Brownsville and East New York are adjoining neighborhoods in the eastern part of Brooklyn, New York. While it can be difficult to definitively state the borders of neighborhoods, Brownsville is often roughly considered to be bounded by Eastern Parkway to the north, Ralph Avenue/E. 98th Street to the west, Linden Boulevard to the south, and the elevated subway tracks between Junius Street and Van Sinderen Avenue to the east. East New York's boundaries are roughly located at Cypress Hills Cemetery to the north, the elevated rail tracks next to Van Sinderen Avenue to the west, Jamaica Bay to the south, and the Queens County line to the east. The photos in this collection also include images of Ocean Hill, a smaller neighborhood to the north of Brownsville with which Brownsville is often associated.

Both of these neighborhoods experienced profound shifts during the period depicted in these photographs. In the early twentieth century, this part of Brooklyn was largely populated by working class European immigrants. Due to the development of several New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) housing projects in both neighborhoods, as well as changing immigration policies in the United States, the neighborhood demographics shifted midcentury to primarily African-American and Hispanic residents.

The photos in this collection primarily depict street scenes, which often include distinctive vehicles such as buses or police cars. There are also images of the residents of these communities which give a glimpse of their demographic makeup. Many local businesses appear in these photographs as well.