Brooklyn Historical Society

Brooklyn Historical Society. The Brooklyn Historical Society is a museum and library that showcases the history of Brooklyn, from the Lenape Native American tribe to the present day, with connections to notable figures like Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who designed Prospect Park. The society was founded in 1863 by Henry Pierrepont and Joseph Sprague, and it has been located in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood since 1878, near the Brooklyn Bridge and New York Harbor. The society's mission is to preserve and interpret the history of Brooklyn, and to make that history accessible to the public, in collaboration with institutions like the New-York Historical Society and the Museum of the City of New York.

● History

The Brooklyn Historical Society was established during the American Civil War, a time of great change and upheaval in the United States, with events like the Emancipation Proclamation and the Battle of Gettysburg. The society's founders, Henry Pierrepont and Joseph Sprague, were both prominent Brooklyn citizens who were interested in preserving the history of Brooklyn, which was closely tied to the history of New York City and the history of the United States, including the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. Over the years, the society has collected a vast array of materials related to Brooklyn's history, including documents, photographs, and artifacts, with contributions from notable individuals like Walt Whitman and Thomas Wolfe. The society has also published numerous books and articles on Brooklyn's history, including works on the Dutch West India Company and the King's County.

● Collections

The Brooklyn Historical Society's collections include over 100,000 items, ranging from rare books and manuscripts to photographs and artifacts, with connections to institutions like the New York Public Library and the Library of Congress. The society's collections are particularly strong in the areas of Brooklyn's Dutch colonial history, with ties to the Netherlands and the Dutch East India Company, as well as its 19th-century industrialization and immigration history, which involved the Irish diaspora and the Italian diaspora. The society also has extensive collections related to Brooklyn's African American and Latino communities, including materials on the Civil Rights Movement and the Puerto Rican migration to the United States. Some notable items in the society's collections include the Maujer-Clymer Family Papers, which document the history of a prominent Brooklyn family, and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle archives, which provide a comprehensive record of Brooklyn's history from the 1840s to the 1950s, with coverage of events like the Great Depression and World War II.

● Exhibitions

The Brooklyn Historical Society mounts several exhibitions each year, both on-site and online, in collaboration with institutions like the Smithsonian Institution and the National Archives and Records Administration. These exhibitions showcase the society's collections and provide insight into Brooklyn's history and culture, with topics ranging from the history of Coney Island to the impact of the Brooklyn Bridge on the city's development. Recent exhibitions have included shows on the history of Brooklyn's waterfront, with connections to the Port of New York and New Jersey and the United States Coast Guard, as well as the role of women in Brooklyn's history, with profiles of notable women like Susan B. Anthony and Eleanor Roosevelt. The society also offers guided tours of its exhibitions, led by knowledgeable staff and volunteers, including experts from the Brooklyn Museum and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

● Programs

The Brooklyn Historical Society offers a wide range of programs and events for adults and children, including lectures, workshops, and walking tours, in partnership with organizations like the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. These programs are designed to engage the public with Brooklyn's history and culture, and to provide opportunities for learning and discussion, with topics like the history of jazz in Brooklyn and the impact of immigration on Brooklyn's communities. The society also offers educational programs for schools and community groups, including curriculum-based programs and professional development opportunities for teachers, with support from institutions like the National Endowment for the Humanities and the New York State Council on the Arts. Some notable programs include the society's Brooklyn Studies program, which provides in-depth exploration of Brooklyn's history and culture, and its Public Programs series, which features lectures and discussions with prominent historians and scholars, including David McCullough and Doris Kearns Goodwin.

● Building and Architecture

The Brooklyn Historical Society is located in a historic building in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, which was designed by George B. Post and completed in 1881, with a style influenced by the Romanesque Revival architecture and the Queen Anne style. The building is a prominent example of Victorian architecture in Brooklyn, with connections to the Gilded Age and the Industrial Revolution, and it has been designated as a New York City landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with other notable buildings like the Brooklyn Bridge and the New York Public Library. The society's building features a grand reading room and exhibition galleries, as well as a library and archives that are open to the public, with resources like the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and the Brooklyn Times-Union. The building has undergone several renovations and restorations over the years, including a major renovation in the 1980s that restored the building's original façade and interior spaces, with support from organizations like the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.