Brooklyn Woman's Club collection
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Abstract
The Brooklyn Woman's Club (organized 1869) was a non-sectarian, apolitical organization whose mission was to support the personal development of its members. The Brooklyn Woman's Club collection includes yearbooks for the years 1903 to 1943, as well as calendars, membership nominations and ephemera.
Historical note
The years following the American Civil War saw the rise of women's organizations throughout the country. Women formed clubs for many reasons: to improve the lives of children, animals, or working women; for religious, political, social, or intellectual pursuits; or to support (or oppose) societal issues of the day such as women's suffrage or the temperance movement. Generally, members of women's societies and clubs formed during the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century tended to be middle to upper class, married women who had both the financial means and free time to pursue committee work and attend meetings and events.
The Brooklyn Woman's Club, organized in 1869 and incorporated in 1871, was a non-sectarian, apolitical organization whose mission was to support the personal development of its members, thus improving society and humanity as a whole. As of 1903, the Club had eight standing committees that reflected the Club's focus on intellectual development: Literature, Music, Art, Science, Sociology, Home and Social Relations, Hospitality, and Education. The committees hosted lectures, programs, and events designed for the enlightenment or enjoyment of its members. Subjects ranged from "Factory Conditions as they Affect Women and Children" to "Russian Music and Musicians." Committees were subject to change throughout the Club's history.
The Brooklyn Woman's Club was located at 114 Pierrepont Street in the neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. It was a member The New York State Federation of Women's Clubs, The New York City Federation of Women's Club, The Civic Council of Brooklyn, and The Brooklyn Heights Association, among others. Further, it was affiliated with the American Women's Club, both in London and Paris.
Sources:
- Blair, Karen J. "Women's clubs." In The Encyclopedia of New York City, edited by Kenneth T. Jackson, 1270. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press; New York: New-York Historical Society, 1995.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged by type of material. Each type of material is arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists primarily of yearbooks from the Brooklyn Woman's Club, spanning the years 1903 to 1943. Publications from the years 1920-1921 and 1922-1923 are not included in this collection. The yearbooks generally contain the following: membership lists; lists of Club officers and committee members; the Club's constitution and bylaws; a yearly calendar of scheduled meetings; and subjects or titles of the meeting presentations or performances (listed under Report of Exercises). Over the years, membership lists were divided into categories including: honorary members, corresponding members, members, and junior members. Each entry recorded the name of each member, the year they joined the Club, and their home address. Some of the yearbooks have news clippings and papers relating to the Club inserted inside, either loose or glued to corresponding pages. Additional material in this collection includes event calendars for the 1930s, as well as nominations for membership, ephemera, and correspondence.
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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); Brooklyn Woman's Club yearbooks, ARC.158, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source and date of acquisition for the majority of this collection are unknown. The materials comprising CBH accession 2023.010 were purchased from Between the Covers Rare Books.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
If digital surrogates exist, they should be used in place of the originals whenever possible.
About this Guide
Processing Information note
Materials were grouped by type and rehoused in acid free folders and containers.
