The archive charts the evolution of the child protection movement and the organization’s influence on modern-day child welfare legislation.
The New York Public Library announced the acquisition of a collection of materials from The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC), the first child protection agency in the world. With records dating back to 1874, the NYSPCC records are among the nation’s most valuable collections of original and compiled material on the origins, history, and development of the child protection movement and this important New York City social service organization.
Incorporated in 1875, NYSPCC helped establish the modern-day child protection movement. The vast majority of child protective legislation in existence today can be traced back to laws advocated for by the NYSPCC including requiring custodians to provide basic care such as food and clothing and prohibiting the sale of tobacco and guns to minors. The organization has long preserved and maintained the records of its auspicious history, and it has now decided to donate the collection to NYPL, where it joins dozens of archives that document the rich institutional history of New York City.
The collection contains a wealth of materials dating from the late 19th to early 20th centuries such as the organization’s annual reports which chart the evolution of the child protection movement and the expansion of NYSPCC’s operations and influence. Other materials include newspaper clippings, investigative reports, photographs, speeches, logbooks, legislation, and thousands of case files.
One high-profile case involved two children survivors of the Titanic. Known as the “Titanic Waifs,” Michael and Edumnd Navratil were rescued on the last lifeboat from the sinking ship while their father perished onboard. At the request of New York City Mayor William Jay Gaynor, NYSPCC cared for the children and eventually reunited them with their mother after locating her in France. The NYSPCC’s role is well documented in the archives through clippings, correspondence, and photographs
The archive compliments NYPL’s extensive holdings related to social welfare and philanthropic groups in 19th and 20th century New York, and will inform a wide and interdisciplinary body of scholarship on New York City, social services, the Progressive Era, childhood studies, legal studies, and more. The NYSPCC is donating its earliest records, dating back to the 19th century, and curators have worked with the organization to ensure that no documents that come to the Library will violate the privacy of the children served by the organization.
“The NYSPCC Archive will be an essential waypoint for anyone researching the history of child welfare, and we are honored to be entrusted with the records of such a pioneering, impactful organization,” said Brent Reidy, Director of the Research Libraries at The New York Public Library.
“We are profoundly grateful that these foundational materials will now be preserved and made accessible to the public through The New York Public Library,” said Aysha E. Schomburg, NYSPCC President and CEO and NYPL Trustee. “This archive, covering 150 years of service, will provide a historical lens into the origins of child welfare, as well as help shape and develop the future of social work.”
The archive is also noteworthy for the many luminaries that served on the organization’s board of directors including Theodore Roosevelt, Sr. and Cornelius Vanderbilt, who served on the original board of directors. Later board members included financier J. P. Morgan, General Schuyler Hamilton (grandson of Alexander Hamilton), and philanthropist Augustus Julliard among other well-known figures.
About The New York Public Library
For over 125 years, The New York Public Library has been a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With over 90 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars. The New York Public Library receives approximately 16 million visits through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/give.
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