Emergency Shelter records
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Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection documents the history of a men's homeless shelter that existed in Manhattan from 1929-1990. It includes photographs, slides, brochures, flyers, scrapbooks, letters, articles, and reports.
Chronology
Arrangement
The collection is organized in eleven series:
Series 1: Histories of the Emergency Shelter, 1932-1987
Series 2: Information on Residents of the Shelter (RESTRICTED FOR 75 YEARS FROM DATE OF CREATION), 1931-1960
Series 3: Fund-raising Material, 1930-1989
Series 4: Financial Records, 1929-1947
Series 5: Photographs, 1930-1989
Series 6: Slides 1930-1975, undated
Series 7: Films, 1930-1939, undated
Series 8: Materials Relating to Walter D. Britt, 1927-1950, undated
Series 9: Newspaper Articles, 1928-1985
Series 10: Conferences and Studies on Homelessness and Homelessness Issues, 1929-1934
Series 11: Real Estate Documentation, 1969
Most of the collection is arranged by type of material. The majority of the material is then arranged chronologically.
Scope and Contents
The Emergency Shelter collection documents 60 years of efforts to help homeless men and boys (and eventually girls) in New York City. It is arranged according to subject matter or type of material and is housed in 12 archival boxes and 1 oversize box. The collection contains photographs, brochures, flyers, scrapbooks, letters, articles, reports, slides, and films.
The collection includes information on the changing needs of the homeless male population from 1929-1990. It consists of fund-rasing materials, photographs, slides, financial statements, and articles. The materials document a shift in Shelter residents from middle-aged, unemployed men to teenage boys that also reflects the changing nature of the homeless population in New York City.
The collection contains a large amount of brochures and appeal letters mailed for fund-raising purposes. Besides asking for contributions, the materials sent out for fund-raising describe the needs of the homeless men and the programs that the Shelter offers. Likewise, the large number of photographs in the collection depict the men who used the Shelter's services and their differing needs. For instance, the photographs show homeless men during the Depression receiving suits and job assistance while the boys who resided at the Shelter during the 1970's are depicted partaking in counseling and tutoring sessions. Personal information and religious writings by Walter Britt, the Shelter's founder and director for 25 years, are also included in the collection.
There is little correspondence or administrative information on the day-to-day running of the Shelter in the collection. Although a small number of case histories of homeless men are included, they only exist for 1931 and the 1950's. Only a small amount of promotional material exists on the Emergency Shelter's women's shelter in Queens.
Subjects
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People
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Access Restrictions
Two folders of resident case histories are restricted for 75 years from the date of creation. The scrapbooks in box 13 are restricted due to the poor condition of the materials. The rest of the collection is open to qualified researchers.
Materials in this collection may be stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Use Restrictions
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
This collection should be cited as the Emergency Shelter Records, MS 199, The New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donation by Daniel Spiwack of the Emergency Shelter, 1990.