Carolyn Ratcliffe collection on La Plaza Cultural
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez is located on the Lower East Side of the Manhattan borough of New York City. Founded in 1976 on the site of an abandoned city lot, the space has become an outdoor community garden, space for play and social gathering, and a performance venue. The collection includes photographs, ephemera and working papers from the files of Carolyn Ratcliffe, an officer in the 1990s to early 2000s of the non-profit organization formed to rebuild the La Plaza Cultural site, acquire grants, and develop programming there. Photographs are the core of the collection and include images of performances; community celebrations of Halloween, springtime, and other occasions; sculpture and other artwork; people gardening, building, and doing other work in the space, as well as enjoying leisure activities; flowers and other plants in the garden; and other related subject matter. The collection also includes some material to about 2010 from Ratcliffe's involvement with other Lower East Side community gardens and cultural organizations, including the Art Loisaida Foundation for which she is Artistic Director.
Biographical/Historical Note
La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez (La Plaza Cultural) is located at the corner of East 9th Street and Avenue C on the Lower East Side of the Manhattan borough of New York City. Occupying a large corner lot, La Plaza Cultural is an outdoor community garden, space for play and social gathering, and a performance venue. It began in 1976 when an artist in the area, Gordon La Matta Clark, led a neighborhood effort to clean up an abandoned lot that had been the site of since-demolished buildings. Into the 1980s, the site developed into a park, with garden and theatre space. By the late 1980s, though, real estate interests sought to rebuild on the site. This led to a series of court battles, ending eventually in 2003 with a settlement that ensured La Plaza Cultural's survival.
Through the 1990s and into the early 2000s, as the court fights went on, the programs at La Plaza Cultural did also. A non-profit, the 600 B/C East Ninth Street Block Association, was formed and incorporated to rebuild the park and manage programs, such as the performance of "Demeter's Daughter" in 1997 and the annual Halloween celebration. Among the active members of this non-profit was Carolyn Ratcliffe, a resident of the La Plaza Cultural neighborhood. Ratcliffe was elected Chairperson of the association in 1990 and held various official positions with the organization over the next thirteen years until the 2003 legal victory. Over that period, she acquired various grants in support of La Plaza Cultural's programming, organized many of the programs, wrote publicity materials in support of the organization and site, and was an overall active participant in building La Plaza Cultural's role in the community while defending it from development.
Along with her work for La Plaza, Ratcliffe was, and still is, engaged with various other cultural organizations and initiatives, including as a founding member of the artist cooperative Artistas de Loisaida and as the Artistic Director of the non-profit Art Loisaida Foundation.
Arrangement Note
The collection is organized in two series, by format:
Series I. Paper-based Files
Series II. Digital Files
Scope and Contents
The collection includes photographs, ephemera and working papers from the files of Carolyn Ratcliffe relating principally to the history of La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez. The bulk of the collection dates from the mid 1990s to about 2003, with much of this material being photographs. The photographs include images of performances; community celebrations of Halloween, springtime, and other occasions; sculpture and other artwork; people gardening, building, and doing other work in the space, as well as enjoying leisure activities; flowers and other plants in the garden; and other related subject matter. Most of the photographs are color print snapshots; other formats include slides, negatives, and digital files. Some of the photographs and other images were gathered into albums.
The collection also includes at least some of Ratcliffe's working files in both paper and digital form. These primarily include documents related to grant funding proposals, reports to project funders, financial summaries, contact lists, and other administrative matters. Among the programs and grants represented in these files are the La Plaza Cultural Environmental Living Lab Program, Community Assets grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, and Neighborhood Open Space Management grants from The Trust for Public Land. The files include letters received from schoolchildren at PS 188 who participated in a gardening curriculum in 2003.
The collection also includes small posters and other publicity materials related to events at La Plaza. Also, the collection holds several digital formats, including zip drives, floppy disks, and CDs with photographs, brochures, hard drive back-ups, contact lists, and other matter. Many of these files require specialized software to access. In addition to La Plaza, some of these digital files concern Ratcliffe's involvement with Artistas de Loisaida, Art Loisaida Foundation, and other community cultural matters.
Subjects
Access Restrictions
The paper-based materials in this collection are stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them and/or the digital files, 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 Note
This collection should be cited as the Carolyn Ratcliffe collection on La Plaza Cultural, MS 3051, New-York Historical Society.
Credit line: Photographs in the collection that were taken by Carolyn Ratcliffe should be credited to her when used for public purposes.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition Note
Gift of Carolyn Ratcliffe, June 2016.
About this Guide
Processing Information Note
The paper-based portion of the collection (Series I) was processed by archivist Larry Weimer in March 2018, and a finding aid for that material was published at the time. In early 2022, the digital files were processed by archivist Margo Padilla, with description added to the finding aid by Weimer; see the Processing Note at Series II for further detail.
Repository
Series I. Paper-based Files, 1980s?-2003, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The series includes paper-based photographs, ephemera and working papers from the files of Carolyn Ratcliffe relating to the history of La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez. The bulk of the series dates from the mid 1990s to about 2003, with much of this material being photographs. The photographs include images of performances; community celebrations of Halloween, springtime, and other occasions; sculpture and other artwork; people gardening, building, and doing other work in the space, as well as enjoying leisure activities; flowers and other plants in the garden; and other related subject matter. Most of the photographs are color print snapshots; other formats include slides and negatives. Some of the photographs and other images were gathered into albums.
The series also includes at least some of Ratcliffe's working files. These primarily include documents related to grant funding proposals, reports to project funders, financial summaries, contact lists, and other administrative matters. Among the programs and grants represented in these files are the La Plaza Cultural Environmental Living Lab Program, Community Assets grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, and Neighborhood Open Space Management grants from The Trust for Public Land. The files include letters received from schoolchildren at PS 188 who participated in a gardening curriculum in 2003.
The series also includes small posters and other publicity materials related to events at La Plaza.
Arrangement
The series is arranged by formt, with photographs and other images first, followed by working files.
Most of the photographs are snapshots. Those found together in albums or packets were retained together. Many though were loose. Photographs that were explicitly dated are presented first, followed by undated photographs. Loose photographs were compiled together by the processing archivist based on IDs or other markings on their reverse in an attempt to bring together like subject matter. These are compiled together in envelopes that note the linking ID. Photographs with no linking ID were sorted by rough subject.
Photographic slides were found in a series of small boxes and a carousel. The slides were moved to a sleeve, keeping together those slides found in particular boxes. The boxes were identified arbitrarily by letter, A to P, and that designation was noted on the slide sleeves.
The working files were found in unlabeled plastic folders; during processing the content was moved to archival folders. In the container list, these are all summarized in one entry. In the box itself, each folder retains the content of the original file. The original files were identified arbitrarily by the archivist by letter, A to E, and that designation was noted on the folder.
"Viva La Plaza: Growing a Garden, Building a Community", circa 1999
Scope and Contents Note
Overview booklet with a history of La Plaza, press clippings, letters of reference, renovation drawings, images, and other material.
Photograph and Ephemera Albums (5 folders), 1980s?-circa 2000
Save the Garden Benefit Photographs, 1990s?
Rites of Spring Images, 2000
Photographs: Snapshots - Dated (12 folders), 1993-2002
Photographs: Snapshots - Undated (6 of 7 folders), circa 1990s-2001
Photographs: Snapshots - Undated (1 of 7 folders), circa 1990s-2001
Photographs: Slides (4 folders), circa 1990s-2001
Oversize Posters and Other Graphic Material, circa 1990s-2001
Photographs: Negatives (3 folders), circa 1990s-2001
Photographs: Film Rolls (RESTRICTED), circa 1990s-2001
Scope and Contents Note
Includes small rolls of film from the collection, which cannot be viewed.
General Working Files (10 folders), 1992-2003
Wall Image Proposal, undated
Armando Perez Street Naming Ceremony, 2006
Ephemera, 1990s
Series II. Digital Files, circa 1990s-2010, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The series holds 7,766 digital files of various formats. Zip disks used for general back-up comprise a substantial portion of the series and so include many system, application, and other such files. There are about 2100 photographs/images in JPG and TIF format, about 300 text files in Word, RTF and PDF format, and about 30 Excel files of financial data, and about 20 PowerPoint presentations. There are also many formats that require specialized software to view.
The container list provides some summary description of the digital content. Overall, the material includes photographs of events at La Plaza and other community gardens, publicity for events, arrangements for events and program funding requests, financial data, some administrative material (e.g., minutes), and other such material. Not all formats could be opened during processing and so the subject description does not necessarily represent all the digital files.
Arrangement
The series is arranged by media type (CDs, floppy disks, and zip disks) into nine digital folders:
LaPlazaCDs (23 CDs)
FloppyDisk1_Financials_7-1-96_6-30-02 (1 floppy)
FloppyDisk2_MPGSC_Stationery_RATCLIFFE (1 floppy)
FloppyDisk3_[NoTitle] (1 floppy)
ZipDisk_BlockParty (1 zip disk)
ZipDisks_bin_1 (16 disks)
ZipDisks_bin_2 (16 disks)
ZipDisks_bin_3 (16 disks)
ZipDisk_Backup (1 disk)
For the container list, the 23 CDs are listed individually by name. Individual floppy disks and standalone zip disks are also listed. The three plastic bins of zip disks are described in summary form in the container list.
Generally, dates noted in the container list are derived from the digital file date; these are not necessarily the date the file or image was created.
Processing Information
The digital files were processed by archivist Margo Padilla in 2022. The digital files were transferred off the disks using the applicable disk drive and a write blocker. Files were moved off the disks to permanent storage using TeraCopy. A virus scan was run using ClamWin and Malwarebytes with no results. System and executable program files have been separated from the collection materials. Description of the digital files was added to the finding aid by archivist Larry Weimer in May 2022.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The digital files includes several formats that require specialized software to open. These include Iomega 1-Step Backup, Intuit QuickBooks, Microsfot FoxPro, and others.
Digital media (RESTRICTED)
Scope and Contents
This box holds the collection's digital media: 50 zip drives, 25 CDs and 3 3.5 inch floppy disks. The physical object can be requested and viewed for context, but may not be opened to access the digital files. All files from the media have been preserved and may be requested separately below. (2 of the CDs could not be read.)
LaPlazaCDs. 1_Carolyne_LAPLivingLab, circa 2002, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 2 identical text documents describing the La Plaza Living Lab Program.
LaPlazaCDs. 2_Laptop_DeskTop_12-18-10, 2006-2010, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 152 files in 5 folders. The content primarily concerns the Art Loisaida Foundation (ALF), with thank you letters to donors of goods for the Materials for the Arts (MFTA) program; publicity material for the 2011 exhibition "Preservation: Preserve or Forget" at the Theater for the New City (TNC); artist lists; logos and other publicity images; photos of St. Brigid church in Manhattan (a subject for preservation advocacy); minutes; financial data; and other material.
LaPlazaCDs. 3_LizChristyImages_LaPlaza, 2007, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 5 files in 1 folder. Though the files are dated 2007, the filenames suggest they are images of La Plaza in 1978-1984.
LaPlazaCDs. 4_PCD3609_LAPSlides_Images, 1999, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 66 files in 1 folder. All are photos of events at La Plaza, especially Halloween, sculpture, and a play. The CD includes a contact sheet of the photos.
LaPlazaCDs. 5_CD La Plaza1, 2001, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 6 files in 1 folder. These are photos of performers at La Plaza.
LaPlazaCDs. 6_ThinkGreen_1; 7_ThinkGreen_2, 2000, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Each of the CDs holds 2 files, for a total of 4 images. All are the same image of a publicity poster for green/environmental awareness.
LaPlazaCDs. 8_LAP Board & East, 2002-2003, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 199 files, all photos of events at La Plaza (a night performance, Easter, sculpture), winter scenes, garden registration, Board retreat, etc.
LaPlazaCDs. 9_Garden Story, 2005, inclusive
Scope and Contents
This is a commercially-produced CD "Garden Story with Rebecca Frischkorn," produced by Rubicon Productions "a 4-episode series about the power of gardens to transform our lives."
LaPlazaCDs. 10_carolyne1, 2001, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds two files, both photos, one of a mural about La Plaza Cultural and the other of 5 people at a presentation (they are generally unidentified, although the surname of the principal person seems to be written on the CD itself (Chavis?).
LaPlazaCDs. 11_CCI Team emails, 2004, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds a 65.3 MB MBOX file of emails. Access requires specialized software and so the content has not been reviewed for subject matter.
LaPlazaCDs. 12_Excel fileLAP-Ar, 1999-2002, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds one Excel file with at least some budget and financial data for 1999-2002.
LaPlazaCDs. 13_LAP_ImagesDiskA, 2002, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 35 files in 1 folder, primarily a variety of photos related to development of a brochure. Two early photos depict people at work at La Plaza; these include "MattaClark" in their file names and so presumably one of the individuals is the artist/activist, Gordon La Matta Clark.
LaPlazaCDs. 14_LAP_ImagesDiskB, 2002, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 110 files in 10 folders. The files are dated 2002, but they clearly range across various years. There are several photos of La Plaza before it was developed as a garden and community space; a 1989 overhead view of the space; performances/performers; kids in the park; spring flowers; and the like.
LaPlazaCDs. 15_LaPlaza, 2002
Scope and Contents
Holds 1 file, QDX (audio) format of unknown content.
LaPlazaCDs. 16_GOH-LAP_LivingLabProjectImages_12_11_07, 2003-2007, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 168 files in 18 folders. These are images of various children's educational programs (working in a garden, field trip, learning about honeybees, etc.).
LaPlazaCDs. 17_Butoh-Orensanz 2
Scope and Contents
Holds 37 files. All images of a butoh dance performance in an interior space, likely the Angel Orensanz Foundation as suggested by the notation on the CD itself.
LaPlazaCDs. 18_LaPlazaBrochure_2-9-2002_1of2; 19_LaPlazaBrochure_2-9-2002_2of2, 2002, inclusive
Scope and Contents
2 CDs of identical content: 137 files in 8 folders, primarily photos and other images, apparently used for a publicity brochure in both an 8x11 and a 11x17 version.
LaPlazaCDs. 20_LaPlaza, 2002, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 57 files in 2 folders. This appears to be a partial duplicate of the above CDs numbered 18 and 19, for the 8x11 version of a brochure.
LaPlazaCDs. 21_LizaBearGardenPhotos_July2002_1of2; 22_LizaBearGardenPhotos_July2002_2of2, 2002 July, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Two CDs holding a total of 82 files, 74 of which are photos of a community garden. Signage in one of the photos suggests these are of the Stannard Diggs Garden. The CD cases include contact sheets of the photos.
LaPlazaCDs. 23_ZendoraDanceCo2, 2003, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 31 files, all photos of a dance performance at La Plaza.
FloppyDisk1_Financials_7-1-96_6-30-02, 2002, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 3 files. According to the floppy label, this is financial data for La Plaza from 1996-2002. A text document provides some revenue and expense data for 2000-2002. The principal file is a QTF (Quicken) file that requires specialized software to open.
FloppyDisk2_MPGSC_Stationery_RATCLIFFE, 2003, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 3 files of SIG and LBL template file formats.
FloppyDisk3_[NoTitle], 2002, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds 1 file, a list of La Plaza Cultural Armando Perez members as of 2002.
ZipDisk_BlockParty
Scope and Contents
Holds 21 files in 4 folders, primarily with graphics for a postcard for a Lower East Side block party.
ZipDisks_bin_1, 2002 August, inclusive
Scope and Contents
A set of 16 zip disks noted as a backup at August 2002. The back-up format is a 1-step file and requires specialized software to open. The content was not reviewed during processing. One exception to this is the 15th zip disk of the set, which includes Excel format financial data for 1999-2003 for the New 600 BC E. 9th Street Block & Neighborhood Association/La Plaza. Some of those financial files have a QBB (Quick Books) file format and require specialized software.
ZipDisks_bin_2, 1997-2002, inclusive
Scope and Contents
A set of 16 zip disks holding 2,626 files in 177 folders. Subject matter includes photographs of the 6th Street Community Center, La Plaza, and other gardens; grant requests for various Lower East Side community programs; material for a PowerPoint "The Thin Green Line" (often abbreviated as TGL in the files) re: open space; funding of The Laureus Sport for Good Artistic Gymnastic Program at Sutton Gym at Cooper Square (to benefit families directly impacted by the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks); a PowerPoint presentation to Representative Nydia Velazquez re: "The Case for Saving Two East Village Community Gardens [La Plaza and Stannard Diggs]"; Art Loisaida exhibition reception photos and other Art Loisada documents; and some La Plaza minutes. Although much of the content is in Microsoft Office software, TIFs, and JPGs, there are also many email (EML) and other formats that require specialized software.
ZipDisks_bin_3, 1999-2001, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Subject matter includes La Plaza event arrangements and garden photos; publicity for Art Loisaida and related Artistas de Loisaida events and programs (e.g., "A Thin Green Line"); various general New York photos (the Mermaid Parade at Coney Island, views from the Empire State Building(?), Race to Deliver participants); and other related subjects. Although much of the content is in Microsoft Office software, TIFs, and JPGs, there are also many email (EML) and other formats that require specialized software.
ZipDisk_Backup, 2001, inclusive
Scope and Contents
One zip disk labeled as a backup. The back-up format is a 1-step file and requires specialized software to open. The content was not reviewed during processing.