Archives & Library Special Collections
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Call Number: ARC.212
Extent: 28.0 cubic feet, in 75 boxes: 32 manuscript boxes, 38 flat boxes, and 5 small boxes.
The Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims and Henry Ward Beecher collection traces the career of the Reverend Henry Ward Beecher, the well known 19th century preacher, and the history of Plymouth Congregational Church, of which Beecher was the first pastor. Plymouth Church was a major institution in 19th century Brooklyn, first gaining recognition on national and international levels as Beecher’s pulpit. Beecher was well known for his oratorical ability and for his vocal opposition to slavery and support of the Northern cause during the Civil War. He also spoke out on subjects ranging from women’s suffrage and evolution to organized labor and temperance. Beecher was a popular figure despite controversy that surrounded his activities, including a charge of adultery that resulted in a widely reported trial in 1875.
The collection relates principally to Beecher’s pastorate at Plymouth Church from 1847 until his death in 1887. Other materials, ranging through 1980, concern the church’s other pastors and the history of Plymouth Church itself, which consolidated with the Church of the Pilgrims in 1934. The papers provide insight into the church congregation’s various activities, illustrate the history of Beecher’s influence on his congregation and on 19th century congregationalism, and shed light on both the public and private life of a major American personality of the 19th century.
Names:
- Beecher, Henry Ward, 1813-1887
- Abbott, Lyman, 1835-1922
- Beecher, Henry Ward, 1813-1897
- Beecher, William Constantine, b. 1849
- Durkee, J. Stanley, 1866-1951
- Fifield, Lawrence Wendell, b. 1891
- Hibben, Paxton, 1880-1928
- Hillis, Newell Dwight, 1858-1929
- Hunt, Rose Ward
- Tilton, Elizabeth M. Richards, b. 1834
- Tilton, Theodore, 1835-1907
- Bethel of Plymouth Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Church of the Pilgrims (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.). Sunday School
- Church of the Pilgrims (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Henry Ward Beecher Literary and Debating Society (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Henry Ward Beecher Missionary Circle (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Plymouth Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.). Sunday School
- Plymouth Church (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Plymouth Institute (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Ellinwood, T. J., 1830-1921
- King, Horatio C., 1837-1918
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Church history
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Religious life and customs
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- United States — Religion
Subjects:
- Plymouth chimes (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Abolitionists — New York (State)
- Adultery — New York (State) — Kings County
- Antislavery movements — United States
- Authors, American
- City clergy — New York (State) — New York
- Clergy as authors
- Congregational churches — New York (State) — Kings County — Clergy
- Congregationalists — New York (State) — Kings County
- Lectures and lecturing — New York (State) — Kings County
- Pews and pew rights
- Reformers — United States
- Religious education of children — New York (State) — Kings County
- Religious institutions — New York (State) — Kings County
- Sunday schools — New York (State) — Kings County
- Trials (Adultery) — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
- Cartes-de-visite (card photographs)
- Church newsletters
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Correspondence
- Cylinder phonographs (phonographs)
- Photographs
- Picture postcards
- Scrapbooks
- Sermons
- Typescripts
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Call Number: 2011.002
Extent: 1.5 linear feet, in one manuscript box, four odd-size or oversize boxes, and two phase boxes.
The Eugenie Fribourg family photographs and ephemera collection is comprised of materials relating to and documenting the family and professional life of Eugenie Merzbach Fribourg, a Jewish-American Brooklynite whose life spanned nearly the entire 20th century. Eugenie Fribourg became a doctor at a time when the medical profession was dominated by men, and she remained active in the field for more than 60 years. The collection provides a rich visual document of Jewish-American family life in the early-20th century, historical photographic materials in various formats, 1940s French wine and spirits, and a visual history of various neighborhoods in Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Names:
- Merzbach family
- Fribourg family
- Brooklyn Hospital
- Jewish Hospital of Brooklyn
- Medical College of Virginia
Places:
- Brighton Beach (New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
- Coney Island (New York, N.Y.)
- Flatbush (New York, N.Y.)
- France
- Los Angeles (Calif.)
- Manhattan (New York, N.Y.)
- Paris (France)
- Park Slope (New York, N.Y.)
- San Francisco (Calif.)
Subjects:
- Families |z New York (State) |z Kings County
- Hospitals |z New York (State) |z Kings County
- Jewish women physicians
- Jews |z New York (State) |z Kings County
- Jews |z New York (State) |z New York
- Landscape photography |z New York (State) |z Kings County
- Landscape photography |z New York (State) |z New York
- Photography |z France |z Paris.
- Photography |z New York (State) |z Kings County
- Photography |z New York (State) |z New York
- Portrait photography
- Wine labels
- Women physicians |z New York (state) |z Kings County
Types of material:
- Black-and-white prints (photographs)
- Bottle labels
- Cabinet photographs
- Cartes-de-visite (card photographs)
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Commemorative jewelry
- Correspondence
- Group portraits
- Identity cards
- Lockets
- Photographic postcards
- Portraits
- Studio portraits
- Tintypes (prints)
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Call Number: ARC.286
Extent: 0.13 Linear feet, in four folders
Epher Whitaker (1820-1916) was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Southold, Long Island, for more than forty years, retiring the pastorate in 1891. He was also an author and historian. The Epher Whitaker papers (1864-1900) include manuscripts of fourteen of Whitaker’s sermons, lectures and short writings dating from the late 1800s. There is also a small amount of correspondence from 1864 concerning religious revival among children. Most of the lectures and sermons concern historical topics, including past ministers at Southold and Shelter Island; preachers who appeared in the pulpit of the First Presbyterian Church of Southold, including African-Americans; the history of the First Presbyterian; and a survey of Suffolk County history. A summary of remarks entitled “The Proper Work of the Ministry” is an autobiographical account of Whitaker’s career (1891). Other manuscript remarks include reflections on “The Rise of Woman” and the relation of church and state, as well as religious themes.
Names:
- Whitaker, Epher, 1820-1916
- First Presbyterian Church (Southold, N.Y.)
Places:
- Shelter Island (N.Y.)
- Southold (N.Y.)
- Suffolk County (N.Y.)
- Suffolk County (N.Y.) — History
Subjects:
- African Americans — New York (State) — Suffolk County
- Presbyterian Church — Clergy
- Presbyterian Church — New York (State) — Suffolk County
Types of material:
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Call Number: 2012.004
Extent: 23.5 Linear feet, in 48 manuscript boxes.
The Emma Toedteberg Bookplate collection, spanning from 1701 to 1982, was the bookplate collection of long-time Brooklyn Historical Society (BHS) librarian Emma Toedteberg (1856-1936). The collection was originally created by Miss Toedteberg’s father, Augustus Toedteberg (1824-1909), and later expanded by BHS librarians. The present collection numbers over 7,000 bookplates ranging from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, including armorial, heraldic and presentation bookplates of individuals and institutions. Works of numerous engravers are represented such as Edwin Davis French, Charles W. Sherborn and John W. Evans.
Names:
- Huntington, Edna, 1895-1965
- Brooklyn Historical Society (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Long Island Historical Society
- Stryker-Rodda, Harriet
- Toedteberg, Augustus, 1823 or 4-1909
- Toedteberg, Emma
Subjects:
- Art — Collectors and collecting — United States
- Art, American
- Artists — New York (State) — Kings County
- Bookplates
- Graphic artists — New York (State) — New York
- Heraldry
- Portraits
Types of material:
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Call Number: 1995.002
Extent: 3.0 Linear feet, in three record cartons.
Louisa Merritt Field Stabler (1826-1914) lived with her husband and children in Brooklyn Heights at 135 Willow Street. The Stablers’ children included a daughter, Louise Merritt (1868-1954), and a son, Edward. Louise Merritt Stabler was a member of the first graduating class of Barnard College in 1893. She later became active in the suffrage movement, and was married to zoologist George Howard Parker (1864-1955), a professor at Harvard College. The Louisa Merritt Field Stabler family papers chiefly consist of personal correspondence from Louisa Merritt Field Stabler to her daughter, Louise Merritt Stabler Parker. Some correspondence is also between various members of the Stabler and Parker families. The collection also includes notebooks, a copy of Louisa Merritt Field Stabler’s will, various newspaper clippings, and ephemera.
Louisa Merritt Field Stabler (1826-1914) lived with her husband and children in Brooklyn Heights at 135 Willow Street. Her husband, Edward Hartshorne Stabler (1813-1877), was a drug broker with an office at 44 Cedar Street in New York City. His commercial specialty was opium, at that time an import from Asia. He was originally from Baltimore and after his move to Brooklyn, his business never recovered. The Stablers’ children included a daughter, Louise Merritt (1868-1954), and a son, Edward. The Stablers were Quakers with strong ties to the Brooklyn Meeting House and Mission, the Young Friends Society, and the Friends Seminary. The Stabler family was also highly involved with education on all levels, from local kindergartens to universities. The family had connections to Columbia College, and contributed financial support to the establishment of Barnard College, at the time one of the few institutions in the country to offer a college education to women.
The Stablers’ daughter, Louise Merritt Stabler, graduated from Brooklyn Heights Seminary in 1886 and taught there before attending Barnard College. She was a member of the first graduating class of Barnard College in 1893. She later became active in the suffrage movement, and was involved with the League of Women Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union. In 1894, she married zoologist George Howard Parker (1864-1955), a professor at Harvard College and a member of the American Physiological Society. The Parkers lived in North Cambridge, MA at 6 Avon Place.
Names:
- Stabler, Louisa M., 1826-1914
- Parker, George Howard, 1864-1955
- Parker, Louise M., 1868-1954
- Stabler family
- Stabler, Edward H., 1813-1877
- Barnard College
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Social conditions
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Social life and customs
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- Port Chester (N.Y.)
- Westchester County (N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Families — New York (State) — Kings County
- Housekeeping
- Quakers — New York (State) — Kings County
- Women — Education (Higher) — New York (State) — New York
- Women — Suffrage
- Women — New York (State) — Kings County
- Women — United States — Social conditions
- Women’s colleges — New York (State) — New York
Types of material:
- Correspondence
- Family papers
- Memorabilia
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Call Number: 2005.014
Extent: 1.0 Linear feet, in one record carton.
This collection contains the papers of Brooklyn writer and poet Maude White Hardie, including autobiographical writings, poems, essays, correspondence and family letters, diaries, books, postcards, brochures, and legal and financial documents.
Maude White Hardie was a writer and poet who lived with her husband, Charles Hardie, on East 19th Street in Brooklyn, N.Y. Charles Hardie was a chemist who worked for a German Aniline Company that later became the well-known I.G. Farben Industry.
Names:
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.) — Intellectual life
Subjects:
- Poets, American — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
- Autobiographies
- Books
- Brochures
- Correspondence
- Diaries
- Essays
- Family papers
- Financial records
- Legal documents
- Poems
- Poetry
- Postcards
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Call Number: 1988.005
Extent: 1.67 Linear feet, O’Mahoney Family Papers, 1988.
Certificates and diplomas issued to members of the O’Mahoney family of Brooklyn, including Anna, Catherine, Mary, and May O’Mahoney, for passing various stages of academic achievement during the period 1906 to 1925. Some certificates issued to Anna and Catherine O’Manhoney give them license to teach at the grade school level. Most of the certificates are issued by the Department of Education of the City of New York, as well as St. Francis Xavier’s Academy and various other primary and secondary schools.
Names:
- New York (N.Y.). Dept. of Education
- O’Mahoney family
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Education — New York (State) — Kings County
- Girls — Education — New York (State) — Kings County
- Irish Americans — New York (State) — Kings County
- Schools — New York (State) — Kings County
- Students — New York (State) — Kings County
- Teachers — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
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Call Number: 1995.008
Extent: 0.2 Linear feet, in one bound volume
A bound volume, titled Model County Records. County of Kings, that features a typewritten list of female authors who resided in Kings County, N.Y. during the 19th century. The list is typewritten, alphabetical by surname, and lists the titles of books, magazine, and newspaper articles written by each author. In the back of the volume is an index organized alphabetically by surname.
Names:
- Bellamy, Frederick P.
- Packer, William S.
Places:
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Authors, American — 19th century
- Authors, American — New York (State) — Kings County
- Women authors, American
- Women — New York (State) — Kings County
Types of material:
- Indexes (reference sources)
- Lists (document genres)
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Call Number: 1985.109
Extent: 0.63 Linear feet, in one manuscript box.
The Brooklyn charitable organizations for working women collection consists of publications documenting women’s organizations established in the mid-to-late 19th century, organized and headed by women to aid single working women, working widows and their children, and destitute and disabled women. The collection is mainly comprised of annual reports issued by the organizations. The annual reports are of particular interest as they can include financial information; officer, board, and committee lists; membership lists; year-end reports; and club histories.
Names:
- Brooklyn Business Women’s Union (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Brooklyn Female Employment Society
- Woman’s Work Exchange and Decorative Art Society (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Woman’s Work Exchange and Employment Society (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Working Women’s Vacation Society (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
Places:
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
- Downtown Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Charities — New York (State) — Kings County
- Decorative arts
- Needleworkers — New York (State) — Kings County
- Women — Employment — New York (State) — Kings County
- Women — Societies and clubs
- Working-women’s clubs
Types of material:
- Annual reports
- Publications
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Call Number: 1988.018
Extent: 1.25 Linear feet, in three manuscript boxes.
The Women’s Exchange of Brooklyn records date from 1863 to 1964 (bulk 1920 to 1949) and measure 1.25 linear feet. Materials in the collection include correspondence, reports, financial statements, minutes, clippings, ephemera, and a constitution. The collection documents the work of the Women’s Exchange in providing a marketplace for members, decisions related to its business affairs, activities and community service planned by members, and the administration of the sewing school. Names of members are recorded in meeting minutes, as well as the sewing school’s graduation lists.
The collection is arranged in four series: Minutes; Finances, reports, and legal documents; Correspondence; and Public relations, development, and ephemera.
The Women’s Exchange of Brooklyn was founded in 1854 as the Brooklyn Female Employment Society. Like its predecessors in other U.S. and European cities, the Society was a labor cooperative that furnished employment to women whose circumstances–whether physical or economic–impelled them to work from home. The Exchange instructed women in hand crafts and provided a marketplace for selling their work. In 1923, the Exchange merged with the Brooklyn Decorative Art Society and Women’s Exchange to become The Needlework Society and Exchange of Brooklyn. The current name was adopted 1936. In its early days, the Women’s Exchange established sewing schools to train women in sewing skills and techniques. Later, the Exchange opened a storefront in Brooklyn Heights to sell hand-crafted wares on consignment, including knitted goods, children’s apparel, baked goods, and handmade toys. The Women’s Exchange of Brooklyn remains, as of 2011, the oldest continuously-operating member of the Federation of Women’s Exchanges in the United States. Its storefront is located at 55 Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights.
Names:
- Brooklyn Female Employment Society
- Needlework Society and Exchange
- Woman’s Work Exchange and Decorative Art Society (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)
- Women’s Exchange of Brooklyn
Places:
- Brooklyn Heights (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
- Decorative arts
- Needleworkers — New York (State) — Kings County
- Women — Employment — New York (State) — Kings County
- Women — Societies and clubs
Types of material:
- Administrative records
- Annual reports
- Correspondence
- Minutes
- Printed ephemera
- Reports
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