Joannes de Laet excerpt
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Abstract
Photocopies of a transcription and translation by Arthur J. Weise of an excerpt from Joannes de Laet's 1625 History of the New World describing the Long Island area. The copies are accompanied by a 1952 typed letter sent to a Mr. Merritt, apparently from someone at the New-York Historical Society.
Arrangement
This small collection is housed in a single folder. The pages are numbered and arranged in the following order: cover page, 1952 letter, photocopies of Dutch transcription, photocopies of English translation.
Scope and Contents
Photocopies of a transcription and translation by Arthur J. Weise of an excerpt from Joannes de Laet's 1625 Dutch publication Nieuwe Wereldt ofte Beschrijvinghe van West-Indien, uit veelerhande Schriften ende Aen-teekeningen van verscheyden Natien, known colloquially in English as History of the New World. The copies are accompanied by a 1952 typed letter sent to a Mr. Merritt, apparently from someone at the New-York Historical Society. The letter states that the transcribed and translated excerpted reference to Long Island from de Laet's text was "found by Mr. Kelly" "amongst his manuscripts." This is presumably James A. Kelly, former Brooklyn Borough Historian, and the manuscripts presumably refer to those once held at Borough Hall under Kelly's supervision.
The first page of the excerpt's English translation notes that it was "transcribed and translated by Arthur James Weise, Brooklyn, February 24, 1906." At that time, Weise was working on a project to document early Brooklyn history under the auspices of the Committee on Brooklyn History, which was founded by the City of Brooklyn and later continued by the City of Greater New York, always under the supervision of the Long Island Historical Society. Weise's translation here is headed "Twenty-Seventh Manuscript," which matches the listings of copied manuscripts for the project in the Committee on Brooklyn History records (1977.256). Documentation in the committee records seems to indicate that the interest of this particular excerpt was that it may have been the first known written document to name Long Island as such.
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Open to users 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); Joannes de Laet excerpt, 1979.013, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source and date of acquisition unknown. The item was formally accessioned in 1979. The accompanying letter indicates it may have been added to the collection circa 1952.
About this Guide
Processing Information
This collection was rehoused and the finding aid revised by Dee Bowers in 2024.
