What is the Oldest Book in the N-YHS Library?
Written by Maureen Maryanski, Reference Librarian for Printed Collections. A reasonable assumption would be that the oldest materials in the New-York Historical Society Library relate to Colonial North...
View ArticleWoman of Letters: Charlotte Lennox and The Life of Harriot Stuart
Written by Maureen Maryanski, Reference Librarian for Printed Collections. Among the uncatalogued treasures at the New-York Historical Society are two small, leather bound volumes I recently stumbled...
View Article“Rank Abolitionists”: a New Yorker Responds to Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin
On September 22, 1852, New York dry goods merchant Edward Neufville Tailer sat down to record his latest diary entry as he did religiously from 1848 until very nearly the day of his death in 1917. On...
View ArticleCards versus Slips: Rufus King and Collection Concordance
This post was written by Nora Slominsky, New-York Historical Society Graduate Archival Research Fellow A key figure in the politics of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Rufus King was a powerful...
View ArticleWaste Not, Want Not: A Peculiar Binding in the Beekman Family Library
This post was written by Matthew Murphy, Head of Cataloging and Metadata Books can often tell stories far beyond the texts they contain. Every book is an artifact, built up from a multitude of...
View ArticleA Curious “Grammar of the Hebrew Tongue”
The West’s relationship with Hebrew is a complex and sometimes contradictory story. The study of Hebrew by Christians, or “Christian Hebraism,” which emerged in the Renaissance and continued into the...
View ArticleA Golden Anniversary for the AIA Guide
Even in an age when we walk the streets believing in our ability to pull up all sorts of information on our smartphones, we can pause to appreciate the comprehensiveness, erudition, and wit of the AIA...
View ArticleWonders of the Hidden Edge: Fore-edge Paintings from the N-YHS Library
What are fore-edge paintings? Grab the nearest book and fan the pages on the outer edge, opposite the book spine. This is the fore-edge of a book. Chances are you will see fanned-out pages and nothing...
View ArticleTinker, Tailor, Printer, Spy: Pierrette Jeanne Sophie Charpentier de Mailly
An unassuming French pamphlet sits on the shelves at the New-York Historical Society. However, there is far more than meets the eye beneath its aged, brown wrappers. Premier rapport fait au nom du...
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