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Bob Stonehill collection of New York City postcards

Call Number

PR 472

Date

approximately 1873-1968 (bulk, 1898-1940s), inclusive

Creator

Stonehill, Bob, 1940-2022

Extent

104 Linear feet
in 78 boxes (containing approximately 32,000 postcards in 78 albums and 1 enclosure)

Language of Materials

This collection is primarily visual. Captions are likely to be in English, except for the wording on some European-printed postcards, where the phrase "Greetings from New York" appears in German ("Grüße aus New York") or Italian ("Saluti da New York"), etc.

Abstract

Approximately 32,000 postcards documenting virtually every neighborhood in the five boroughs of New York City during the first half of the twentieth century, when some areas outside developed Manhattan were still semi-rural communities on the cusp of urbanization. The collection, assembled over forty years by noted deltiologist Bob Stonehill (1940–2022), includes postcards in every format, from the earliest souvenir and private mailing cards of the 1890s through the linen and chrome eras of the 1930s and 1940s. It is especially strong in real photo postcards, many of which are unique or survive in very small quantities. The imagery encompasses both the familiar landmarks of New York, and the lesser-known public buildings, schools, hotels, churches, department stores, modes of transportation, and amusement parks that once filled the city.

Biographical Note

Robert "Bob" Stonehill (1940–2022), a native of Queens who worked as a garment industry executive, started collecting historical postcards in 1980 after seeing a television news story about the Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City. Like many beginners, he was drawn to collect images of the neighborhood where he grew up—in his case, Sunnyside—then expanded to include the bordering areas of Astoria, Long Island City, and Elmhurst. His scope eventually encompassed the whole borough, and next extended to Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. After forty-odd years of seeking out what he called "better New York City postcards" at local, national, and international shows (often planning vacations to coincide with these events), Stonehill amassed what he and the collecting community believed was "the finest and most extensive array of rare postcards of every locale" within the five boroughs. He arranged the collection of about 32,000 views in albums that were housed in custom-built cabinetry at his residence in Cortlandt Manor, New York. Stonehill generously opened the collection to curators and authors, who used his rare cards to illustrate their exhibitions and books. In 2002 he coauthored with Brian Merlis Staten Island in Old Post Cards, with images drawn from his own albums. Stonehill sold postcards, too, both privately and through his eBay store "Bob's New York Postcards," where he offered duplicates of cards he had upgraded for examples in higher condition. He often brought an album to meetings of the Metropolitan Postcard Club for other members to enjoy. He was such a frequent winner of the club's annual competition that it was renamed the "Bob Stonehill Postcard Album Competition" in his memory. His final, first-place entry, for October 2022 (he died in November), was "The History of Madison Square Garden, 1879–1968: From the Site of the Train Terminal to the 72,000-Seat Open-Air Stadium in Queens."

Arrangement

The postcards remain in their original albums, in the order in which they were assembled by the collector, whose idiosyncratic naming and numbering systems have been recorded in this finding aid. The handwritten tables of contents affixed to the covers of most albums have been transcribed as precisely as possible, but these lists are sometimes inaccurate since Stonehill rearranged and recategorized his ever-expanding collection over time. The albums are organized in six series devised by the processing archivist:

Series I.
Bronx postcard albums (boxes 1–6)
Series II.
Brooklyn postcard albums (boxes 6–25)
Series III.
Manhattan postcard albums (boxes 23, 25–55)
Series IV.
Queens postcard albums (boxes 25, 55–73)
Series V.
Staten Island postcard albums (boxes 74–77)
Series VI.
Miscellaneous postcards (box 78)

Scope and Contents

The Bob Stonehill Collection of New York City Postcards (PR 472) exemplifies the adage that "if it exists, it's on a postcard." Beyond capturing virtually every section of the five boroughs during the first half of the twentieth century, when many areas outside Manhattan were evolving from farmland to suburban developments to city neighborhoods (see the container list for their myriad placenames), the collection offers a slice of life of everyday people among the familiar and forgotten landmarks of New York. The collection features street scenes, building exteriors and rare interiors, waterfront views, restaurants, parks, hotels, theaters, department stores, hospitals, schools—the subject matter really is endless.

Although it includes every format of postcard, from linens to chromes and artist-signed cards; from mechanical cards to cards on silk and hold-to-lights (views with building windows or celestial features designed to glow when backlit), the collection is especially strong in real photo postcards (RPPCs), many of which are unique or were issued in such small quantities as to make them highly sought after. There are an astounding number of RPPCs—over 400—by Thaddeus Wilkerson (1871–1943) alone, whose crisp views document most of the apartment houses, churches, monuments, and public buildings of Manhattan.

Important publishers represented by sets of cards include the American Souvenir Card Co., Ess & Ess Photo Co., H. Hagemeister Co., Franz Huld, Joseph Koehler, Theodore C. F. Kreh, Arthur Livingston, Edward Lowey, H. A. Rost Printing & Publishing Co., Ernst Rost, M. Seckel, Arthur Strauss, Inc., and Underwood & Underwood.

Throughout the collection are groupings by topical focus, such as advertisements and promotions, entertainment, firefighting, parades and commemorative events. Of note are the cards depicting lost amusement areas, from well-known venues on Coney Island (Dreamland, Luna Park, and Steeplechase), to dimly-remembered places like Golden City (Canarsie, Brooklyn), Starlight Amusement Park (Bronx), Fort George Amusement Park (Manhattan), North Beach Amusement Park (on the site of LaGuardia Airport, Queens), and Midland Beach (Staten Island). There are rare cards of vanished sports arenas, too, such as the American League Ball Park and the Polo Grounds (Upper Manhattan), Ebbets Field (Brooklyn), and the original Yankee Stadium (Bronx).

Beginning in 1873 the United States authorized the production of postal cards strictly for sending business advertisements or public notices. These utilitarian cards had pre-printed postage with portraits of presidents Jefferson or Grant, and usually had pre-printed text. The Stonehill Collection includes a large selection of these, as well as scattered advertising ephemera and trade cards documenting specific neighborhood businesses.

Picture postcards as we know them, printed with scenes of popular attractions or notable buildings, were first offered for sale in major quantities at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in May 1893. Collectors recognize the following general eras of postcard production that serve as a guide, when a postmark is lacking, to determining the date of a particular view:

Pioneer Era (1893–1898): Commonly titled "Souvenir Card" or "Mail Card," these postcards typically have multiple views from larger eastern U.S. cities on the front, with undivided backs.

Private Mailing Card Era (1898–1901): The U.S. Post Office Department authorized private printers to issue postcards on May 19, 1898. Many pioneer era cards were reissued during this time with the additional phrase "Private Mailing Card" (PMC).

Undivided Back Era (1901–1907): The Post Office granted permission on December 24, 1901 for the backs of privately printed cards to carry the words "Post Card." During this period, messages could only be written on the image side of a card; the back was reserved strictly for the address.

Divided Back Era (1907–1915): On March 1, 1907, the Post Office Department allowed the backs of postcards to be divided by a vertical line, with one half (left) used for the message, and the other (right) for the address, thereby freeing the image from marring.

White Border Era (1915–1930): Images on cards of this era are typically framed by a white border. Many white border postcards were simply poorer quality reissues from the divided back era: as imports from Germany ended with the First World War, U.S. publishers struggled to match their high standards.

Linen Era (1930–1945): Postcards of this period were printed on paper with a high rag content and a woven, linen-like texture. Their imagery, often printed in bright colors, tends towards advertisements, tourist attractions, and "Greetings From . . . ."

Photochrome Era (1939–present): Postcards of this era take their name from Eastman-Kodak's "Kodachrome" film, which was developed into glossy, color prints. Publishers of these attractive cards—now known as "modern chromes"—include Curt Teich and Plastichrome.

Real Photo Postcards (1900–present): Real photo postcards (RPPCs) have existed since the dawn of modern postcard production. They were issued by local (often amateur) photographers or neighborhood shops by transferring a camera negative to postcard stock with a photosensitive surface. They are often unique or exist in very small quantities, making them highly collectible.

[For more, see Q. David Bowers and Mary L. Martin, A Guide Book of Collectible Postcards (Whitman Publishing, 2020).]

Access Restrictions

This collection may be stored offsite. To arrange to consult it, please go to www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

NOTE: Researchers may consult only one album at a time, and may not remove postcards from their pages.

Use Restrictions

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.

Preferred Citation

The collection should be cited as the "Bob Stonehill Collection of New York City Postcards, PR 472, Department of Prints, Photographs, and Architectural Collections, New-York Historical Society."

Credit line for exhibitions: "Bob Stonehill Collection of New York City Postcards. Partial Gift of Helene Stonehill. Partial Purchase with funds provided by Leonard A. Lauder."

Location of Materials

This collection may be stored offsite. To arrange to consult it, please go to www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Partial gift of Helene Stonehill, and partial purchase with funds provided by Leonard A. Lauder, August 2024.

Related Materials

The New-York Historical Society also holds the following collections of interest:

New-York Historical Society Postcard Collection (PR 54)
Dale E. Jenkins Collection of Manhattan Restaurant Postcards (PR 337)
James Olinkiewicz Collection of Brooklyn Daily Eagle Postcards (PR 355)
• The George B. Corsa Collection of Manhattan Hotels includes postcards of a number of such buildings.

The Greater Astoria Historical Society (GAHS) hosts on its website watermarked scans of most of the postcards in the Stonehill collection, which may be browsed in galleries or searched by keyword. Some scans represent postcards no longer physically present in the collection, and the collection includes a number of cards Stonehill acquired after GAHS completed its digitization project.

Collection processed by

Joseph Ditta (August-October 2024)

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-11-06 09:17:07 -0500.
Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language: Finding aid written in English

Processing Information

Archivist Joseph Ditta arranged and described this collection in August-October 2024. Archivist Marybeth Kavanagh helped transfer the collection to custom-made archival boxes.

Repository

New-York Historical Society

Series I. Bronx postcard albums

Scope and Contents

Includes the following Bronx places: Bronx Park (New York Botanical Garden and Bronx Zoo), City Island, Clason Point, Edgewater Park, Fordham, Fort Schuyler, Harlem River, Highbridge, Hunts Point, McKinley Square, Morris Heights, New York University, New York, Westchester & Boston Railway, North Brother Island, Orchard Beach, Parkchester, Pelham Bay, Edgar Allan Poe Cottage, Riverdale, Silver Beach, Starlight Amusement Park, Throggs Neck [a.k.a. Throgs Neck], Tremont, Unionport, U.S. Naval Training School, Van Cortlandt, Van Nest, Webster Avenue, Westchester, Williamsbridge, Williamsbridge Military Base, and Yankee Stadium.

"Bronx County #1"

Box: 1 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Tremont
• High Bridge [Highbridge]
• McKinley Sq [McKinley Square]
• Van Nest
• Morris Hts [Morris Heights]
• Westchester
• Williamsbridge
• Throggs Neck [a.k.a. Throgs Neck; crossed out]
• Union Port [Unionport]
• Hunts Point
• Silver Beach [crossed out]

"Bronx #[2]"

Box: 2 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• New York University – Fordham
• Fort Schuyler
• Bronx Park – Bronx Zoo
• Van Cortlandt
• Clason Point
• Silver Beach – Pelham Bay
• Orchard Beach
• US Naval Training School

"Bronx #3"

Box: 3 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Starlight Amuse[ment] Park – 177th St
• Williamsbridge Military Base
• Hospitals/Home for Incurables [later St Barnabas Hospital]
• Advertising/Linens/Piano's [sic]
• Harlem River & Webb Shipbuilding [Webb Academy and Home for Shipbuilders]
• Riverdale
• Amalgamated [Housing Cooperative]
• North Brother [Island]
• Parkchester
• Edgewater [Edgewater Park]
• Throggs Neck [a.k.a. Throgs Neck]
• Churches
• Morris Park Balloon Ride [The sole card in this category bears a French caption, "La machine volante Lausence (sic) Lesh planant au dessus du Morris-Park à New-York," which translates to "The Laurence (Lawrence) Lesh flying machine hovering over Morris Park in New York." The image captures Lawrence J. Lesh [1882–1965], an aviation pioneer from Montreal, on November 3, 1908, moments before his glider crashed to the ground, fracturing his right leg.]

[Bronx #4]

Box: 4 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Bronx Church [House] & Webster Ave
• Kindermann Storage [Kindermann & Sons Fire Proof Storage Warehouses] & Schools
• Churches & Westchester
• Yankee Stadium
• Orphan Asylum Bands
• Westchester News Series
• Riverdale & Poe House [Edgar Allan Poe Cottage]
• Scalloped Edge Series
• New York, Westchester & Boston [Railway]
• NY Catholic Protectory [Society for the Protection of Destitute Roman Catholic Children in the City of New York]

[Bronx #5]

Box: 5 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• City Island

"Book #18A. Hagemeister Series #2: Brooklyn and Bronx" [album also listed under Brooklyn]

Box: 6 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Monotone and colored view postcards of the Bronx, printed in Germany by the H. Hagemeister Company of New York, in the back half of an album also holding Hagemeister postcards of Brooklyn. (For Hagemeister postcards of Manhattan, see Box 45.)

Series II. Brooklyn postcard albums

Scope and Contents

Includes the following Brooklyn places: Barren Island, Bath Beach, Bay Ridge, Bedford Stuyvesant/Crown Heights, Bensonhurst, Bergen Beach, Borough Park, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brownsville, Bushwick, Camp Upton (Brooklyn) Annex, Canarsie, Clinton Hill, Coney Island (Dreamland, Luna Park, Steeplechase, Sea Gate, West Brighton, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach), Cypress Hills, Downtown Brooklyn – City Hall [Borough Hall], Dyker Heights, East New York, Flatbush, Floyd Bennett Field, Fort Greene, Fort Hamilton, Gerritsen Beach, Gowanus, Gravesend, Homecrest, Lefferts Park, New Utrecht, Old Mill, Park Slope, Plum Beach, Prospect Park, Ridgewood [Brooklyn-Queens border], Sheepshead Bay, Sunset Park, Ulmer Park, and Williamsburg/East Williamsburg.

"Brooklyn #1"

Box: 7 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Bay Ridge
• Fort Hamilton
• Sunset Park

"Brooklyn #2"

Box: 8 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Brownsville (Ocean Hill, Somers Hall)
• Bushwick (Irving [Square] Park, Trommer's [Restaurant])
• Canarsie (Barren Island, Bergen Beach)

"Brooklyn #3"

Box: 9 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Bath Beach
• Bedford Park [sic; Bedford Stuyvesant]/Crown H[eigh]ts
• (Lefferts Park)
• Somers Hall
• Clinton Hill
• Industrial [Home for the] Blind [perhaps International Sunshine Society Home for Blind Babies?]
• Bensonhurst
• Borough Park
• Bergen Beach [crossed out]
• [includes some Homecrest]

"Brooklyn #4A"

Box: 10 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Flatbush #1

"Brooklyn #4B"

Box: 11 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Flatbush #2

"Brooklyn #4B" [sic]

Box: 12 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Gravesend
• Homecrest
• Dyker Heights
• Ulmer Park
• New Utrecht
• Homecrest [sic?]
• Park Slope
• Irving Park [crossed out]
• Gowanus
• Ridgewood
• Cypress Hills
• Evergreen
• Industrial Home for [the] Blind [not present; perhaps International Sunshine Society Home for Blind Babies? see "Brooklyn #3"]
• [includes views of Myrtle Avenue in Queens]

"Brooklyn #5"

Box: 13 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Coney Island

"Brooklyn #6"

Box: 14 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

Coney Island Book #2
• Beach Scenes
• Stauches [Stauch's Restaurant and Dance Hall; Stauch's Baths]
• Ravenhall [Baths]
• Shell Cards
• Livingston & Davidson
• Studio [Shots?]
• Brighton Beach
• Manhattan Beach

"Coney Island in Real Photo Postcards"

Box: 15 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Dreamland – Luna Park – Steeplechase
• Brighton & Manhattan Beachs [sic] & Ravenhall [Baths]

"Coney Island: Dreamland Sideshow & Oddities"

Box: 16 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Postcards of the various performers at the Dreamland Circus Sideshow on Coney Island.

"Brooklyn #7"

Box: 17 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Bridges to Manhattan
• "Greetings From" Real Photos
• Trollies – Elevated – Subways
• Livingston/Strauss PMC [Private Mailing Cards]
• Downtown Bklyn – City Hall [Borough Hall]
• Brooklyn Heights & Hotels
• Theatres & Fire

"Brooklyn #8"

Box: 18 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• A&S [Abraham & Straus] series of store only
• Advertising: Stores, Restaurants, Trade Cards, Palm Garden, Automobile Linens, Truck Photos, Meetings (Clubs)

"Brooklyn #9"

Box: 19 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Brooklyn Navy Yard
• YMCA – Salvation Army
• Hospitals
• Armories & Statues

"Brooklyn #10"

Box: 20 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Parade Photos, Plus [or "PWS"?]
• Hoagland Band Photos
• Schools
• Church's [Churches]

"Brooklyn #11"

Box: 21 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Sheepshead Bay – Plum Beach – Gerritsen Beach
• Sea Gate – Floyd Bennett [Field]
• Camp Upton (Bklyn) Annex
• Williamsburg/East W[illiamsburg].
• (Fort Greene – Clinton Hill)

[Brooklyn #?]

Box: 22 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• East New York
• Cypress Hills
• Old Mill

"#11A. Central Park and Prospect Park" [album also listed under Manhattan]

Box: 23 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Postcards of Prospect Park, Brooklyn, in the back half of an album which also holds postcards of Central Park, Manhattan.

"The Best of Brooklyn"

Box: 24 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

Best of . . .
. . . Bridges to Brooklyn
. . . Brooklyn Department Stores
. . . Brooklyn Firematic
. . . Brooklyn Theater
. . . Brooklyn Trucks
. . . Bath Beach
. . . Bensonhurst
. . . Bay Ridge
. . . Fort Hamilton
. . . Bed-Stuy
. . . Borough Park
. . . Brownsville
. . . Brooklyn Heights
. . . Bushwick
. . . Canarsie
. . . East New York
. . . Flatbush
. . . Greenpoint
. . . Gravesend
. . . Park Slope
. . . Ridgewood
. . . Sheepshead Bay
. . . Sea Gate
. . . Williamsburg(h?)
. . . "Greetings From"
(Possibly assembled as a competition album.)

"Brooklyn Eagle Series"

Box: 25, item: 1 [small box] (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

A series of 486 postcards of Brooklyn scenes issued by the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper in 1905-1907. Three numbers are lacking:

314 | St. John's Evan. Lutheran Church, Maujer St.
419 | "Tunisian," of the Allan State Line
481 | Miss Blance [Blanche?] Bates and Mr. Frank Keenan in a Scene from "The Girl of the Golden West," the Shubert Theatre Attraction Week of May 27th [1907])

The New-York Historical Society also holds a complete set of these cards. For the full list of subjects, see the finding aid to the James Olinkiewicz Collection of Brooklyn Daily Eagle Postcards (PR-355).

"Book #18A. Hagemeister Series #2: Brooklyn and Bronx" [album also listed under Bronx]

Box: 6 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Monotone and colored view postcards of Brooklyn, printed in Germany by the H. Hagemeister Company of New York, in the front half of an album also holding Hagemeister postcards of the Bronx. (For Hagemeister postcards of Manhattan, see Box 45.)

Series III. Manhattan postcard albums

Scope and Contents

Includes the following Manhattan places: Battery, Bowery, Carnegie Hill, Central Harlem, Chelsea, Chinatown, Civic Center, City Hall, Columbus Circle, Cooper Square, East Harlem, East Village, Financial District, Five Points, Flatiron District, Fort George, Garment District, Gramercy Park, Greeley Square, Greenwich Village, Hamilton Heights, Harlem, Hell's Kitchen, Herald Square, Inwood, Kips Bay, Ladies Mile, Lenox Hill, Lincoln Square, Little Italy, Lower East Side, Madison Square, Manhattan Valley, Manhattanville, Meatpacking District, Morningside Heights, Murray Hill, NoHo, NoMad, Rockefeller Center, Rose Hill, SoHo, Stuyvesant Square, Sugar Hill, Theater District, Times Square, Tribeca, Tudor City, Turtle Bay, Union Square, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Washington Heights, West Harlem, West Washington Market, West Village, and Yorkville.

"Manhattan #1"

Box: 26 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

1. Underwood & Underwood Photo Cards
2. Erny's NY Views
3. Italian hand-colored photos
4. Irving Underhill Photos
5. All hold-to-lights
6. Koehler Silks [cards printed on silk]
7. Arthur Livingston
8. Edw. Lowey Color
9. Chas. Flower Tucks [Raphael Tuck & Sons cards signed by artist Charles Flower]
10. Leather cards
11. Embossed
12. Wooden border
13. Adrian RP [real photo postcards]
14. Arthur Jaffe [crossed out]

"Manhattan #2"

Box: 27 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Governor's Island
• New York Bay Scenes – Grüße aus [Greetings From]
• Statue of Liberty
• Doelger's Beer Series
• Eclipse Motor Bike Series
• Franz Huld Emblem Series
• Historic Drawing & Kraus Borders
• Battery to St. Pauls Church Views
• [includes reproducing postcards]

"Manhattan #2A"

Box: 28 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Battery to Trinity Ch[urch].
• Lower Manhattan Skyscrapers to South Street

"Manhattan #3"

Box: 29 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• City Hall Area, Post Office, Park Row
• Wanamakers & Downtown Advert. Cards
• Pier Shots & Brooklyn Bridge
• N.Y. Edison Series – Police/Sighs ["Bridge of Sighs," The Tombs]
• Copper Windows [postcards of buildings with copper-tinted windows]/Construction Bldg
• La Salle Instn/ACA [De La Salle Institute/Academy]
• Platinachrome [sic; Plastichromes]

"Manhattan #4"

Box: 30 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• West Washington Markets
• Cooper Square
• Union Square
• Horn & Hardart [Automats]
• Bellevue & other hospitals
• Washington Irving School

"Manhattan #5B"

Box: 31 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Cooper Siegel [sic; Siegel-Cooper] Ladies Mile
• Broadway & Fifth Avenue north from 24th St.
• Flat Iron Building, MSG [Madison Square Garden]
• Greeley Square – Photo Advertising
• Up to 32 40th St and ["40th St and" crossed out] Huyler's Candy Series
• Broadway Restaurants

"Manhattan #5C"

Box: 32 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Café Martin – 26th St.
• North to 32nd St.

"Manhattan #6A"

Box: 33 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Clothing Advertising
• 34th St. Area – Herald Square
• North to 40th St.

[Manhattan #7]

Box: 34 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Columbus Circle --> 97th St.
• West Side

"Manhattan #7A"

Box: 35 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• 42nd St. and Public Library
• Hudson River Boats
• 5th Ave & Grand Central Palace
• Radio City
• St. Patrick's
• Carnegie Hall
• Broadway Auto Dealers
• Bloomies [Bloomingdale's]

"Manhattan #8A"

Box: 36 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Hudson-Fulton 1909 Celebration
• Soldiers & Sailors Monument
• 86th St. to 110th St.

"Manhattan #8B"

Box: 37 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• 109–110th Sts. – St. John Devine [Cathedral of St. John the Divine]
• Columbia University – Grants Tomb
• Claremont to 122nd St.

"Manhattan #9A"

Box: 38 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• 122nd Street north to Harlem
• High Bridge
• N. to 153rd St.

"Manhattan #9B"

Box: 39 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Washington H[eigh]ts to Inwood
• Polo Grounds & Hilltop Park
• 156th St. Jumel Mansion
• Fort George Amusement Park
• Charles Buck Series
• Inwood

"Manhattan #10"

Box: 40 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Open Air Tourist Busses [sic]
• Times Square – 40th St.
• Madison Sq. Garden
• North to 54th St.
• Cross Country Walkers
• Livermore and Knight
• Mechanical Cards
• Horse-drawn Advertising

"#11A. Central Park and Prospect Park" [album also listed under Brooklyn]

Box: 23 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Postcards of Central Park, Manhattan, in the front half of an album which also holds postcards of Prospect Park, Brooklyn.

"Manhattan #11B"

Box: 41 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Wanamakers
• All Ethnic
• All Ghetto Series
• Jessie Tarbox Beals Series*
• Brandt R.P. [Real Photo] Series
• Greenwich Village Related

*Most of the views produced by Jessie Tarbox Beals (1870–1942) that were originally present in this album were sold before the collection was acquired by the New-York Historical Society. However, a number of her postcards may be found in the Jessie Tarbox Beals Photograph Collection (PR 4).

"Manhattan #12"

Box: 42 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• N.Y. Subways – Elevated
• Hudson & Manhattan
• Grand Central – Penn Station
• Futuristic Manhattan
• Fire – Equitable Blg. – Chief Series
• Theatres [crossed out]

[Manhattan #13] "Manhattan Private Mailing & Souvenir [Postcards]"

Box: 43 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

1. H.A. Rost PMC [Private Mailing Cards]
2. Rost PMC [Private Mailing Cards] Drawings
3. Lowey Souvenir of NY PMC
4. Lowey Souvenir of NY 1897
5. Arthur Livingston "Greetings" 1897
6. Kreh Souvenir 1897 [C. F. Th. Kreh]
7. Beardsley's Codfish Souvenir
8. Seckel Souvenir
9. Universal PMC [Private Mailing Cards]
10. Hollister Photo 1904
11. Art. Strauss PMC [Private Mailing Cards]
12. Rost 1897
13. American Souvenir 1897
14. Livingston
15. Lowey/Phoenix [Phönix]

"#16. Beautiful People and Beautiful Automobiles"

Box: 44 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Clothing and automobile advertising postcards, many of them real photographs, for New York City establishments (mainly in Manhattan).

"Book #17. Hagemeister #1: Manhattan Series"

Box: 45 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Monotone and colored view postcards of Manhattan, printed in Germany by the H. Hagemeister Company of New York. (For Hagemeister postcards of the Bronx and Brooklyn, see Box 6.)

[Manhattan] "#18. Manhattan Hotels"

Box: 46 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• The Bowery north to 42nd St.

[Manhattan] "#19. Manhattan Hotels"

Box: 47 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• 42nd St. and north to Harlem

"Manhattan #20. Thaddeus Wilkerson Real Photo Postcards"

Box: 48 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Postcards photographed and published by Thaddeus Wilkerson (1871-1943) during the first two decades of the twentieth century. Most views are of Manhattan, but a few at the back of the album show scenes in the Bronx and Queens.

[Manhattan #?] "Chinatown" [album also listed under Queens]

Box: 25, item: 2 [small album] (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Postcards of Chinatown, Manhattan, in the front half of a small album which also holds postcards of Douglaston, Queens.

[Manhattan #?]

Box: 49 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• West Side
• 93rd St – 109th St

[Manhattan #?]

Box: 50 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Upper East Side
• 70th St. to 103rd St.
• Yorkville

"Harlem U.S.A."

Box: 51 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Won first place in the Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City's annual album competition, October 10, 2021.

"Theatre"

Box: 52 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Postcards of Manhattan theatres and productions.

"The History of Madison Square Garden, 1879–1968: From the Site of the Train Terminal to the 72,000-seat Open Air Stadium in Queens"

Box: 53 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Won first place in the Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City's annual competition on October 8, 2022.

"The Business of America is 'Business': Government Postals [and] NYC Advertising, 1870–1950"

Box: 54 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Possibly assembled as a competition album.

"Hudson-Manhattan Railroad & Huyler's Series + North Beach Amusement (La Guardia Airport)" [album also listed under Queens]

Box: 55 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Hudson & Manhattan Railroad (PATH)
• Huyler's Candy advertisements
• North Beach, Queens, amusement area
• LaGuardia Field

Series IV. Queens postcard albums

Scope and Contents

Includes the following Queens places: Astoria, Bayside, Beechurst, Belmont Park, Bellaire, Bellerose, Blackwells Island [Roosevelt Island], Brooklyn Hills, Cedar Manor, College Point, Corona, Creedmoor, Douglaston, Elmhurst, Elmont, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Forest Park, Fort Totten, Glendale, Hell Gate, Hollis, Jackson Heights, Jamaica, Jamaica Bay communities (Broad Channel, Hamilton, Meadowmere, Meadow Park, Ramblersville [Howard Beach], South Aqueduct, The Raunt, Warnerville), JFK International Airport, Kew Gardens, LaGuardia Field, Laurelton, Little Neck, Long Island City, Malba, Maspeth, Middle Village, Morris Park, North Beach, Ozone Park, Queens Village, Randalls Island, Richmond Hill, The Rockaways (Arverne, Bayswater, Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Edgemere, Far Rockaway, Fort Tilden, Holland & Hammel Station, Neponsit, Riis Park, Rockaway Park, Rockaway Point, Rockaway Beach, Wave Crest), Rosedale, St. Albans, Springfield, Springfield Gardens, Sunnyside, Union Course, Whitestone, Winfield, Woodhaven, and Woodside. (Some views of Myrtle Avenue, Queens, may be found under Series II, Brooklyn, Box 12.)

"Queens #1"

Box: 56 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Long Island City Part 1

[Queens #2]

Box: 57 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

Long Island City #2
• Hellgate [Hell Gate] & Randall's [Randalls Island]
• Astoria
• La Guardia Field
• North Beach [crossed out]
• Bayside [crossed out]

"Queens #3"

Box: 58 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Belmont Park – Elmont – Int'l Airport
• Blackwells Island – Creedmore [Creedmoor; crossed out]
• College Point – Creedmore [Creedmoor]
• Douglaston [crossed out] (See Queens Fire House Book)

"Queens #4"

Box: 59 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Corona
• Elmhurst

"Queens #5"

Box: 60 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Flushing

"Queens #6"

Box: 61 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Floral Park [crossed out]
• Forest Hills [crossed out] New Album
• Fort Totten
• Glendale
• Kew Gardens
• Hollis
• Bellaire
• Bellerose
• Jackson Heights

"Queens #7"

Box: 62 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Jamaica
• Cedar Manor

"Queens #8"

Box: 63 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Laurelton
• Little Neck
• Maspeth
• Middle Village
• Ozone Park (Glen Morris)
• Queens Village
• Rosedale
• St. Albans
• Springfield
• Sunnyside

[Queens #9A?]

Box: 64 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

Jamaica Bay Communities:
• Ramblersville became Greater Howard Beach
• Meadowmere & Meadow Park
• South Aqueduct
• Warnerville, Harbor Haven & Hamilton

[Queens #9B?]

Box: 25, Item: 3 [small album] (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

[Jamaica Bay communities (continued):]
• Broad Channel
• [The Raunt]

"Queens #10"

Box: 65 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Richmond Hill
• Brooklyn Hills
• Morris Park

"Queens #11"

Box: 66 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

The Rockaways:
• Breezy Point – Rockaway Point – Riis Park – Neponsit – Belle Harbor [crossed out] Removed – New Album
• Rockaway Park, Holland & Hammels
• Rockaway Beach-Ft Tilden

[Queens] "#11B"

Box: 67 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

[The Rockaways, continued]
• Breezy Point
• Rockaway Point
• Belle Harbor
• Neponsit
• Riis Park

"Queens #12"

Box: 68 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

The Rockaways, Part Two:
• Rockaway Beach [crossed out]
• Holland & Hammel Station [crossed out]
• Arverne – Edgemere
• Wave Crest – Bayswater
• Far Rockaway

"Queens #13"

Box: 69 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Springfield – Springfield Gardens – Sunnyside
• Woodhaven – Forest Park
• Union Course
• Woodside
• Winfield

"Queens #14"

Box: 70 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Forest Hills

[Queens #?]

Box: 71 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Bayside (Queens)

[Queens #?]

Box: 72 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Whitestone
• Beechurst
• Malba

"New York's Bravest: Queens Volunteer Firemen, Firehouses & Equipment"

Box: 73 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Postcards of volunteer and professional firefighters, firehouses, and equipment in the Queens neighborhoods of Astoria, Bayside, Broad Channel, College Point, Corona, Douglaston, Elmhurst, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Hollis, Jamaica, Little Neck, Long Island City, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ozone Park, Queens Village, Richmond Hill, The Rockaways, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens, South Aqueduct (originally South Woodhaven), Whitestone, Winfield/Winfield Junction, Woodside, and Woodhaven. (Possibly assembled as a competition album.)

[Queens #?] [Douglaston] [album also listed under Manhattan]

Box: 25, item: 2 [small album] (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Postcards of Douglaston, Queens, in the back half of a small album which also holds postcards of Chinatown, Manhattan.

"Hudson-Manhattan Railroad & Huyler's Series + North Beach Amusement (La Guardia Airport)" [album also listed under Manhattan]

Box: 55 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Hudson & Manhattan Railroad (PATH)
• Huyler's Candy advertisements
• North Beach, Queens, amusement area
• LaGuardia Field

Series V. Staten Island postcard albums

Scope and Contents

Includes the following Staten Island places: Annadale, Arrochar, Bachmann Station, Camp Warren, Castleton Corners, Clifton, Concord, Dongan Hills, Eltingville, Fort Wadsworth, Fox Hills, Grant City, Grasmere, Graham Beach, Great Kills (Crescent Beach), Green Ridge, Gifford Station, Happy Land, Hazelwood Park, Hoffman Island, Huguenot Park, Kreischerville, Linoleumville, Mariner's Harbor, Meiers Corners, Midland Beach, Miller Field, Mt. Loretto, New Brighton, New Dorp, Oakwood Heights, Ocean Breeze, Overlook Park, Pleasant Plains, Port Richmond (Halloran General Hospital), Princes Bay, Prohibition Park, Quarantine Station, Richmond County Fairground, Rosebank, Rossville, Sailors Snug Harbor, St. George, South Beach, Stapleton, Tompkinsville, Tottenville, West New Brighton, Westerleigh, and Woodland Beach.

"Richmond #1"

Box: 74 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Annadale
• Arrochar
• Backman Station [sic; Bachmann Station]
• New Brighton – West New Brighton (Fort Goodhue)
• Concord
• Clifton
• Castleton Corners
• Dongan Hills – Crescent Beach – Richmond County Fairground
• Eltingville
• Fort Wadsworth – Hoffman Island [crossed out]
• Fox Hills – Debarkation Hospital #2
• Grant City
• Green Ridge
• Grasmere
• Graham Beach
• Gifford Station
• Great Kills (Crescent Beach)
• Huguenot Park
• Kreischerville
• Mariner's Harbor
• Meiers Corners
• Linoleumville
• Midland Beach
• Mt. Loretto
• New Dorp
• Miller Field
• Ocean Breeze
• Prohibition Park
• Pleasant Plains – Overlook Park
• Oakwood Heights
• Princes Bay

"Staten Island #2"

Box: 75 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Rosebank – Quarantine Station
• Port Richmond (Halloran) [Halloran General Hospital]
• Richmond Borough Series
• American Souvenir Series
• Rossville
• Sailors Snug Harbor
• South Beach – Happy Land – Camp Warren
• St. George
• Stapleton
• Tompkinsville
• Tottenville
• Westerleigh – Hazelwood Park
• Woodland Beach

"Staten Island" [#3]

Box: 76 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Views of various Staten Island locales and duplicates of cards in the previous two albums.

Brian Merlis and Bob Stonehill, Staten Island in Old Post Cards (Brooklyn, N.Y.: Israelowitz Publishing) [2 copies], 2002, inclusive

Box: 77 (Material Type: Books)

Scope and Contents

• Includes reproductions of many of the Staten Island views in Series V.

Series VI. Miscellaneous postcards

[Miscellaneous album]

Box: 78 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)

Scope and Contents

• Assorted postcards, mostly views of New York City, but including other places, such as Vermont. These were purchased as a group by Stonehill, who likely intended to add some of the New York cards to his collection (and possibly did so), before trading or selling the others.

New York Historical
170 Central Park West
New York, NY 10024