Series XI. Visual Materials, circa 1880-2005

The series contains four boxes of visual materials representing the New York Foundling Hospital circa 1880-2005.

The first three boxes contain mainly photographic prints, but there are a few photomechanical reproductions and drawings as well. Images include building exteriors, events and people. Most photographs were created for publicity purposes. The fourth box consists of negatives and positive transparencies depicting a Foundling exhibition, mounted circa 1969-1994, tracing the organization's history in photographs and other visual materials. Most of the images in these transparencies and negatives exist in other formats (photographic prints etc.) in the first three boxes of this series, or in other series in the collection.

Photographic prints are arranged roughly chronologically. At each new main location of the Foundling, exteriors are arranged first, followed by interiors grouped in folders by subject. The series concludes with 7 folders of material by the photographer Claire Yaffa, including photographic prints, printed photo essays, and related material such as consent forms.

Hundreds of additional photographic prints can be found in other series in the collection, especially Series IV, V, and VI. This distribution throughout the collection reflects the original order in which the materials were arranged at the Foundling. A book about the Foundling including photographs by Claire Yaffa is part of Series XVII, Published Books.