Arranging and Describing the Records of the New York Chamber of Commerce

FAIN: PC-50075-07

Columbia University (New York, NY 10027-7922)
Michael T. Ryan (Project Director: July 2006 to September 2010)

Arrangement, description, preservation, and selected digitization of the New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry records, comprising 399 linear feet and 560 architectural drawings.

The Columbia University Libraries seeks a two-year grant to support a project to provide access to the Archive of the New York Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 1768?1979. Held in private hands until 2001, this collection has not previously been available for public study. The project will process 399 linear feet of materials and 560 architectural drawings to national archival standards, preserve damaged materials in the collection, and create a MARC record and EAD finding aid. Also, the project will create approximately 5,200 digital images from the Archive to post on a Web site that will serve as an entry point for access to the broader archival collection. The NY Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the oldest commercial organization in the U.S. and its Archive is a pivotal resource for the study of early American history, the history of New York and urban development in general, and the history of commerce and business in the U.S.