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Long Island Historical Society Quarterly, 1939-1942; The Journal of Long Island History, 1961-1969 and 1973-1982
From 1939-1942, 1961-1969, and 1973-1982, the Brooklyn Historical Society (known then as the Long Island Historical Society) published a periodic journal, called the Long Island Historical Society Quarterly in 1939-42 and, in the later years, The Journal of Long Island History. The journals include articles on historical topics concerning Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties. Many of the articles, especially in the 1939-1942 volumes, include full or partial transcriptions of account books, correspondence, deeds, tombstone inscriptions, and other manuscripts from the BHS collection and elsewhere. While there is a wide range of subject matter, perhaps best-represented in the journal are articles concerning the colonial period through the 19th century, American Revolution, Civil War, and African-American history. No appointment is necessary to use the journals in the BHS library.
Emancipation Proclamation, Leland-Boker Authorized Edition, 1864.
M1986.257
Folio broadside of the Emancipation Proclamation, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, Secretary of State William H. Seward, and John G. Nicolay, Private Secretary to the President. One from an edition of 48, it was printed at the request of Charles Godfrey Leland and George H. Boker to be offered for sale as a souvenir at the Great Central Sanitary Fair in Philadelphia, June 1864, in order to raise funds for sick and wounded soldiers and military camps.
Rapelye Family Papers, 1812-1820.
ArMs 1974.006
Jacob and Isaac Rapelye were distant relatives and members of the prestigious and instrumental Rapelye family of New York. They were both descended from Joris Jansen de Rapalie, Long Island’s first settler. Jacob was born in Newtown in 1788 and worked as a bank clerk as a young man until joining the military at the onset of the War of 1812, serving as a lieutenant of artillery. He later served as deputy secretary of South Carolina before returning to New York in 1828, where he worked in real estate. Jacob died in 1867. Isaac was a physician who earned his medical degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, now at Columbia University. He also served as president of the Medical Society of the County of Kings in 1835. He died from tuberculosis in 1847.
The Rapelye Family Papers includes four items celebrating the achievements of Isaac and Jacob Rapleye during the period 1812-1820. Items include Isaac’s medical diploma issued by the College of Physicans and Surgeons, as well as Jacob’s military appointments during the War of 1812, which included that of First Lieutenant in the Battalion of the Artillery of the State of New York (signed by Governor Daniel Tomkins) and First Lieutenant of Volunteers in the Service of the United States (signed by President James Madison). Finally, the collection also includes Jacob’s appointment as Deputy Secretary of the State of South Carolina in 1816.
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Gabriel Furman Papers, 1819-1896. 4 boxes.
ArMs 1974.113
Born in 1800, Gabriel Furman was a Brooklyn lawyer, justice, and state senator who was also an avid antiquarian and collector. Furman compiled research notes relating to the history of the New York area throughout his life, and much of his work was posthumously edited and published. During his lifetime, Furman had also published the work Notes, Geographical and Historical Relative to the Town of Brooklyn in 1824, and he also released an annotated version of the historic work A Brief Description of New York (1670) by Daniel Denton, published by publisher William Gowans in 1845. Furman is believed to have been addicted to opium, and he died in poverty in 1854.
The Gabriel Furman Papers are largely a collection of Furman’s research notes, manuscripts and documents, with a small amount of correspondence and legal documenation. Furman’s notes touch on subjects ranging from the Revolutionary War, the laws of the early settlement of New York, and the Cholera epidemic of 1832-1833, to weather observations, cures for common ailments, and notes on current events. The collection also includes ten pages of manuscript notes for Furman’s Notes, Geographical and Historical Relative to the Town of Brooklyn.
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Hulbert Collection, British Colonial Government Records, 1698 - 1846. 0.5 linear feet, plus one oversize folder.
AccNos. 1974.041, 1974.042, 1974.043
The Hulbert Collection contains original administrative and legislative correspondence from Britain and the North American colonies and the Bahamas, dating from the late 1600’s to c. 1840, with the bulk of the material dating from the late 1700’s. The correspondence in this collection issues from a variety of individuals and organizational bodies; taken together it indicates aspects of the relationship between Great Britain and her colonies in North America. The bulk of the correspondence is between administrative offices and officials on either side of the Atlantic. Among the materials present are correspondence, legislative documents, British army enlistment records, court and tax records and an 1832 Andrew Jackson election poster.
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The Dick Family Papers. 1 folder.
ArMs 1985.1
Archibald L. Dick (c.1793- 1856) of Brooklyn worked as an engraver, while his son, James L. Dick (c.J.833-l868), was an artist. James was also one of the founding members of the Brooklyn Art School and Academy of Design.
The Dick Family Papers consist of 26 items concerning the business affairs and careers of both Archibald and James Dick. Included in the collection are business documents, deeds, mortgages, wills, correspondence, engravings by Archibald Dick, James Dick’s obituary notice, and a photograph of James Dick in Civil War-era uniform, among other items.
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The William Patton Griffith Papers, 1861-1937. 1 document box, 0.5 cubic feet.
ArMs 2006.030
William Patton Griffith was born in Washington, PA., on July 22, 1843. He worked at The Washington Reporter as a reporter, editor, and poet, and during the Civil War he enlisted in the Union Army. After the war Griffith served as New York State Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) and was involved in a wealth of other veteran and civic organizations, such as the Society of Old Brooklynites. He also continued his career in journalism, serving as editor at The Pittsburgh Dispatch, The New York Herald, The World, The Brooklyn Eagle, and The Brooklyn Press. Later in life Griffith enjoyed a successful career in public service in Brooklyn and, at the age of 76, became a practicing chiropractor. He died on February 17, 1936.
The William Patton Griffith Papers consist primarily of correspondence, writings, speeches, and clippings relating to all aspects of Griffith’s participation as Grand Marshall in the Grand Army of the Republic and the Society of Old Brooklynites, among other civic activities in Brooklyn, with most of the collection focusing between the 1890s - 1930s. There are also some black and white photographs of Griffith attending a variety of public ceremonies and a few items representative of Griffith’s personal life, such as poems, programs, certificates and a swatch of flag bunting from the flag that flew over General Ulysses Grant’s tomb in 1897.
Access Points:
Subject Topics
Freemasons –Brooklyn
War Memorials –United States
Subject Places
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Social life and customs
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) –Politics and government
United States, Army, Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, 102nd (1861-1865)
United States –History –Civil War –Veterans
Corporate Names
Big Brothers of America
General Slocum (Steamboat)
Grand Army of the Republic
Society of Old Brooklynites (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Union Veteran Legion of the United States
Personal Names
Griffith, William Patton, 1843-1936
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945
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Bedell and Conklin Family Collection, 1839-1917. 1 record carton (1 cubic foot).
ArMs 2005.021
Ebenezer Conklin was an employee or associate of the Peter Cooper glue factory and millworks, as well as a landlord and property owner. He and his wife Sarah Aletta Clowes had five children, two of whom are represented in this collection. Nathaniel Augustus, their third child, served in the Civil War. Sarah, the eldest, married George Bedell, the son of William Bedell, chief proprietor of a straw and feed company. William Bedell may also have been Ebenezer Conklin’s business partner for a time.
The Bedell and Conklin Family Collection contains financial records, family correspondence, and a small collection of ephemera. The financial records of Ebenezer Conklin make up the greatest part of the collection and pertain to all aspects of Conklin’s financial life. The financial records of his descendants and relatives generally concern only building repairs and tax records pertaining to various properties. The collection also includes two account books of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of Bushwick spanning the years 1876-1884, correspondence reflecting Nathaniel Augustus’ experience in the Civil War, letters from Nathaniel Augustus to his father, and ephemera such as business cards and promotional materials. See the full finding aid for descriptions of additional items.
Access Points:
Personal Names
Bedell Family
Conklin Family
Conklin, Ebenezer
Conklin, Nathaniel Augustus
Bedell, Elbert
Bedell, George
Bedell, Sarah
Topics
Church records and registers-Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Land titles-Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Real property-Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Retail trade-Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
United States-History-Civil War, 1861-1865
Geographic Terms
Bushwick (New York, N.Y.)
Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)-Social life and customs
Camp Russell A. Alger (Va.)
Williamsburg (New York, N.Y.)
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G.B. Webb Collection of Political Cartoons, 1898-1938 (Bulk 1898-1919). 2 document boxes, 1 cubic foot.
ArMs 1991.043
New York architect G.B. (Gregory Burkitt) Webb (1878-1948) specialized in building and landscaping cemeteries. He designed several abbeys and mausoleums throughout New York City, including additions to Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn and Cypress Hill and Montefiore Cemeteries in Queens. Outside of these professional accomplishments, G.B. Webb collected political cartoons that portrayed and often satirized the events of the Spanish American War (1898), President Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), and the New Deal politics (1933-1939).
While the vast majority of the collection comprises political cartoons, a few miscellaneous materials also include articles and satiric pieces. The subject of Theodore Roosevelt dominates the collection, and more often than not his expansionist initiatives, reformist rhetoric, and passions for hunting are treated in a sharply satirical light. The Spanish American War is also criticized as an opportunistic vehicle for American expansionism overseas, and The New Deal is depicted as an insane bureaucratic nightmare. Most of the clippings are culled from newspapers published in G.B. Webb’s native New York City, especially the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. However, the collection includes many clippings taken from newspapers across the United States, including the Washington Post, the Nashville Daily News, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Salt Lake Herald, and Boston Post, and the Portland Oregonian.
Access Points:
Personal Names
Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919–Caricatures and cartoons
Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945–Caricatures and cartoons
Webb, G.B. (Gregory Burkitt), 1878-1948
Corporate Names
Progressive Party (1912)–Caricatures and cartoons
Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )–History–20th Century–Caricatures and cartoons
Topical Subjects
Big business-United States-History-20th century– Caricatures and cartoons
Hunting-Caricatures and cartoons
New Deal, 1933-1939—-Caricatures and cartoons
Presidents–United States-Election-1904–Caricatures and cartoons
Presidents–United States-Election-1912–Caricatures and cartoons
Spanish-American War, 1898–Caricatures and cartoons
Geographic Subjects
United States–Foreign relations–1901-1909–Caricatures and cartoons
United States–Foreign relations–1909-1913–Caricatures and cartoons
United States–Politics and government–1901-1909–Caricatures and cartoons
United States–Politics and government–1909-1913–Caricatures and cartoons
United States–Politics and government–1933-1945–Caricatures and cartoons
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Morgan-Parry Family Papers, 1861-1909. 2 document boxes (0.8 cubic feet).
ArMs 1990.006
Henry C. Morgan was the son of N.D. Morgan, President of the North America Life Insurance Company in New York, and the nephew of Edwin Denison Morgan, who served as Governor of New York and later was a United States Senator. Henry worked as clerk for the Manhattan Life Insurance Company before being enlisted to serve in the Civil War as a Recruiting Officer on October of 1861.
While recruiting service in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Henry met his future wife, Augusta “Gussie” Parry. After being wounded in Virginia in 1864, requiring amputation of his left leg above the knee, Henry left service, and he and Augusta were married in April of 1865. The couple had three daughters and settled in Brooklyn on Clinton Street, later moving to Connecticut.
The Morgan-Parry Family Papers include the Official and Personal papers of Henry C. Morgan and Augusta Parry. Materials of an official nature include documents and correspondence of Henry C. Morgan relating to his work as a 1st Lt. in the 12th infantry of the U.S. Army, and later as Captain in the 30th Regiment of the Infantry. Personal materials include correspondence and letters relating to Henry and Augusta, as well as their daughter Mary and Augusta’s father, Edward O. Parry. The collection also contains a contract for Henry and Augusta’s residence on Clinton Street dating from December 1870.
Access Points:
Personal Names
Morgan, Henry C. (Churchill)
Morgan, N.D. (Nathan Denison), 1818-1895
Morgan, Edwin D. (Edwin Denison), 1811-1883
Morgan, Augusta Parry, Mrs.
Parry, Edward O. (Owen)
Topics
United States History Civil War, 1861-1865
United States History Civil War, 1861-1865 Desertions
United States History Civil War, 1861-1865 Equipment and supplies
United States. Army. Subsistence Dept.
United States. Army. Infantry, 12th.
United States. Army. Infantry, 30th.
Geographic Terms
Brooklyn (N.Y.)–Streets-Clinton Street
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