No Alligators or Ninja Turtles 'Round Here
I had the opportunity over the past months to help process a major collection at BHS: the records of the Brooklyn Bureau of Sewers (ARC.235). Sure, it does not sound especially appealing, but the collection has lots of useful documents, perhaps especially maps. The bulk of the collection consists of the documents compiled by the Bureau of Sewers principally for the purpose of establishing the tax levy to be assessed on those connecting to newly-laid sewer lines from the late 19th century to about 1960. So in addition to information about the expanding sewerage infrastructure in Brooklyn, the…
Guide to African-American Archival Materials at Othmer Library
In February, I first posted a new document to Emma, Brooklyn Historical Society’s catablog: the Guide to African-American History Archival Material at the Othmer Library. You might be interested in knowing a little of the context for this Guide. The Guide is an early outcome of the In Pursuit of Freedom project. Those readers who keep up on BHS’s many doings are already aware of the project. For those unfamiliar with it, In Pursuit is a multi-faceted public history project memorializing the history of abolitionism, anti-slavery and the Underground Railroad in Brooklyn. It aims to provide new…
Of Equal Rights and Legal Forms
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.... Even before the ink used to write the Declaration of Independence dried on the paper, it was clear that these stirring words reflected both the promise and the paradox of America: that while the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness might form the very foundation of our nation, many Americans would also be systematically denied their equality and their rights. The promise has often been realized: the abolition of slavery, the extension of the vote to women, the elimination of restrictions…