Series I: Buildings

Series I contains exterior and interior views of the residences and businesses of the Harpers and their extended family. The series contains some photographs from 1895, but most are undated. Files are arranged alphabetically by type of building. Included are several prints of the bookstore run by Lathrop C. Harper and his brother, Francis P. Harper, including one undated print by Long & Heppner of Francis Harper in the interior of the store when it was located at 17 West 16th Street in New York City, one unattributed 7 x 10 ink drawing of the store's interior, and a few photographs of Lathrop's clerk and successor Douglas Parsonage. The Harper's residences at 36 Gramercy Park and 1 Lexington Avenue on Gramercy Park are captured in a series of photographs of both the interior and exterior, at least one of which was published in House Beautiful in March 1924. Included are several interior photographs, some taken by Mattie Edwards Hewitt, of the Harpers' home which document their collections of historic European samplers, antique furniture and family portraits. Also included with the residence photographs are two photographs of 193 10th Street, Lathrop Harper's parents' residence from 1854-59. The photographs of the fire at the store of Ira Perego, Harper's maternal grandfather, show New York City police and firemen at work in a smoke-filled street. The unidentified buildings are primarily residential, with one photograph of an unidentified Yacht Club included. Some related negatives can be found in Series IV. Oversize images are in Box 6.