Harriet Stryker-Rodda collection on John D. Scott and Edward Van Altena's song slides
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Abstract
This collection consists of materials compiled by Harriet Stryker-Rodda, archivist at the Long Island Historical Society (LIHS, later the Brooklyn Historical Society), in 1964 and 1965. The materials were compiled in preparation for an exhibit at LIHS on the song slides of John D. Scott and Edward Van Altena, though the exhibit was never realized.
Historical Note
Song slides, a popular form of entertainment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, were photographic or illustrated images on glass plates that were projected onto a screen to accompany the playing of a song, often during the intermissions of motion pictures. One of the most successful song slide production companies was established in 1904 by John D. Scott and Edward Van Altena in Brooklyn and New York City. John D. Scott (b. 1876) was born in Brooklyn. After losing a portion of his hearing when he was 4 years old, he was sent to a school for the deaf, where, with the help of one of his teachers, he learned the art of photography and coloring lantern slides. Edward Van Altena (b. 1873) was born in Milwaukee, WI and moved to Brooklyn with his family when he was 5 years old. His mother gave him his appreciation for art and he became a photographer. In 1888, he went to work for a studio on Fulton Street in Brooklyn.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of materials compiled by Harriet Stryker-Rodda, archivist at the Long Island Historical Society (LIHS, later the Brooklyn Historical Society), in 1964 and 1965. The materials were compiled in preparation for an exhibit at LIHS on the song slides of John D. Scott and Edward Van Altena, though the exhibit was never realized. Items span the period 1910 to 1965 and include newspaper and magazine articles and notes about the history of song slides; explanations of procedures used in making song slides; autobiographical sketches of Scott and Van Altena; a draft of an article on Scott and Van Altena's song slides written by Stryker-Rodda, which was originally intended to coincide with the mounting of the LIHS exhibit; and a copy of the summer 1965 issue of LIHS's Journal of Long Island History in which Stryker-Rodda's article appears. Also included is correspondence from John D. Scott and his wife to LIHS about the beginnings of Scott and Van Altena's business.
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Conditions Governing Access
Open to users without restriction.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); Harriet Stryker-Rodda collection on John D. Scott and Edward Van Altena's song slides, 1977.272, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Edward Van Altena, Elizabeth Van Altena, John W. Ripley, John D. Scott, and Harriet Stryker-Rodda, 1964 and 1965.
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Minimally processed to the collection level.
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This finding aid does not include an online listing of contents.
To learn about viewing this collection in person, please contact cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org.
