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 [...]]]> 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.

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 [...]]]> 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.

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 [...]]]> 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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AccNo 1974.055

Captain Elbert Elbertse Stoothoff was a prominent citizen of early colonial New York. Born in the Netherlands around 1620, he emigrated to New York in 1637 and eventually came to settle in Flatlands, where, through the years 1648-1650, the Freeholders of the community elected him as one of nine men to [...]]]> Stoothoff Family Collection

AccNo 1974.055

Captain Elbert Elbertse Stoothoff was a prominent citizen of early colonial New York. Born in the Netherlands around 1620, he emigrated to New York in 1637 and eventually came to settle in Flatlands, where, through the years 1648-1650, the Freeholders of the community elected him as one of nine men to represent “Manhattans, Breukelen, Amersfoort, and Pavonia,” whose duties were to promote the welfare of the country and to give their opinion on matters submitted to them by the director of the council. From 1654 to 1673, Stoothoff was one of the magistrates of Flatlands. He died in 1688.

The Stoothoff Family Collection contains manuscript documents and other papers relating to the Stoothoff Family, including deeds, commissions, certificates, land transfers, correspondence, etc. Many items are in Dutch.  The collection includes 138 items in total.  Items of interest include a copy of Stoothoff’s will, a complaint filed against Stoothoff concerning land boundaries, and items concerning Stoothoff’s heirs, among other documents.

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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 [...]]]> 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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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 [...]]]> 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 Brooklyn Historical Society possesses a vast collection of historic newspapers published in the metropolitan New York area during the greater part of the nineteenth century and the early-to-mid-twentieth century, with the latest represented decade being the 1960s.  The entire collection is available to researchers on microfilm only.  The [...]]]> Historic Newspapers Collection, Nineteenth - Mid-Twentieth Centuries

The Brooklyn Historical Society possesses a vast collection of historic newspapers published in the metropolitan New York area during the greater part of the nineteenth century and the early-to-mid-twentieth century, with the latest represented decade being the 1960s.  The entire collection is available to researchers on microfilm only.  The link below provides a full listing of the newspapers included in the collection, as well as each newspaper’s place of publication and the year(s) for which it is available.  As researchers will note, some newspapers are available in their full run, while others are only available for certain date ranges.

View a full listing of available newspapers.

This collection is an excellent resource for researching historic events and individuals, of both local and national prominence, as they were depicted in the city’s regular news sources.  The collection also offers valuable insight into the print culture of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  Finally, the collection may also be of use to genealogy researchers.  There is no appointment necessary to view this collection.

The Brooklyn Historical Society’s collection of voter registries  represents the voting population in Brooklyn both before and after its consolidation as part of the City of New York.  Registries reflecting Brooklyn as an independent city prior to consolidation span the period 1872-1897, while post-consolidation registries only cover the years 1930-1937.  Currently, [...]]]> Brooklyn Voter Registries (1872-1897, 1930-1937)

The Brooklyn Historical Society’s collection of voter registries  represents the voting population in Brooklyn both before and after its consolidation as part of the City of New York.  Registries reflecting Brooklyn as an independent city prior to consolidation span the period 1872-1897, while post-consolidation registries only cover the years 1930-1937.  Currently, all registries are available to researchers in their original physical format.

The organization of the voter registries is mainly a numerical scheme, with the broadest level of arrangement being contingent on ward number (or, in the case of the post-consolidation registries, assembly district number). Each ward or assembly district is further broken down numerically by election district, then alphabetically by street.  Finally, within each street listing, individual voters are listed by their residence numbers.  Some registries, particularly those dating from the earlier periods, are also accompanied by an alphabetical index to street numbers, as well as a description of election district boundaries.

Each registry also contains specific personal information regarding every registered voter that may be helpful to researchers.  For example, all registries include such details as a voter’s age; how long each voter has lived in the state, county, and district; as well as any special remarks deemed useful by the Board of Elections, such as whether a voter is an African American, and whether a voter is illiterate or disabled.  Some registries include further descriptive information, such as a voter’s height, weight, hair color, and distinguishing features.

This collection is an especially excellent resource for researchers interested in Brooklyn’s housing history and/or genealogy.  While there is no appointment necessary to view the collection, please be advised that the majority of the registries are in extremely fragile condition and should be handled with the utmost care.

25 boxes (10.42 linear feet)

Photographs and printed matter, including reproductions of drawings, engravings, and paintings, featuring people from Brooklyn and beyond ranging from the 18th to 20th centuries. Organized alphabetically by last name of the person featured in the portrait.

Subjects:

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The Brooklyn Historical Society’s collection of city directories includes copies of both New York City and Brooklyn directories, available to researchers on microfilm and/or microfiche, with a very small portion of the collection available in print.  The New York City directories include information pertaining to the boroughs of Manhattan and [...]]]> New York City and Brooklyn Directories

The Brooklyn Historical Society’s collection of city directories includes copies of both New York City and Brooklyn directories, available to researchers on microfilm and/or microfiche, with a very small portion of the collection available in print.  The New York City directories include information pertaining to the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, spanning the years 1786-1934, and are largely available only on microfilm (76 reels).  The collection does include physical copies of New York City directories for the years 1915-1917 and 1925.

Brooklyn city directories are available on 28 microfilm reels for the period 1847-1913, or on microfiche for the period 1822-1861.  The collection also includes one physical copy of a Brooklyn city directory covering the years 1933-1934, as well as four Brooklyn classified telephone directories spanning the years 1932-1938.  Finally, the collection also includes separate directories for the city of Williamsburgh prior to its annexation as a part of the City of Brooklyn, which are available on microfiche and cover the years 1847-1854.

The collection of directories serves as a valuable resource of information pertaining to residential, municipal, and commercial life in both New York City and Brooklyn during from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries.  Directories are quite extensive and regularly include features such as registers of public departments and institutions, street and avenue directories, purchaser’s guides, general directories (including occupations and businesses of local residents), and advertising indexes, while also occasionally featuring illustrated city plans, maps of transit lines, and information pertaining to public parks, ward boundaries, freight depots, locations of piers, cabs and taxicabs, and borough histories.

There is no appointment necessary to view this collection.