Series IV. Printed Materials, 1804-1984, undated, inclusive

This series comprises an assembled and varied collection of printed material relating to New York City, with the bulk of materials dating from the early 1800s through the 1900s. This series includes advertisements and notices, performing arts playbills, illustrations, and maps. Public notices primarily reflect the development of New York City infrastructure, including street openings, licence renewals, dock and slip leases and property sales. Commercial notices and advertisements include articles of incorporation, insurance policies, product advertisements and brochures. Miscellaneous material includes fragments of print publications on coins, maps, poetry, and infrastructure development. Performing arts material in this series consists primarily of theatre playbills and advertisements from the 1930s through 1960s. There is also a small quantity of theater advertisements from the 19th century, English and Yiddish sheet music, and souvenir Sarah Bernhardt publications. Illustrations are primarily of Manhattan, including street scenes and locations such as Central Park, City Hall, churches and the New York harbor. There are a small number of illustrations of upstate New York and New England. Similarly, maps are largely of Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Hudson River and New York State. There are also maps of other major cities, including Boston and Paris, as well as North, Central and South America, Europe, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and Asia. Maps date primilary from the early 1800s, and many are partially hand drawn or hand colored.