Department of Parks Commissioner correspondence and assorted administrative files for 1939 to 1975

Accession ACC-1986-050. Unprocessed - RG 041. Department of Parks and Recreation

Description

Accession consists of correspondence and attachments thereto, memoranda, staff notes, copies of press releases, texts of speeches, reports, pamphlets, and occasional photographs. Included are substantive correspondence of the various Parks Commissioners for the period covered (Robert Moses, Newbold Morris, Thomas Hoving, August Heckscher, etc.) as well as correspondence of other high-level Department of Parks officials. The accession amounts to a virtual history of the development of parks and recreational facilities within the city for the years covered, as well as documenting the important role played by Robert Moses in city history during the 1940s and 1950s. Considerable information is provided on the development of individual parks, Department of Parks programs, and facilities. Files dating from the 1960s and 1970s contain massive amounts of duplication and extraneous published materials. Weeding out this sort of material after accession could reduce the total quantity of this series by an estimated 200-250 cubic feet. No files for the period 1952-1959 were located during initial appraisal. The accession amounts to a 'central file' for the entire Department of Parks operation, with copies of more important borough office dealings being routed to this central file, originally maintained at the Arsenal Building in Central Park. Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder by borough, and thereunder alphabetical by subject.

Extent

740.00 cubic feet

Dates

1939-1975

Record Groups

Names

Source

Creators

Access to Unprocessed Archival Collections

Unprocessed collections may include protected information related to personal privacy, health information, and minors, as well as attorney-client privilege. In accordance with laws and regulations, this material will be reviewed prior to providing public access and certain records may be subject to redaction or other measures that restrict access. Archival and library collections may also be restricted or limited based on physical condition, technical requirements, or format.