The New York Public Library Acquires New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Archive

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Episode Transcript

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The archive charts the evolutionof the child protection movement
and the organization S influenceon 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

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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 developmentof the child protection movement
and this important New York Citysocial service organization.

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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 caresuch as food and clothing, and

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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

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of materials dating from the late 19th to early 20th
centuries, such as the organization S annual reports,
which chart the evolution of thechild protection movement and
the expansion of NYSPCCS operations and influence.
Other materials include newspaper clippings,
investigative reports, photographs, speeches, log

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books, legislation, and thousands of case files.
One high profile case involved two children, survivors of the
Titanic, known as the Titanic Waves.
Michael and he dumb Navradio were rescued on the last
lifeboat from the sinking ship while their father perished on
board. At the request of New York City

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Mayor William J Gainer, NYSPCC cared for the children and
eventually reunited them with their mother after locating her
in France. The NYSPCCS role is well
documented in the archives through clippings,
correspondence, and photographs.The archive complements NYPLS

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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 ProgressiveEra, childhood studies, legal
studies, and more. The NYSPCC is donating its

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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 childwelfare, and we are honored to

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be entrusted with the records ofsuch a pioneering, impactful
organization, said Brent Reedy, director of the Research
Libraries at the New York PublicLibrary.
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 Aisha E Schomburg, NYSPCC

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President and CEO and NYPL Trustee.
This archive, covering 150 yearsof service, will provide a
historical lens into the originsof child welfare, as well as
help shape and develop the future of social work.
The archive is also noteworthy for the many luminaries that

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served on the organization S Board of Directors, including
Theodore Roosevelt Senior and Cornelius Vanderbilt, who served
on the original board of directors.
Later board members included Finn and Seer, JP Morgan,
General Skyler Hamilton, grandson of Alexander Hamilton,
and philanthropist Augustus Juilliard, among other well

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known figures. About the New York Public
Library For over 125 years, the New York Public Library has been
a free provider of education andinformation for the people of
New York and beyond. With over 90 locations,
including research and branch libraries throughout the Bronx,

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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 16,000,000 visits through its
doors annually and millions morearound the globe who use its

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resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free
programming, the New York PublicLibrary relies on both public
and private funding. Learn more about how to
[e-mail] Give.