Thomas F. De Voe scrapbooks
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection includes 80 scrapbooks compiled by Thomas F. De Voe (1811-1892). The bulk of the content is newspaper clippings, though some other printed forms are present as well. Some material ranges as early as circa 1720 and as late as 1890, but the bulk ranges from the 1850s into the 1880s. 34 of the volumes concern New York City history (e.g., politics, built environment, cultural institutions, events, etc.); 15 volumes relate to obituaries or other profiles of notable people; 8 relate to the Civil War and other military matters; 7 concern markets; and the remaining 16 volumes are on various topics.
Biographical / Historical
Thomas F. De Voe was born in 1811 in Westchester County, New York. He apprenticed as a butcher, then operated his own business at the Jefferson Market at 6th Avenue and Christopher Street in Manhattan from 1833 to 1872. In 1840, his fellow Jefferson Market butchers chose De Voe to represent them to the city on regulatory matters. To do this work more effectively, De Voe did research, including at New-York Historical Society, where he eventually became a member. With the encouragement of N-YHS Librarian George Moore and others, De Voe turned his research into the published works he is well-known for: "The Market Book" (1862), a historical account of New York's markets, and "The Market Assistant" (1867), a description of the foods available at the markets. De Voe was also an officer of the New York State militia's 8th Regiment. In 1872, De Voe gave up his business to become New York City's Superintendent of Markets. He died in 1892.
(The above note was largely based on an article about De Voe in the Spring-Summer 2008 issue of "The Quarto," a publication of the University of Michigan's Clements Library Associates.)
Arrangement
Although notations on many of the volumes suggest that there was an overall structure to at least many of De Voe's compilations, that structure is no longer fully discernible. Labeled spines are now missing, some items may have been separated from the collection, perhaps not all volumes were received by N-YHS, and other factors complicate any arrangement to original order. Consequently, the 80 volumes in this collection have been arranged roughly by subject matter as perceived by the N-YHS archivist in May 2022. The rough categories are:
Markets (7 volumes)
Obituaries (15 volumes)
Civil War and other military matters (8 volumes)
New York City historical matters (21 volumes)
New York City matters of the mid to late 19th century (13 volumes)
Miscellaneous subjects (16 volumes)
Each scrapbook was given a unique identifier (e.g., SN-1, SN-2) by the processing archivists in 2022. These are intended only to facilitate reference and are not indicative of any overall numbering scheme found in the collection itself.
Scope and Contents
The collection includes 80 scrapbooks compiled by Thomas De Voe. The bulk of the content is newspaper clippings, though some other printed forms are present as well. Some material ranges as early as circa 1720 and as late as 1890, but the bulk ranges from the 1850s into the 1880s. A few of the volumes are indexes to scrapbooks of clippings, which may or may not be in this collection. Entries in the container list that begin with the word Index indicate these.
34 of the volumes concern either New York City history (that is, from De Voe's perspective looking back from the mid-19th century) or contemporary developments during the 1850s to 1880s. These latter volumes include a variety of subject matter about the development of New York (especially Manhattan), such as in transportation (ferries, railways, etc.), cultural institutions (museums, historical societies), infrastructure (streets), events, etc. 15 volumes relate to obituaries or other profiles of notable people, 8 relate to the Civil War and other military matters, 7 concern markets, and the remaining 16 volumes are on various topics.
Each volume is listed in the container list. Volumes that retain a title given them by De Voe are noted in "quotations." Volumes that have a title given them over time by someone at N-YHS (possibly taken from a now missing original De Voe label) are noted in [brackets]. Volumes listed with no such markings were titled by the processing archivist in 2022 for the inventory; in these cases the volume had no indication of a title and the archivist assigned one based on a skim of the content.
Subjects
Access Restrictions
Materials in this collection are 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
The collection should be cited as: Thomas F. De Voe scrapbooks, MS 3193, New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Bequest of Thomas F. De Voe.
Existence and Location of Copies
There are bound facsimiles of volumes SN-67, SN-68, SN-79, and another copy of Mariam Touba's index (see SN-68) available at the reference desk.
About this Guide
Processing Information
In 2019-20, as part of a broader project, archivist Elise Winks performed a high level survey of the collection and assigned unique identifiers to each volume. In 2022, archivist Larry Weimer inventoried the scrapbooks, boxing them for offsite storage, and describing them in this finding aid.
Repository
View Inventory
Markets, 1850-1883, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes, among others, articles about De Voe's book.
"Markets & Collections", 1854-1858, 1860s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Relates especially to the beef/cattle market. Bulk is from 1854-1858.
Markets, 1854-1856, 1870s?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The volume holds clippings from 1854-1856. At the back of the volume is a manuscript list of notes on markets opened in New York City, 1836-1871.
New York Markets, 1876-1887, inclusive
New York City Markets, 1864-1874, inclusive
Extracts of articles on cattle, poultry, fish, etc. (manuscript ), undated, inclusive
[Philadelphia Markets], 1790s-1880s, inclusive
Index. "Book G." [Obituaries, 1869-1873], 1869-1873, inclusive
[Obituaries, New York City & Elsewhere. Index G], 1866-1873, inclusive
Index. "Obituaries of Noted Persons, 1869-1878. 37", 1869-1878, inclusive
"Obituaries of Noted Persons. Index No. 37", 1869-1878, inclusive
Index. "Book P. Prominent Persons Obituaries, 1866-1868", 1866-1868, inclusive
Index. "U" [Obituaries, 1878-1881], 1878-1881, inclusive
Obituaries, 1878-1881, inclusive
Index. "Obituaries, 1881-1882. 26", 1881-1882, inclusive
Obituaries, 1881-1882, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The bulk of this volume holds clippings about the assassination of President James Garfield.
Index. "Obituaries, 1881-1883. 3", 1881-1883, inclusive
"Obituaries from 1881-1883", 1881-1883, inclusive
"Index to No. 39. Obituaries, 1884-1886", 1884-1886, inclusive
Obituaries, 1884-1886, inclusive
Obituaries, 1886-1889, inclusive
Obituaries, 1887-1891, inclusive
[Military clippings. #19], 1854-1855, inclusive
New York State Militia/National Guard, 1857-1860, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes, among other subjects, articles on yellow fever quarantine on Staten Island.
New York State Militia/National Guard, 1860-1862, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Primarily holds articles about the Civil War
New York State Militia/National Guard, 1863-1880s, inclusive
Civil War, 1861-1863, 1886, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The clippings all date from the 1860s. There is one drawing of the Statue of Liberty, dated 1886.
Civil War, 1860s-1880s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Principally about the Civil War and later reminiscences.
Civil War and New York City current events, 1854, 1861-1870, inclusive
[Military & Naval Clippings] & Theatre, 1879-1890, inclusive
"Index to Historical Incidents from Newspapers, 1696-1800"; "Index to Names of Persons from Newspapers, 1696-1800", undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
These appear to be alphabetical subject indexes to the chronology above (SN-67). There is a bound facsimile of this volume available at the reference desk.
"Historical Incidents from Newspapers I, 1696-1800" (manuscript), undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The volume is a year by year chronology of events, in manuscript form, abstracted by De Voe from newspapers. There are letters related to the De Voe collection generally, attached to the back cover. There is a bound facsimile of this volume available at the reference desk.
"Historical Incidents from Newspapers II, 1800-1850" (manuscript), undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
This volume has the same general content as I (SN-67) above. This box also holds a related draft index for the years 1800-1810 prepared by N-YHS reference librarian Mariam Touba. There is a bound facsimile of this volume and a copy of Touba's index available at the reference desk.
Index. "Miscellaneous scraps from 1720-1828. 100", undated, inclusive
"Miscellaneous scraps, 1720-1828", 1720-1828, inclusive
Scope and Contents
This volume holds original clippings. SN-53 may be an index to this volume.
"History of New York" (9 volumes), 1851-1870, inclusive
Scope and Contents
These volumes hold clippings of compilations about New York City history by "DTV" (David T. Valentine). The original source of the clippings is not explicit, except for 1868-70, which are from Valentine's Manual of the Corporation of New York City; this is the likely source for most or all of the other clippings in these 9 volumes.
Index. "Olden Time in New York. Bacon. T" [1-123], undated, inclusive
"Cuttings. T" [Index T. New York in the Olden Time by J.B. Bacon. 1-123], undated, inclusive
Index. "F" [Old New York, 1870-1875], 1870-1875, inclusive
Old New York-related clippings, 1876-1877, inclusive
Index. "Old New York. 61", undated, inclusive
[Old New York #7, 1871-1875], 1871-1875, inclusive
New York City history, 1860s-1880s, inclusive
General clippings about New York, 1849-1861, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds clippings about catastrophes, current events, city development, etc.
General clippings about New York, 1853-1863, inclusive
General clippings about New York, 1863-1873, inclusive
General clippings about New York City, 1869-1875, inclusive
General clippings about New York City, 1870-1875, inclusive
General clippings about New York, 1871-1885, inclusive
"Index. Streets, Lanes, Roads, etc., Wharves & Piers. No. 43", undated, inclusive
"New York City covering Manhattan Island, newspaper clippings, 1877-1890", 1877-1890, inclusive
Miscellaneous, especially theatre/stage, 1868-1869, 1881-1890, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Many pages of a cash journal from 1868-1869 are visible in this volume as, unlike other volumes, it was not entirely covered over with clippings.
General clippings about New York, 1851-1858, 1866-1870, inclusive
"Andrew H. Green for Mayor; Trials of Prominent Persons; New York City", 1869-1889, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The volume especially holds clippings about the Albert D. Richardson murder (1869) and the Henry Ward Beecher-Elizabeth Tilton matter (1870s). There is only a little about Andrew H. Green.
New York City and State Politics, 1871-1872, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds articles about Boss Tweed, Tammany Hall, city charter, legislation, etc.
Miscellaneous, especially politics, 1875-1878, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds clippings on Boss Tweed, Tammany Hall, Andrew Green, etc. Holds the lengthy reminiscences of the former New York mayor M.M. Noah.
Catastrophes, 1846-1873, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Articles about ship sinkings, fires, weather, murders, riots, etc.
[E. Strikes & Riots, 1877], 1877, inclusive
"United States. E" [Strikes & Riots, 1877], 1877, inclusive
[Catastrophes. 13], 1880-1888, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The clippings' geographic range extends beyond New York.
"J" [Churches & Ministers, 1874-1883], 1874-1883, inclusive
Churches and other houses of religious worship, clergy, 1870s-1880s, inclusive
Churches and other houses of religious worship, and clergy, 1863-1890, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The clippings in the volume date from 1883-1890. Many pages were not covered in clippings and so the underlying content is readable. It presumably pertains to the firm S. Judd's Sons & Co., the name embossed on the volume's cover. Entries from 1863 and the 1870s concern the creditworthiness of various companies. For 1863, these are New York State companies; for the 1870s, companies elsewhere in the United States.
Index. "O. Historical Items & Obituaries, etc., 1858-1874", 1858-1874, inclusive
[Historical Items & Obituaries, etc., 1858-1874], 1858-1874, inclusive
Index. "Personal in New York, 1875, 1879. 55", 1875, 1879, inclusive
Various clippings about people and events, 1860s-1870s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds obituaries and other articles about people, portraits of clergy, and various events. Geographic range goes beyond New York.
Clippings about current events, 1854-1870, 1883-1889, inclusive
Index. "71" [Brooklyn Newspapers], undated, inclusive
Miscellaneous, 1860s-1880s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds articles about travel description, current events, speeches, international matters, etc.
Miscellaneous, 1850s-1860s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
This volume was found on the shelves in 2022 with the De Voe scrapbooks, but it may not be one of his. The volume holds various articles, many concerning slavery and other topical matters. Many of the articles are signed "Sigma" and are from the Daily Evening Traveler. A table of contents is at the front. There appears to be an accession date of March 18, 1897, on the cover, which would include it among the many donations made that day by Daniel Parish.
Miscellaneous, 1854-1857, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Holds mostly clippings of the series "Letters from New York" signed by "Roscoe" to the "Editors of the Traveller" (i.e., Daily Evening Traveller of Boston). There are also clippings of reviews and other articles about R.G. Horton's "Life & Public Service of James Buchanan."
Loose book spines, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Several book spines with labels that had loose from the original volumes. These were found shelved separately after the collection had been boxed for storage and so were not (and perhaps cannot be) matched to the related volumes.