Guide to the Brooklyn City and Telephone Directories

Guide to the Brooklyn City and Telephone Directories, BCMS.0064

Summary Information 

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Scope and Contents

The Brooklyn City and Telephone Directories provide a wealth of information about individuals, businesses, occupations, advertising, and social class status, as well as practical neighborhood information such as street maps, public services, shopping and restaurant guides, maps of rapid transit systems, and more. The earliest city directories list names, addresses, and occupations of Brooklyn residents, while later directories include telephone numbers for individuals and businesses. The “elite” directories list names and addresses of Brooklyn’s wealthiest residents, and some include separate listings for wealthy residents of the town of Flatbush and Long Island.

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Arrangement

The directories are held in three formats: digital, microfilm, and bound volumes. The collection is arranged in series by type and then format. Within each format, the arrangement is chronological.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Brooklyn Public Library - Center for Brooklyn History , 2019

128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY, 11201
718.222.4111
cbhreference@bklynlibrary.org
 

Access

The collection is located both at Central and at the Center for Brooklyn History. Researchers should utilize the library's Book A Librarian process to request access to the collection.

Use

While many items at the Center for Brooklyn History are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.

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Related Materials

Kings County Historic Records Microfilm Collection (BCMS.0047)

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Controlled Access Headings

Genre(s)

  • Telephone directories

Geographic Name(s)

  • Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)

Subject(s)

  • New York (N.Y.)--Directories

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Collection Inventory

Brooklyn and New York City Directories

The Brooklyn city directories had various publishers and list names, addresses, and occupations of residents of Brooklyn. Most include a list of streets, city charter, public services and a map. Advertising appears in 1822. No directory was published in 1827-1828, 1911, or between 1914 and 1932. The 1933 and 1934 directories listed here are New York City directories that include Brooklyn.

Digital

1856-1858, 1862-1869, 1871, 1875, 1876, 1878-1880, 1883, 1884-1887, 1889, 1897, 1899, 1902-1904, 1906-1908

Microfilm

Brooklyn: 1796-1910, 1912-1914, 1933-34

The microfilmed Brooklyn directories are stored at the Central Library.

New York: 1786-1926, 1931, 1933-1934

The microfilmed New York City directories are stored at the Central Library.

Bound volumes (original)

1854-1866, 1881, 1883-1887, 1889-1892, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1900-1913

The original bound volumes are stored at the Central Library, shelved outside the Center for Brooklyn History morgue. Note: Only available if the microfilm and digital versions cannot suffice.

Bound volumes (facsimile)

1856-1888, 1862-1869, 1871, 1874-1880, 1883-1887, 1889, 1897-1899, 1902-1904, 1906-1909

The facsimile bound volumes are shelved in the Center for Brooklyn History morgue.

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Brooklyn Elite Directories

These directories were published by George T. Lain, Lain & Healy, and George Upington and they list the names of Brooklyn's wealthiest householders classified by streets. They also include shopping guides and elite business directories. Flatbush and Long Island are listed separately in some volumes.

Microfilm

1878-1882, 1885-1890, 1897-1899, 1901, 1905-1908, 1913, 1914

The microfilmed directories are stored at the Central Library.

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New York Telephone Directories, including Brooklyn White Pages

The New York Telephone Directories were published by the New York Telephone Company and they list Brooklyn telephone subscribers by surname. Most include information on business with the phone company, use of the directory, emergency calls, general information, local calls, out-of-town calls, and rates. The 1924-1943 white pages are paired with Classified Yellow Pages books. They include advertisers’ listings arranged by business headings, a how-to-use guide, maps of rapid transit, and postal information.

Digital

1909, 1910, 1914, 1915, 1917, 1920, 1924-1947, 1949-1967

Microfilm

1905-1920, 1924-1947, 1949-1950, 1952-1955, 1957-1977

The microfilmed directories are stored at the Center for Brooklyn History.

Bound volumes

1962-2002, 2004-2012

The bound volumes are stored at the Central Library, shelved outside the Center for Brooklyn History morgue. Note: Only available if the microfilm and digital versions cannot suffice.

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Brooklyn Classified Telephone Directory (Yellow Pages)

The Brooklyn Classified Telephone Directories were published by the New York Telephone Company. They include alphabetized classified listings by subject. Most include advertising, maps of rapid transit lines, "Key to Street Numbers in Manhattan," U.S. Postal information, telephone equipment/services, calendar, and restaurant guide.

Microfilm

1944-1977

The microfilmed directories are stored at the Central Library.

Bound volumes

1948-1950, 1953-1998, 2000-2013

The bound volumes are stored at the Central Library, shelved outside the Center for Brooklyn History morgue. Note: Only available if the microfilm cannot suffice.

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Brooklyn Address Books ("criss-cross” directories)

Microfilm

1929-1931, 1933-1961, 1963-1970, 1972-1980, 1986

The microfilmed directories are stored at the Center for Brooklyn History. They were published by the New York Telephone Company and list Brooklyn and Queens subscribers together. Most include telephone information (instructions), toll rates, and lists of public pay stations.

Bound volumes

1971-1978, 1980-1999, 2001-2017

The bound criss-cross directories are stored at the Central Library, shelved outside the Center for Brooklyn History morgue. They were published by Cole's.

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