Brooklyn Eye and Ear Hospital Records, 1868-1976. 9 boxes (3.8 cubic feet).
AccNo 1985.005
Brooklyn Eye and Ear Hospital was established in 1868 by prominent Brooklynites as a philanthropic clinic, and opened on April 20th, 1869. Increasing demands for patient space necessitated the purchase of a Juvenile High School building c. 1881. In 1930, a new building was begun to accommodate growing staff, but the onset of the Depression made it difficult for the hospital to recover its large construction costs. Financial difficulties continued to plague the hospital’s operations until it was eventually forced to close in 1976.
The Brooklyn Eye and Ear Hospital Records contain mostly administrative and financial documents reflecting the various aspects of the hospital’s operations, such as the minutes of the Board of Directors, Superintendent reports, minutes of the Board of Surgeons, and minutes of the Ophthalmic Committee. Other items include a two-volume history of the hospital’s first one hundred years, a medical manual, a report on emergency room sanitary conditions, and a sub-committee directory.