Series 1: Evelyn G. Ortner personal papers, 1911-2002, inclusive

Scope and Contents

The series contains records relating to Evelyn G. Ortner (EGO), dating from 1911 to 2002. It documents her education, interior design career, employment at the New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry, curation of the Fulton Ferry Firehouse exhibit, and her role as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the St. Ann Center for Restoration and the Arts. Additional files related to EGO's work as a board member and volunteer at other Brooklyn cultural institutions (Brooklyn Museum, Long Island Historical Society, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, etc.) can be found in Series 3: EHO and EGO personal and Series 6: Brooklyn and Historic Preservation general files.

Arrangement

The series is organized into five sub-series:

Sub-series 1.1: EGO school papers

Sub-series 1.2: Interior Design

Sub-series 1.3: New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Sub-series 1.4: Fulton Ferry Firehouse exhibit

Sub-series 1.5: St. Ann Center for Restoration and the Arts

Sub-series 1.1: EGO school papers, 1938-1978, inclusive

Extent

0.3 Linear Feet in six folders

Scope and Contents

The sub-series contains files relating to EGO's time as a student at Washington Irving High School, Hunter College, Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute, and Columbia University, dating from 1938 to 1978. It includes course work, ephemera (commencement programs and song books), correspondence, transcripts, and administrative records. She studied romance languages at Hunter College, design at Parsons School of Design and Pratt Institute, and historic preservation at Columbia University.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

EGO school documents, 1938-1942, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Text)

General

Includes Washington Irving High School and PS 80 (Bronx)

EGO school work, resumes, correspondence, and ephemera, 1945-1958, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Text)

General

Includes resumes

EGO Hunter College, 1952, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Text)

EGO Theory Visual Form class work, 1958, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Text)

EGO Columbia Graduate School, 1974-1978, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Text)

EGO Columbia paper, 1975-1976, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Text)

Sub-series 1.2: Interior Design, 1959-1993, inclusive

Extent

7 Linear Feet in twelve folders, four oversize folders, one slide box, and one small box

Scope and Contents

The sub-series contains records relating to EGO's career as an interior designer, dating from 1959 to 1993. It includes design plans, business correspondence, clippings, photographs, and samples of fabric, tile, and wood.

She authored two decorating columns, one titled "The Decorating Workshop" in the Brooklyn Heights Press from 1961 to 1962, and one titled "Decorating Your Home" in the Homeowners How To Handbook from 1976 to 1980. Clippings and typescripts of these articles are available in the sub-series.

Of note are files relating to the design of apartments at 116 Central Park South and 45 Gramercy Park North, and one box of fabric, tile, and wood samples for the apartment at 45 Gramercy Park North.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Joseph Freitag Interiors - Frigidaire Colonnade Kitchen (1 of 2), 1959, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Text)

General

Includes photographic prints and transparencies

Joseph Freitag Interiors - Frigidaire Colonnade Kitchen (2 of 2), 1959, inclusive

cabinet: Flat file A, Drawer: 1 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

General

Oversize folder containing drawings and designs for the following: Dr. Rosa Lenz (15 West 12th Street), Miles Davis (230 East 125th Street), Mr. and Mrs. T. Newhouse, and the National Home Furnishings Show (Kitchen - Model House)

Joseph Freitag Interiors - 116 Central Park South (1 of 2), 1959-1962, inclusive

Box: 73, Folder: - (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General

Includes photograph

Joseph Freitag Interiors - 116 Central Park South (2 of 2), 1959-1962, inclusive

cabinet: Flat file A, Drawer: 1 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

General

Oversize folder containing blueprints and designs

Interior design negatives and slide, circa 1960s, inclusive

Box: 51, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Brooklyn Heights Press "The Decorating Workshop" articles and ideas (2 folders), 1961, inclusive

Box: 1, Folder: 8-9 (Material Type: Text)

General

Includes photographs, full issues of Brooklyn Heights Press, and lecture notecards

Brooklyn Heights Press - Full issues featuring EGO's "The Decorating Workshop" column, 1961-1962, inclusive

Box: 73, Folder: - (Material Type: Text)

General

Oversize

Kitchens, etc. designed by EGO slides, 1963-1975, inclusive

Box: 67, Folder: 9-11 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Lindenauer Apartment - 45 Gramercy Park North (folders 1-4 of 5), 1974-1993, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 1-4 (Material Type: Text)

General

See also box 4, which contains samples of fabric, tile, and wood

Lindenauer Apartment - 45 Gramercy Park North (5 of 5), 1974-1993, inclusive

cabinet: Flat file A, Drawer: 1 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

General

Oversize folder containing architectural drawings and wallpaper samples

Lindenauer Apartment - 45 Gramercy Park North - Fabric, tile, and wood samples, circa 1974-1985, inclusive

Box: 4, item: - (Material Type: Realia)

Homeowners How To Handbook articles by EGO (2 folders), 1976-1980, inclusive

Box: 39, Folder: 13-14 (Material Type: Text)

Sub-series 1.3: New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 1918-1985, inclusive

Extent

2.25 Linear Feet in fifteen folders and one oversize folder

Scope and Contents

The sub-series documents EGO's employment as Director of Facilities and Collections of the New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where she was employed from about 1979 to 1984. It includes correspondence, memoranda, reports, clippings, photographs, and ephemera dating from 1918 to 1985. EGO managed the sale of portions of the Chamber's art collection.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York - Bulletins and reports, 1918, 1932, 1947, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 5 (Material Type: Text)

New York Chamber of Commerce - Civic Group Conference on Increased Subway Fare, 1947, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Text)

New York Chamber of Commerce organizational report and merger clipping, 1947, 1972, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Text)

Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York - Tribute to John D. Rockefeller program and photographs, 1950, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Text)

Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York - Miscellaneous (two folders), 1960s-1980s, inclusive

Box: 2, Folder: 9-10 (Material Type: Text)

New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry - 65 Liberty Street sale, 1966, 1984-1985, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Text)

New York Chamber of Commerce ephemera, 1968-1980s, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 2 (Material Type: Text)

EGO Chamber of Commerce business cards, name plate, and badge, circa 1980, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Text)

New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Notes, correspondence, and clippings (2 folders), 1979-1981, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 4-5 (Material Type: Text)

New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 1979-1984, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 6 (Material Type: Text)

New York Chamber of Commerce - A. Carmelita correspondence, 1980-1981, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 7 (Material Type: Text)

New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry - Chamber orientation program and photographs of Pan Am Building and Manhattan waterfront, 1982, inclusive

Box: 72, Folder: - (Material Type: Mixed Materials)

General

Oversize

New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry event and building photographs, 1982, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 8 (Material Type: Text)

New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry building - Great Hall photographs and negatives, circa 1982, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 9 (Material Type: Text)

Sub-series 1.4: Fulton Ferry Firehouse exhibit, 1911-1976, inclusive

Extent

2.9 Linear Feet in two folders and one oversize folder

Scope and Contents

The sub-series contains files relating to the Fulton Ferry Firehouse exhibit that was produced by EGO in 1976. It includes exhibition planning files, early 20th century city reports on the waterfront, copy prints of the waterfront, and ephemera, dating from 1911 to 1976. The copy prints were derived from negatives produced by the Department of Ports and Terminals from circa 1890 to 1913. Related copy prints, negatives, and slides can be found in Series 4: Brooklyn and Historic Preservation photographs.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Fulton Ferry Firehouse exhibit (1 of 2), 1911-1976, inclusive

Box: 3, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Text)

Fulton Ferry Firehouse exhibit (2 of 2), 1911-1976, inclusive

Box: 75, Folder: - (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

General

Oversize

Fulton Ferry Firehouse exhibit, 1975, inclusive

Box: 5, Folder: 1 (Material Type: Text)

General

Includes set of reproduction photographs of Fulton Ferry and Brooklyn waterfront

Sub-series 1.5: St. Ann Center for Restoration and the Arts, 1977-2002, inclusive

Extent

3.4 Linear Feet in ten folders, one oversize folder, and one audio cassette

Scope and Contents

The sub-series documents EGO's work as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the St. Ann Center for Restoration and the Arts. It includes Board of Directors files, ephemera, photographs, and clippings, dating from 1977 to 2002. Of note are reports and other files on the restoration of the Church of St. Ann and the Holy Trinity building and its stained glass windows.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Church of St. Ann and the Holy Trinity restoration and The St. Ann Center for Restoration and the Arts (1-3 of 4 folders), 1977-1999, inclusive

Box: 5, Folder: 2-4 (Material Type: Text)

Church of St. Ann and the Holy Trinity restoration and The St. Ann Center for Restoration and the Arts (4 of 4 folders), 1997, inclusive

Box: 75, Folder: - (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

General

Oversize. Window restoration plans.

St. Ann Center for Restoration and the Arts - Board of Directors files (1-2 of 4 folders), 1980-1984, inclusive

Box: 5, Folder: 5-6 (Material Type: Text)

General

Includes photographs

St. Ann Center for Restoration and the Arts - Board of Directors files (3-4 of 4 folders), 1980-1984, inclusive

Box: 6, Folder: 1-2 (Material Type: Text)

St. Ann Center for Restoration and the Arts and the Brooklyn Stained Glass Conservation Center, 1980-2002, inclusive

Box: 6, Folder: 3 (Material Type: Text)

The Arts at St. Ann's ephemera, 1983-1985, inclusive

Box: 23, Folder: 12 (Material Type: Text)

WOR interview with EGO on St. Ann's audio cassette, 1985, inclusive

Box: 52, Folder: - (Material Type: Audio)

St. Ann and the Holy Trinity - William Jay Bolton Community Award to EGO, 1998, inclusive

Box: 6, Folder: 4 (Material Type: Text)

General

Includes photograph