N. Jay Jaffee photographs
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Creator
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Language of Materials
Abstract
This collection includes back-and-white photographs created by photographer N. Jay Jaffee (1921-1999). Photographs show street scenes from the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Brownsville, East New York, Coney Island, and Canarsie. The photographs were taken between 1947 and 1974, although the prints were produced at later dates. The collection also includes a bound typescript entitled, "My Father: A Reminiscence," by N. Jay Jaffee (1994).
Biographical note
Nathan Jaffee was born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1921. He was the third child of Isidore and Anna Jaffee, who were Russian and Polish Jewish immigrants. They first lived on Georgia Avenue, in Brownsville, before moving to other neighborhoods of Brooklyn, including Bensonhurst and Crown Heights. After his mother died, Jaffee left school and worked as a typesetter and union organizer, before being drafted into service during World War II. He served as an infantry squad leader and saw heavy combat in Europe.
After returning from the war, he began photographing his New York City surroundings, capturing the people and streets of the city. He took classes at the Photo League and studied under Sid Grossman. While working on his photography, he continued to be employed in the printing industry and was active in progressive politics. In 1945, he married Isabel Spector. They had two daughters, Anna and Cyrisse, and moved to Queens. Later, he moved to Huntington, NY, with his companion Paula Hackeling.
His work was part of the 1950 exhibit, "Fifty-One American Photographers," curated by Edward Steichen at the Museum of Modern Art. His work is held by numerous museums and galleries, including the Brooklyn Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Portrait Gallery, the Library of Congress, the National Museum of American Art, the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, the International Museum of Photography and Film (George Eastman House), the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston), and the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University. A book of his photographs, N. Jay Jaffee: Photographs 1947–1956, was published in 1976.
N. Jay Jaffee died in 1999. A 50-year posthumous retrospective, "From Coney Island to Caumsett: The Photographic Journey of N. Jay Jaffee, 1947–1997," was shown at the Heckscher Museum in Huntington, NY, later that same year. As of 2023, his work is represented by the N. Jay Jaffee Trust.
Sources
- My Father: A Reminiscence, by N. Jay Jaffee, 1994
- N. Jay Jaffee - About the Artist - http://njayjaffee.com/about-3/, accessed January 2015
- Deaths JAFFEE, NATHAN. New York Times, March 11, 1999. http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/11/classified/paid-notice-deaths-jaffee-nathan.html, accessed March 2015
Arrangement
The photographs in this collection are grouped by size and foldered by subject. The folders are arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Contents
This collection includes black-and-white photographs of various sizes showing street scenes, mostly in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Brownsville, East New York, Coney Island, and Canarsie. The photographs were taken between 1947 and 1974, although the prints were produced at later dates.
Also included is "My Father: A Reminiscence," a self published book written by Jaffee in 1994. The book recounts his childhood in Brooklyn and the life of his father, Isadore Jaffee. The book includes reproductions of family photographs.
Two address labels removed from a box shipped with accession 2014.004 (BHS) are included in the 8x10 photographs series.
Subjects
People
Topics
Conditions Governing Access
Open to researchers without restriction.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright held by the N. Jay Jaffee Trust.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date (if known); N. Jay Jaffee photographs, CBHM.0010, Box and Folder number; Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Paula Welter Hackeling, 2014. Gift of Cyrisse Jaffee, 2015 and 2023.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
If digital surrogates exist, they should be used in place of the originals whenever possible.
Existence and Location of Copies
Portions of this collection are digitized and available on our digital collections.
About this Guide
Processing Information
This collection combines two accessions: 2014.004 (BHS) and 2015.0013 (BC). The collections were merged April 2023 with additional items added December 2023.
