James Reuel Smith springs and wells photographs and papers
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
The collection holds 23 boxes (seven of glass and acetate negatives) of visual and written material pertaining to James Reuel Smith's book Springs and Wells of Manhattan and the Bronx, New York City, at the End of the Nineteenth Century, published by the New-York Historical Society in 1938.
The photographs are digitized and available in the Shelby White and Leon Levy Digital Library.
Historical Note
James Reuel Smith was born in 1852 in Skaneateles, New York. After the early death of his mother, his father having remarried, Smith went to live in the household of a cousin. In 1882 Smith married Elizabeth Thompson; they had no children. Family money enabled Smith to actively pursue his hobby of photographing and investigating springs and wells. This interest led him to travel around Europe, looking for springs and wells mentioned in literature. In 1922, he published Springs and Wells in Greek and Roman Literature, Their Legends and Locations.
Smith's interest was also local: He spent much of the years 1897 to 1901 bicycling around northern Manhattan and the Bronx looking for and photographing springs and wells. Smith's enthusiasm for springs and wells was well-matched with his photographic eye and his meticulous note-taking on the locations and conditions of the springs and wells he saw. James Reuel Smith died in 1935. In his will he left a bequest to the New-York Historical Society to publish his manuscript notes and photographs of springs and wells of northern Manhattan and the Bronx. Librarian Dorothy Barck worked with Smith's research papers and notes, and edited his manuscript material, leading to N-YHS's publication of Springs and Wells of Manhattan and the Bronx, New York City, at the End of the Nineteenth Century, in 1938. In the introduction to the volume, Smith wrote: "A city spring frequently possesses all the beautiful surroundings of a rural one, and besides exciting that pathetic interest aroused by something pleasureable which will shortly cease to exist, it is, for the meditative, a link which connects the thoughts with the past."
Arrangement
The collection is organized in five series:
Series I. Manhattan Photographs
Series II. Bronx Photographs
Series III. Brooklyn Photographs
Series IV. Springs and Wells Manuscript Material
Series V. Glass Negatives
Scope and Content Note
The collection holds the original photographic prints and glass plate negatives; manuscript drafts; indexes, classifications, and other descriptions; and research files and notes underlying James Reuel Smith's Springs and Wells of Manhattan and the Bronx, New York City, at the End of the Nineteenth Century.
The photographs date from 1897-1901 and are primarily of springs and wells in Northern Manhattan and the Bronx. There are about 350 prints, organized into 10 boxes. In addition, 260 glass negatives (247 4x5s; 13 5x7s) and 38 acetate negatives are housed in 7 boxes. Though Smith did take photographs of pumps and cisterns, the natural springs he found during his travels seemed to pique his interest the most, and these views are what make up most of the photos.
Manuscript material in the collection relates to both New York springs and wells and to Smith's research for his book on springs and wells in Greek and Roman literature. This material extends into the 1930s, reflecting Smith's research and writing subsequent to his photographing, and to some uncertain degree, N-YHS's interventions during the editing and publication process.
Subjects
Topics
Access Restrictions
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: James Reuel Smith springs and wells photographs and papers, PR 62, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Bequest of James Reuel Smith, 1937.
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital copies of the photographs are available in the Shelby White and Leon Levy Digital Library.
About this Guide
Processing Information
The photographs in the collection and some manuscript material was processed in the early 2000s by Miranda Schwartz. Either at that time or earlier, much of the manuscript and research material in the original collection was separated and not included in the processing and collection description. This additional material, which now comprises much of subseries IV.A, was returned to the collection and processed by Larry Weimer in December 2021.
Repository
Series I: Manhattan Photographs, 1897-1901, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
The Manhattan series has 13 folders and is the largest photographic series of the collection. Although Smith was mainly interested in northern Manhattan this series includes some photographs he took of springs and wells below 14th Street, as well as some in Midtown Manhattan and Central Park. The bulk of the photographs, though, were taken above 110th Street. Smith often asked neighborhood children to show him the local springs and wells and included them in a number of photographs.
Arrangement
As with the entire collection, the photographs are arranged geographically: Below 14th Street; Central Park; 61st Street to 110th Street; and from 110th Street and above, they are arranged in nine- or 19-block sections (170th to 179th Street, for example).
Below 14th Street, 1897-1901
Central Park, 1897-1901
61st Street to 110th Street, 1897-1901
110th Street to 119th Street, 1897-1901
120th Street to 129th Street, 1897-1901
130th Street to 139th Street, 1897-1901
140th Street to 159th Street, 1897-1901
160th Street to 169th Street, 1897-1901
170th Street to 179th Street, 1897-1901
180th Street to 189th Street, 1897-1901
190th Street to 199th Street, 1897-1901
North of Nagle Avenue; Isham Park; Inwood Hill (1), 1897-1901
North of Nagle Avenue; Isham Park; Inwood Hill (2), 1897-1901
Series II: The Bronx and West Bronx Photographs, 1897-1901, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
This series includes seven folders of photographs of the Bronx, including Van Cortlandt Park and Bronx Park. The West Bronx is covered extensively, filling three folders.
Bronx Park and Vicinity, 1897-1901
Southern Bronx and Morrisania, 1897-1901
Spuyten Duyvil, 1897-1901
Van Cortlandt Park and Vicinity, 1897-1901
161st Street to Kingsbridge Road (1), 1897-1901
161st Street to Kingsbridge Road (2), 1897-1901
161st Street to Kingsbridge Road (3), 1897-1901
Series III: Brooklyn Photographs, 1897-1901, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
1 folder of photographs of Brooklyn
Brooklyn, 1897-1901
Series IV: Springs and Wells Manuscript Material, 1890s-1930s, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
The series primarily contains James Reuel Smith's draft texts, file of research notes, indexes, classifications, reference materials, and maps with push pins marking locations. These relate principally to his Springs and Wells of Manhattan and the Bronx, New York City, at the End of the Nineteenth Century, and also his book on springs and wells in Greek and Roman literature. The series also includes a small number of photographs of Smith and subjects other than springs and wells. Although Smith seems to have taken his photographs in 1897-1901, the date range of this series extends into the 1930s as it reflects the timing of subsequent research and writing by Smith and, to some uncertain extent, the use of the material by N-YHS in preparing/editing Smith's manuscripts for publication.
Arrangement
The series is organized in two subseries:
Subseries IV.A. Written Material and Notes
Subseries IV.B. Visual Material
Subseries IV.A: Written Material and Notes, 1890s-1930s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The subseries contains Smith's extensive key to the many printed iterations of the photographs he took for Springs and Wells. He called this document "Analysis of Photograph Subjects (Vicinages of SPRINGS & WELLS, Dates of Negatives Nos., &c, &c and List 'D' of SPRINGS & WELLS)". Utilizing a complex coding system of his own devising, this document provides information on exact locations and cameras used, as well as a key to the numbering, classification, and identification of the prints. Researchers interested in the Springs and Wells Collection would benefit from studying, decoding, and mastering this index thoroughly.
The subseries also includes two hand-bound manuscripts: "Wells, Pumps, Cisterns" and "Springs, for revision." "Wells, Pumps, Cisterns" is a handwritten manuscript; it is subtitled Queens, Hoboken Spg, Minnesota Giant Spg, Bath, Eng., Spg, Venice Wells. "Springs" is mimeographed but has extensive handwritten notes by the author. It discusses New York City springs, which Smith investigated thoroughly, but its text does not seem to exactly overlap with the author's introduction to Springs and Wells. Perhaps it is a longer text from which the author adapted his shorter introduction.
The subseries also holds Smith's files of research notes, clippings, tearsheets, indexes, and other documents used for both Manhattan & Bronx springs and wells and for his work on springs and wells in Greek and Roman literature. Original artifacts in the subseries include a set of four framed maps with push pins identifying locations and descriptive notes, and two of the original wood boxes that Smith used to hold his files.
Arrangement
The subseries is roughly arranged by format, with manuscript material and indexes first, followed by the research files and rough notes. The notes remain in the number coded order that Smith maintained. Unfortunately, much of the numbering is attached to newspaper cuttings and other acidic material that Smith used as wraps, and so they are fragile and crumbling.
Processing Information
The research files and other material in boxes 18-23 was separated from the rest of the collection at some point, but not cataloged or otherwise processed. In December 2021, this material was returned to the collection and the finding aid revised to account for it by archivist Larry Weimer.
Springs and Wells-Analysis of Photograph Subjects by James Reuel Smith, 1897-1901
Manuscripts: "Wells, Pumps, Cisterns"; "Springs, for revision", 1897-1901
Handwritten Notes, 1897-1901
Handwritten Draft, 1897-1901
Drafts, notes, indexes, classifications (14 folders), circa 1890s-1930s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Also holds a folder of notes by N-YHS assistant librarian Hugh Flick describing the collection content as received at N-YHS, and the collection title rubber stamp.
Notes, clippings, tearsheets (16 folders), circa 1890s-1930s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Also holds one folder of letters to Smith answering his inquiries for information. These files were taken, in large part, from Smith's original wood box #27.
Folios(?) #610 to 613 (notes and clippings) (12 folders), circa 1890s-1930s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
These files were taken, in large part, from Smith's original wood box #3.
Folios(?) #614 to 685 (notes and clippings) (12 folders), circa 1890s-1930s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
These files were taken, in large part, from Smith's original wood box #15.
Framed maps with push pins and index to descriptions, in original Smith file box (Box 1 of 2), 1919?, inclusive
Scope and Contents
4 framed segments of a street map of Manhattan and the Bronx, with small, numbered push pins, presumably marking the locations of springs and wells, with cross-references on back to explanatory notes in the collection.
Framed maps with push pins and index to descriptions, in original Smith file box (Box 2 of 2), 1919?, inclusive
Subseries IV.B: Visual Material, 1897-1901, undated, inclusive
Scope and Contents
This subseries contains unidentified photographs, including a folder of mounted prints and a folder of photographs of Smith. The last folder in the subseries is miscellaneous, unrelated mounted prints. A few are of barges and ships; others of people. Locations and dates cannot be determined.
Unidentified Photographs, unknown
Small Mounted Prints, 1897-1901
Prints, 1897-1901
Photographs of James Reuel Smith, unknown
Miscelleanous, Unrelated Photographs, unknown
Series V: Glass Negatives, 1897-1901, inclusive
Scope and Contents note
This series holds seven boxes of glass negatives of prints from Springs and Wells. Each negative is sleeved in its own envelope; a few negatives are broken (noted on the individual envelope). Specific locations and dates are noted on each envelope in Smith's handwriting, along with one of his unique identifying codes from the "Analysis of Photograph Subjects (Vicinages of SPRINGS & WELLS, Dates of Negatives Nos., &c, &c and List 'D' of SPRINGS & WELLS)." The ranges of numbers are not inclusive. (See Series IV, Subseries 1.) During processing 38 acetate negatives were removed from among the glass negatives and grouped together at the end of Box 17.
Arrangement
The series is arranged according to Smith's unique identifying code system.