New York University Archives Photograph Collection

In Spring 2008, the New York University Bobst Library's Digital Pilot Project – a case study in special collections digitization – was undertaken as a collaboration between the University Archives (UA), the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation and Conservation Department, and Digital Library Technical Services, with the support of the developers of The Archivists' Toolkit. The goals of the project were to (1) create a Washington Square Image website for the UA that integrated high quality digital images into an item-level EAD finding aid; (2) to train the UA staff in preservation scanning and metadata creation; and (3) to create guides for these processes that can be used for future projects. Primary project support was provided by David O'Neill, Melitte Buchman, Brian Hoffman, Nancy Cricco and Paula DeStefano. Scanning and metadata creation for the Digital Pilot Project was carried out by David O'Neill, Peter Asch, Janet Bunde, Lisa Darms, Steven D'Avria, Annie Grunow, William McKeldin, Alex Starace and Laura Zeccardi. This project focused specifically on Series I: Washington Square Park and Series II: Washington Square Area.

In July 2016, boxes from the Washington Square Area, University Building, and Washington Square Campus Buildings series were renumbered. These numbers were later superseded. In May 2019, previously undescribed materials were added to the finding aid and boxes for the entire collection were renumbered in numerical order. One oversized photograph (Senior Ball, 1934) was added to New York University Archives Collection of Building Drawings and Large-Format Materials (OS) at an unknown date. In 2024, that photograph was returned to this collection. Prior to 2024, all prints received from the Photo Bureau, the Washington Square News Photo Morgue, and those separated from administrative collections were incorporated into existing subject-based series.

Series V through Series XXX underwent re-processing and re-housing throughout the winter and spring of 2024 by a processing archivist. Photographs in this collection were originally housed horizontally in flat boxes, but over the course of this rehousing process, the majority of photographs were rehoused vertically into legal size manuscript boxes. Original folders and title information were kept when possible. Some oversized photographs remained in flat boxes, but were rehoused into the correct sized folders and boxes. Photographs in overfilled folders were separated into multiple folders. The original folder information was transferred to the new folders. Photographs housed in letter sized folders were rehoused into legal size folders. At this time, boxes were re-numbered and folders were numbered.

During reprocessing, the following series were eliminated: Individual Collections, Miscellaneous, and Vanderbilt Hall/Law School. Materials from the Individual Collections and some materials from the Miscellaneous series were incorporated into other collections. The remaining materials from the Miscellaneous series were added to several series in PHOTO 00001, while the Vanderbilt Hall/Law School materials were added to Series IV: Washington Square Campus Buildings.

During the course of rehousing the collection, all photographs, with the exception of contact sheets, were placed into appropriately sized mylar sleeves. At this time, negatives were separated from their original folders and placed into separate acid-free folders and manuscript boxes; original title information was retained on the new folder. Per the guidelines outlined by the Barbara Goldsmith Preservation and Conservation Department, photographs and negatives are physically housed separately, but grouped together intellectually in the finding aid.

Scrapbooks, photo albums, and glass plate negatives were sent to New York University's Barbara Goldsmith Preservation and Conservation Department for stabilization and rehousing. Photographs in Boxes 111-114 in Series XVI: Military were treated for mold by the Conservation Department. Mold alert stickers were placed on the outside of these boxes and within each folder.

Once all materials were rehoused, the finding aid was updated to provide series level description and a file level inventory. At this time, folder titles using outdated terminology or potentially harmful language was edited to reflect more inclusive language. Collection level description was also updated at this time.