Samuel H. Gottscho photographs
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Abstract
The collection consists of 12 vintage silver gelatin photographs taken in the early 1930s by Samuel H. Gottscho (1875-1971). Ten of the photographs, taken in 1933, are of Manhattan views. One is centered on Welfare Island (Roosevelt Island) and one is a detail of a cemetery at Gardiner's Island in East Hampton.
Biographical / Historical
Samuel Herman Gottscho (1875-1971) was born in Brooklyn, New York. During his early life, he practiced photography on a part-time basis, deciding to work professionally as a commercial photographer in the 1920s, around the age of 50. Respected as an architectural, landscape, and nature photographer, major collections of Gottscho's work are held by the Library of Congress and the Museum of the City of New York.
(The above note was derived from Gottscho's entry in Wikipedia.)
Arrangement
The collection is organized in two series, based in part on provenance:
Series I. Manhattan 1933 Views
Series II. Other Photographs
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of 12 vintage silver gelatin photographs taken in the early 1930s by Samuel H. Gottscho (1875-1971). Ten of the photographs, taken in 1933, are of Manhattan views, and were originally a gift from Gottscho to a Grace Mayer. These include Gottscho's handwritten titles and captions. Generally, these photographs were taken either from an elevated height and show downward sweeping views of the city and wide angles of skylines, buildings, and streets, or ground level, upward looking views of buildings and other features of the urban built environment.
In addition to the above set, the collection holds two other photographs: one looks east from Manhattan toward Welfare Island (Roosevelt Island) and Queens, and a second is a detailed view within a cemetery on Gardiner's Island in East Hampton, New York.
Subjects
Access Restrictions
Open to qualified researchers by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, contact the Print Room Librarian at printroom@nyhistory.org.
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: Samuel Gottscho photographs, PR 423, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
All but one of the photographs were the gift of Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, 2021. The exception is noted at the item level in the container list.
About this Guide
Processing Information
Most of the photographs donated by Elizabeth Barlow Rogers were in frames when donated to N-YHS. These were unframed for conservation purposes by N-YHS conservator Alan Balicki, who stored the photographs with the matting and labeling that accompanied them. The collection was inventoried for this finding aid by archivist Larry Weimer. Added at that time to this collection was a standalone Gottscho photograph from the Photographers File (PR 50).
Repository
Series I. Manhattan 1933 Views, 1933, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The series consists of 10 photographs of various Manhattan views, all taken by Gottscho in 1933. The specific titles are listed in the inventory below. The principal distinguishing feature of this series is that, according to the label affixed to the mats of the photographs, all were originally a "Gift from Artist to Grace Mayer (1959)."
All have a handwritten title and some have a fuller caption by Gottscho. The container list indicates the title given, and indicates which items have a more extended caption. The photographs retain their matting and labeling from the donation to N-YHS, but they were unframed for conservation purposes.
Arrangement
The series is arranged in the order the photographs were documented by the donor's registrar and presented to N-YHS.
"Ants and Beetles -- Busy Broadway at 39th [Street], New York City", 1933
Scope and Contents
Has caption with photographer comment.
"Central Park West Reflected in Park Lake, New York City", 1933
"Columbus Circle from Above, New York City", 1933
"Day S.W. [Southwest] from the River House, New York City", 1933
"El [Elevated Train Tracks], Coenties Slip, New York City", 1933
Scope and Contents
Has caption with photographer comment.
"From Pier 32, East River, New York City", 1933
"Looking North from Empire State Building, New York City", 1933
"Night from the Empire State Building toward Queens, New York", 1933
"The New York Central Building, New York City", 1933
Scope and Contents
Has caption with photographer comment.
"The RCA Building, Rockefeller Center, New York City", 1933
Series II. Other Photographs, 1930s, inclusive
Scope and Contents
The series consists of two standalone photographs by Gottscho. They are itemized in the container list below.
"Gardiner's Island. Boulder in Cemetery", circa 1930
Scope and Contents
Stamped "Samuel H. Gottscho." Photograph #13704. (Transferred to this collection from the Photographer File, PR 50, in July 2021; the image had been misidentified in that collection as a cemetery on Governor's Island.)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Charles Schwartz, December 2001.
[Welfare Island], 1931 December 15
Scope and Contents
Stamped "Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc.", photograph #17487. Taken from an elevated height in Manhattan, the view extends across the East River, taking in much of Welfare Island (now Roosevelt Island) and Queens in the distance. The view north includes the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge (also known as the 59th Street Bridge).
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, 2021.