Preserving the History of America's Second Oldest Hospital

FAIN: PG-266672-19

Joan & Sanford I.Weill Medical College of Cornell University (New York, NY 10065-4805)
Nicole Milano (Project Director: January 2019 to present)

The purchase of preservation supplies, such as acid-free boxes and folders, to rehouse the medical center archives of New York Presbyterian Hospital, the second oldest hospital in the United States and chartered in 1771 by King George III of England.  The archives contain over 1,500 linear feet of materials that document the full 250-year history of the hospital, including records of Aaron Burr, who served as a member of the Board of Governors; Alexander Hamilton, who supported the Lying-In Hospital of the City of New York; Dr. David Hosack, the personal physician for Hamilton and Burr; early illnesses and epidemics; and nineteenth-century medical and surgical casebooks.

The Medical Center Archives at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine requests $15,000 from National Endowment for the Humanities to preserve and rehouse collections related to the 250th anniversary of American independence. Following the recommendations of a preservation consultant, the NEH funding will be used to purchase acid-free supplies after a HEPA cleaning of the collections by a professional disaster recovery agency. Two staff members, both of whom have strong experience in preservation projects, will safely rehouse the newly cleaned collections following decades of poor storage conditions. The unique collections covered under the scope of this grant document the history of the second oldest hospital in the U.S., created around the time of the American Revolution. The rehousing of these collections will help ensure their preservation and accessibility moving forward, including for projects supporting the 250th anniversaries of both the hospital and the U.S.

Associated Products

Information Technologies & Services Annual Report (Article)
Title: Information Technologies & Services Annual Report
Author: Information Technologies & Services Department
Abstract: Annual report for the Information Technologies & Services department at Weill Cornell Medicine, which includes an announcement of the grant receipt.
Year: 2020
Primary URL: https://its.weill.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/fy20_its_pois_annual_report_0.pdf
Primary URL Description: Annual report PDF
Format: Other
Publisher: Weill Cornell Medicine

Three at Cornell receive NEH grants (Article)
Title: Three at Cornell receive NEH grants
Author: Daniel Aloi
Abstract: Article in the Cornell Chronicle announcing receipt of the National Endowment for the Humanities grant.
Year: 2019
Primary URL: http://https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2019/09/three-cornell-receive-neh-grants
Primary URL Description: Link to article.
Format: Magazine
Periodical Title: Cornell Chronicle
Publisher: Cornell University

New York Hospital Patient Medical Records, 1808-1932 (Finding Aid) (Web Resource)
Title: New York Hospital Patient Medical Records, 1808-1932 (Finding Aid)
Author: Medical Center Archives of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine
Abstract: Publicly-available finding aid and inventory to the New York Hospital Patient Medical Records, 1808-1932.
Year: 2022
Primary URL: https://library.weill.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/nyh_patient_medical_records_with_inventory.pdf

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