Sperr and Grimshaw Photograph Collections Preservation Assessment

FAIN: PG-51118-11

Staten Island Historical Society (New York, NY 10301)
Maxine Friedman (Project Director: May 2010 to November 2011)

A preservation assessment of two photographic collections, Sperr (30,000 images, 1924-42) and Grimshaw (5,000 images, 1905-37), that document the history of Staten Island and New York City.

The Staten Island Historical Society will conduct a preservation assessment of its Percy Loomis Sperr (1890-1964) and William J. Grimshaw (1854-1931) photograph collections. Sperr and Grimshaw captured thousands of images of Staten Island's people, natural settings, and built environment, and their works paint a portrait of the island in the early 20th century. This was a time of tremendous physical and cultural change for Staten Island, which had recently become one of the five boroughs of New York City and faced intense development pressure. Sperr's and Grimshaw's photographs document the island's transformation from rural and agricultural to suburban. The Society's ultimate goal is to provide access to every image in these collections, while at the same time providing proper care to insure long-term safety of the original materials. The proposed project is a vital step toward achieving that goal. The project will begin in April 2011 and will conclude in July 2011.