement at the end of the report, the 'Surveys, Maps & Small views were furnished by Capt. James Renwick & Lieut. James Gadsden; aided by Lieuts. Craig, Turner, De Russy, Kemble & Oothout. Mr. Holland furnished the large Views ...'"--Stokes, I.N.P. Iconography of Manhattan Island, III, p. 551-552. The volume was disbound at some point in its history, and the views, maps, and plans divided between the New-York Historical Society's Museum and Library.

: H.N. Tiemann & Co. photograph collection, 1880-1916; H.N. Tiemann (1863-1957) was the proprietor of a Manhattan-based commercial photography company, H.N Tiemann & Co., which photographed New York locations and events for publication and general sale. This collection of black and white negatives, circa 1880-1916, documents Manhattan buildings, bridges, churches, hotels, civic celebrations, and fashionable street scenes. Among heavily represented subjects are views of the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration, the Queensboro Bridge, the Croton Reservoir, the Flatiron Building, the American Museum of Natural History, Grand Central Terminal, Madison Square Garden and Union Square. There are also exterior views of residences, including those of A.T. Stewart, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Gouverneur Morris, Jr.

: Abraham Varick record book, 1791-1806; A record book, dated 1791-1798 and 1800-1806, kept by Abraham Varick of New York City. The book contains copies of letters to merchants in England and Germany and lists of merchandise ordered from them. The letters discuss business matters, including the difficulties of transatlantic trade in wartime and the risk of seizures of ships. Commodities ordered are mainly textiles and metal goods (scissors, cutlery, hand tools, etc.)., Abraham Varick was a New York City dry goods merchant, and brother of jurist and politician Richard Varick.

: Richard Varick papers, 1743-1871 (bulk 1775-1830); Richard Varick, born in New Jersey, 1753, served as Captain, deputy muster-master-general, and George Washington's secretary during the Revolutionary war. He was appointed one of the first mayors of New York and served from 1789-1801. He died in 1831. His papers pertain to a variety of subjects, including Varick's command of a company in Alexander McDougall's battalion at Ticonderoga and in Canada during 1775; his service on courts-martial in 1775; problems of the bateau service in northern New York State in 1776; his position as secretary to Gen. Philip Schuyler in 1775-1776; his work as deputy muster master general, inspector general at West Point, first aide-de-camp to Benedict Arnold (including papers about Arnold's defection and subsequent investigations), and as recording secretary for George Washington (including papers about the transcription of Washington's letters); and suits handled by him as an attorney practicing in Poughkeepsie in 1782-1783, and in New York City after the war.

: Adalbert John Volck's Confederate war etchings, 1863; This portfolio was produced in an edition of 200 copies for subscribers of Dr. Adalbert John Volck during the early part of the Civil War. It sardonically illustrates events that allegedly took place in the North and South from Philadelphia and Baltimore to Charleston and Vicksburg between 1861 and 1863. The original publication contained thirty prints, but one plate, "Meeting of the Southern Emissaries and Lincoln," has been lost. The twenty-nine caricatures presented here were etched during the Civil War. They show sympathy for the Confederate cause, and distaste for warfare in general. They were made by Adalbert John Volck (1828-1912), a Baltimore dentist, and were originally published under the name "V. Blada." Lincoln's ideals and actions are caricatured, as are such topics as Union army conscription methods, Northern treatment of African Americans, and the behavior of the Union and Confederate armies. Northerners of conflicted views are shown in several scenes smuggling medicine to the South, or joining the Confederate army. Several scenes of events in Baltimore highlight the city residents' early ambivalence toward the war cause and effort., Adalbert John Volck (1828-1912) was German-born and immigrated to the United States in 1848. He qualified as a dentist, and practiced for many years in Baltimore, where he settled permanently in 1851. In an effort to combat the success of the Northern caricaturist, Thomas Nast (ironically also German-born), Volck issued many caricatures favorable to the South. The Confederate War Etchings are the most important and best known of these. Published under the name "V. Blada"

: Alexander Watson notebook, 1772-1774; Notebook, 1772-1774, of Alexander Watson, a landowner and resident of New York City who was nephew and heir of John Watson (1685-1768). Contains receipts, lists of deeds and properties, and a note of a lease assigned to him in New York to build a church; notes on taxes; excerpts from "A new system of agriculture, by a Country Gentleman," with references to other writers on agriculture; prayers; versified psalms; music for the "Old Hundredth" and "God Save the King"; secular poems and songs; moral, religious and economic reflections; and genealogical notes.

: John Watson notebook, 1701, 1726, 1775-1778; Notebook of John Watson, the painter, containing miscellaneous notes and personal account information written by Watson in 1726 and by Watson's nephew, Alexander Watson in 1775-1778. There are accounts of things bought, real estate transactions, poetry, music, etc. Includes account "for painting in York, 1726." The volume also includes some pages covered with John Watson's boyhood arithmetic from 1701. Some pages missing.The notebook is extensively described in the article by John Hill Morgan, 'John Watson, Painter, Merchant, and Capitalist of New Jersey, 1685-1768', published in Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, vol. 50, p. 225., Painter, active in New Jersey and New York.

: Walt Whitman letters, July 27, 1863-September 9, 1863; Walt Whitman’s letters to the parents of Erastus Haskell of the 141st New York Volunteers, who died on August 2, 1863 in Armory Square Hospital, Washington, D.C., where Whitman frequently visited the sick and wounded. He wrote the Haskells, of Breseport, New York, on July 27, 1863 to inform them that their son was very ill with typhoid fever. In a letter written August 10 he describes his visits with Erastus and their son’s last days. In the final letter, dated September 9, Whitman thanks Mr. Haskell for his acknowledgement of the letter of August 10 and reiterates his Brooklyn address so that Mr. and Mrs. Haskell may write to him at home. An earlier letter, written April 5, 1863 by Joel M. Jansen and Erastus E. Haskell, describes their regiment's good accommodations despite the poor weather. Erastus says further that he and the other musicians have not been on duty for some time, but anticipate active service soon., Erastus Haskell, born May 25, 1844, and died August 2, 1863, was a fife player in Company K, 141st New York Volunteer Infantry band. Prior to his military service, he worked as a carpenter. Erastus also had one sister, Abigail, who was deaf. His father, Samuel Baldwin Haskell (1810-1876) suffered a stroke, rendering him unable to work.

: John Winthrop's A modell of Christian charity, written on boarde the Arrabella, on the Attlantick Ocean, 1630; Manuscript copy, probably contemporary, of John Winthrop's sermon 'A Modell of Christian Charity,' 1630. Gift of Francis B. Winthrop, 1809., John Winthrop (12 January 1587/8 – 26 March 1649) led a large group of emigrants from England across the Atlantic in 1630, and served as the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony., New-York Historical Society

: William Yarrington diary, 1759-1776.; William Yarrington's diary, September 21, 1759-October 30, 1776, recording his military experiences in the Crown Point area during the French & Indian War (1759) and also in the Revolutionary war, 1775-1776. He served with the 3rd N.Y. near Ticonderoga in 1775 and with the 2nd N.Y. (detached) as home guard on Long Island in 1776. Also included are some accounts.

: American Manuscripts; The New-York Historical Society's manuscript collections contain over 20,000 linear feet of archival materials, including family papers and organizational and business records. This website presents a selection of collections that document the lives of important New Yorkers and Americans as well as average citizens.

: Civil War Collections; The New-York Historical Society's rich collections that document the Civil War include recruiting posters for New York City regiments of volunteers; stereographic views documenting the mustering of soldiers and of popular support for the Union in New York City; photography showing the war's impact, both in the North and South; and drawings and writings by ordinary soldiers on both sides.

: Civil War envelopes, 1861-1865; Most pictorial envelopes approximately 3 x 5 1/2 inches. Printed or embossed with caricatures, allegories, slogans, portraits, etc. relating to Civil War events and personalities. The vast majority is Union-oriented, for example of George Washington, Jefferson Davis, Benjamin Franklin, or Abraham Lincoln. State seals figure prominently, as do flags. Other significant topics in the collection are animals (especially the eagle), liberty, soldiers, sailors, and Uncle Sam., The New-York Historical Society's Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections owns approximately 3,000 unused envelopes dating from the Civil War years. Of these, 490 were scanned for this project. Most were produced by New York printers between 1861 and 1865. Some are quite crude; others are beautifully designed and executed, many in color, some gilt. Some envelopes show portraits or caricatures of politicians. A significant New York printer, Charles Magnus, is represented by thirty-six envelopes, many showing Civil War camp scenes derived from photographs.

: Civil War posters, 1861-1865; The 304 Civil War Posters in this collection consist predominantly of recruiting posters, as well as advertisements for public meetings, auctions and social functions pertaining to the Civil War. This collection includes posters from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Maine. Within the collection are posters for artillery, cavalry and infantry divisions of the United States Army, as well as state National Guard regiments and local regiments such as the Camden Zouaves, West Jersey Rifles and the Mozart Regiment. Many of these posters were used in targeted recruitment campaigns, calling upon African-Americans, Irish-Americans and German-Americans to enlist in the Union Army (a number of the posters are written in German). Many of the recruitment posters encourage men to avoid the draft and proactively sign up with a regiment, advertising high bounties, complimentary uniforms and pensions for the families of those who enlist. The posters use patriotic iconography featuring Lady Liberty, George Washington and Union soldiers, in addition to eagles, cavalrymen, liberty caps and American flags.

: Civil War stereographs, 1861-1865; The collection of Civil War stereographs from the New-York Historical Society's Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections covers the entire period of the Civil War, from the first Battle of Bull Run through the surrender at Appomattox, and the triumphal parade of Union forces in Washington D.C. Most of the images were made in the eastern theatre of the war, with a majority of scenes from Virginia. Compelling images of death on the battlefield and the destruction of cities, railroads and bridges show the devastating effects of the war. Individual and group portraits of participants are included, along with images of soldiers relaxing in camps, drilling in the field, and preparing for attack in trenches and other fortifications. There are images of African Americans fleeing slavery by crossing the Union lines, as well as African Americans on southern plantations and serving in the Army and the Navy. Because of their journalistic style, stereographs offer an immediate and graphic look at the war. When seen with a stereograph viewer which creates a three-dimensional effect, the small views (which range in size from 3 1/8 x 6 3/4 inches to 4 x 7 inches) become even more vivid and detailed. While photographers did not usually depict actual battle scenes, they captured images of camp life before battles and of battlefields afterward. Significant Civil War sites are documented, including Fort Sumter and the house at Appomattox where Lee surrendered. These views are also significant because of the photographers who made them. Mathew Brady is represented in the collection, as well as his former employees Alexander Gardner, James Gibson, and Timothy O'Sullivan. Other photographers represented include George N. Barnard, who took photographs in Virginia and the Carolinas, Sam A. Cooley, who was the 'Official Photographer' for the 10th Army Corps, and local photographers from Richmond, Gettysburg, and other locations. The 732 stereographs presented here came to the Society from various sources, although most were acquired in 1960 and 1961 from George T. Bagoe (1886?-1948), who specialized in collecting Civil War stereographs, among other subjects. Other significant groups of views were acquired in 1922, 1923 and 1936.

: Collections Relating to Black History; The New-York Historical Society holds important collections relating to Black history, slavery in the United States and the Atlantic slave trade. Dating from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, they constitute a rich archive of primary source materials that will be of value to anyone researching the history of slavery, the slave trade, emancipation, and the abolitionist movement.

: Five Timucua language imprints, 1612-1635; The five works in this collection are among the earliest known primary sources that provide information about the now-extinct language of the Timucua, a Native American people who once lived in a large area of northern Florida, southern Georgia, and southern Alabama. The first two works, printed in Mexico City in 1612 and bound together into one volume, are catechisms in Spanish and Timucua written by Francisco Pareja, a missionary in Spanish Florida. The third work is a Confessionario, also by Pareja, printed in Mexico City in 1613. The two other works are devotional texts compiled and translated into Timucua by Gregorio de Movilla, printed in Mexico City in 1635, and bound in one volume. These books owe their survival to antiquarian and linguist Buckingham Smith (1810-1871), whose collection of manuscripts and books related to Native American cultures and languages was donated to the New-York Historical Society in the 1880s. Digitization of this collection was funded by a grant from the Metropolitan New York Library Council.

: Highlights from the Drawing Collection; This digital collection highlights 207 of the most significant drawings from the New-York Historical Society's drawing collection. The drawing collection, numbering over 8,000 sheets, is one of the New-York Historical Society's crown jewels. Collected since 1816, this distinctive trove is the country’s earliest public drawing collection. It is also one of the finest, whose strength resides in its unparalleled late 18th- and early 19th-century material that furnishes a comprehensive survey of American art from its inception, dominated by European artists, up through the 1860s, by which time native-born artists had asserted an American identity.

: Highlights from the Ephemera Collections; The New-York Historical Society's ephemera collections, currently being digitized, include broadsides, posters, and dining menus, as well as hundreds of thousands of items of many different types of ephemera in the Bella C. Landauer Collection of Business and Advertising Ephemera. This digital collection presents a small selection comprising Revolutionary Era broadsides, Civil War posters, and Civil War envelopes. The New-York Historical Society Library hopes to digitize many more items from its ephemera collections in the future.

: Highlights from the Map Collection; The New-York Historical Society's map collection ranges from the 17th century to the present and includes both printed and manuscript items. Geographic scope varies by time period, but extends from New York to the entire country. Among the manuscript maps that have been digitized are the unique sketches of projected battle sites of the American Revolution by Robert Erskine and Simeon DeWitt, and a series of maps created by Lawrence Veiller for the Tenement House Committee that document overcrowding in Manhattan in 1899.

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