Series II: Negatives

Subseries I is housed in envelopes, which are grouped by geographic region. The number of negatives in each grouping is listed in parentheses after the geographical location. These negatives seem to correspond, however roughly, to groupings of prints in Series I. It is probable that the geographic names found on each envelope were transferred from titles on the original film boxes. These envelopes are numbered; the number seems to correspond to their original physical placement in a cabinet in the N-YHS library stacks.

Subseries II is composed mainly of views of residential houses, including some of Brooklyn row houses. Most of these photographs appear to be on Long Island; many shots show wooden, farm-like houses. The same scene is often shown in several negatives. A churchyard in East Hampton is pictured with an elaborate sepulchre. Windmills are shown for many of the Long Island towns. Several of the negative boxes had Armbruster's notation on the geographical location of negative subjects. The negatives in the boxes which lacked any notation have been arranged by general subject category.

Nitrate negatives were interleaved with acid free paper and stored five to a negative sleeve. Several of the negative boxes had Armbruster's notation on geographical place of negatives. These negatives are grouped by geography after Armbruster's titles (which appear in quotation marks) and then further divided by subject. Many other boxes had no notation. These negatives were arranged by general subject category. Nitrate negatives were assigned box numbers in coordination with other nitrate negatives held by the New-York Historical Society. These negatives are located on Floor 14 in the N-YHS Library Stacks. (See also, Separated Material)

Subseries III generally corresponds to prints found in Series I, Subseries II. All were taken in Brooklyn in 1922. When possible, negatives have been matched to prints and titled accordingly. When no print was available, a bracketed descriptive title was assigned to each negative. Negatives are not numbered, but are ordered geographically. Within each geographic designation, negatives are arranged loosely by subject: Buildings, Churches, Houses, and Other.

Subseries IV includes copy negatives from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, the Brooklyn Eagle, engravings, oil paintings, pen and ink drawings; mainly of historic houses or buildings in Brooklyn. Many of these look as if Armbruster had pinned them to a board for enlarging purposes. The pins and board are visible in some of the negatives. There are also enlargements in this same manner of several of Armbruster's own prints. Copy negatives carry either Armbruster's or the original captions (and sometimes both). In cases where no caption was written on the negative, a bracketed descriptive title was assigned to each negative. Original negatives are grouped together and organized by subject. Copy negatives are also grouped together and organized by subject.

Subseries V contains mainly copy negatives. These consist of drawings of historic houses (some from newspapers or magazines.) and other views such as: Long Island Rail Road Tunnel; a map of the City of Williamsburgh; Old James Street Market, Brooklyn; View of Astoria, L.I. (printed by Currier and Ives); and Rutgers University. Original negatives show Ebbets field, the Manhattan skyline, Union Cemetary, and Armbruster's family tree. When no title was available, a bracketed descriptive title was assigned to each negative. Negatives are not numbered. Original negatives are grouped together and organized by subject. Copy negatives are also grouped together and organized by subject. Some broken negatives are in Box 35.