Scrapbooks

Autumn Scene Near 3rd St., ca 1900, V1986.250.1.73, William Schroeder, Sr. scrapbook collection , ARC.121; Brooklyn Historical Society.

The photo of the week is titled “Autumn scene near 3^rd street” and depicts a view of Prospect Park around 1900, in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. This photograph comes from the William Schroeder, Sr. scrapbook collection that comprises three scrapbooks created by Brooklyn physician, Dr. William Schroeder, Sr., from around 1900 through 1904. This photograph is part of the “Parks of Brooklyn, N.Y.” scrapbook that contains maps, prints, and photographs of Brooklyn parks, particularly Prospect Park, taken by a number of photographers.

Brooklyn Historical Society has hundreds of personal and corporate scrapbooks in its collections. Personally, I think it’s fascinating to look at a scrapbook because they often include photographs, ephemera, newspaper clippings, and other items that are carefully placed in a particular sequence and context by the creator. You can learn a lot about an individual or group of people based on what is placed in a scrapbook. We’d love for you to visit the Othmer Library during public research hours to see one for yourself!

Interested in seeing more photos from BHS’s collection? Visit our online image gallery, which includes a selection of our images. Interested in seeing even more historic Brooklyn images? Visit our Brooklyn Visual Heritage website here. To search BHS’s entire collection of images, archives, maps, and special collections visit BHS’s Othmer Library Wed-Sat, 1:00-5:00 p.m. library@brooklynhistory.org