Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation publication and photograph collection
Call Number
Dates
Creator
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Language of Materials
Abstract
A small collection of publications and photographs produced by the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation dating primarily to the 1970s and 1980s.
Historical note
The Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation (known commonly as Restoration), located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, had its origins in the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, in collaboration with Senator Jacob K. Javits and Mayor John W. Lindsay, created the Special Impact Program as an amendment to the act, which mandated the formation of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Renewal and Rehabilitation Corporation and the Development Services Corporation to address the causes and consequences of poverty and urban blight in the neighborhood, in addition to serving as a national model for community development.
In 1967, the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation was formally incorporated under the leadership of its first chairman, Judge Thomas R. Jones, as the first community development corporation (CDC) in the United States. The following year, Restoration purchased a shuttered milk bottling plant on Fulton Street to serve as its corporate headquarters. Renovations to the site resulted in the construction of Restoration Plaza in 1972. In addition to serving as the Corporation's headquarters, Restoration Plaza is also home to several cultural organizations, locally-owned businesses, non-profit organizations, and government offices.
Since its founding, the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation has provided services to the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in four major areas: affordable housing; employment; business and economic development; and arts & culture. As of 2010, Restoration has constructed or rehabilitated 2200 housing units in the neighborhood; provided mortgage financing to nearly 1500 homeowners; attracted $375 million in investments to the neighborhood and created over 20,000 jobs; and established the Billie Holiday Theatre, the Skylight Gallery, and the Youth Arts Academy.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in two series by type.
Scope and Contents
The bulk of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation publication and photograph collection consists of copies of Restoration, the Corporation's bi-monthly newsletter, spanning the dates 1969 to 1983. The newsletters document projects and events sponsored by Restoration, issues of concern to residents in the neighborhood, success stories of residents assisted by Restoration, and so forth. Also included are a copy of Restoration's annual report for 1968; three black-and-white photographs of buildings in Bedford-Stuyvesant (including a housing project built by the Corporation), circa 1985 and circa 1970 to 1979; a children's coloring book published by Restoration, circa 1970 to 1979; and two programs from performances staged at the Billie Holiday Theatre, circa 1972 to 1979.
Subjects
Organizations
Genres
Topics
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation publication and photograph collection, ARC.124, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Other Finding Aids
Item level description and digital surrogates of the photographs are available in the image database in the library reading room under the object ID prefixes V1987.48 and V1990.7.
About this Guide
Processing Information
This collection combines the accessions V1990.048, V1990.007, as well as materials collected by the staff of the Long Island Historical Society during the 1970s and 1980s and materials from the Brooklyn Collection clippings files.
Sponsor Note
Revisions to this Guide
Repository
Publications and ephemera
"Mortgage Pool" pamphlet, circa 1960s-1970s, inclusive
Annual report, 1968
"About Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation" booklet, circa 1970
Restoration coloring book, circa 1970s, inclusive
Open House flyer, 1974 November 16
"The Stage is Set" gala journal, 2007
Billie Holiday Theatre materials, circa 1972-1975, inclusive
Restoration newsletter
Volume 1, Nos. 1-5, 1969 October-1971 June, inclusive
Volume 2, Nos. 1-4, 1972 January-December, inclusive
Volume 3, Nos. 1-4, 1973 April-December, inclusive
Volume 4, Nos. 1-6, 1974 January-December, inclusive
Volume 5, Nos. 1-5, 1975
Volume 6, Nos. 1 and 2, 1976
Volume 7, Nos. 1-4, 1977 February-November, inclusive
Volume 10, Nos. 2 and 4, 1980 June/July and October/November, inclusive
Volume 11, No.1, 1981
Volume 13, No. 1, 1983
Duplicate issues, 1969-1977, inclusive
Photographs
[South Side of Fulton Street between Brooklyn and New York Avenues], circa 1972
Scope and Contents
Black and white negative and print showing south side of Fulton Street between Brooklyn and New York Avenues, including former Sheffield Farms Milk Bottling Plant before it became headquarters for Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation adjacent to Restoration Plaza.
[Former Sheffield Farms Milk Bottling Plant]
[Former Sheffield Farms Milk Bottling Plant]
A housing project of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, circa 1980-1985, inclusive
Creator
Scope and Contents
Before - The Fulton South site during demolition stage.
A housing project of the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, 1987
Creator
Scope and Contents
After - Completed in late 1985, the Fulton South housing development provides 65 subsidized apartment units and was made possible through federal grants and private financing. The project was one of the last to be built under the HUD Section 8 subsidy program.
Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, now celebrating its 20th anniversary, is the first and largest community development corporation in the nation. Established in 1967 [through] the bi-partisan efforts of the late Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Jacob Javits, Restoration promotes the economic, physical, and social revitalization of the Bedford Stuyvesant community.
