Collection Guides
The New York City Municipal Archives

This collection contains material generated by the daily workings of the Office of the Mayor during William J. Gaynor’s mayoral administration. The majority of the material consists of correspondence issued to and from City agencies and departments, and from the general public. The Departmental Correspondence Received and Sent series documents the everyday tasks of city agencies. They also highlight such administrative priorities as continuing subway expansion and enacting policy to deal with police brutality and corruption. Overall, Mayor Gaynor’s work to separate the Mayoral office from Tammany Hall can be seen reflected within these files. Additionally, it is of particular note that Mayor Gaynor was known for his letter writing style and frequency with which he responded to his citizenry.

In addition to the various correspondence series, a Subject Files series documents official city business topical to the time. This includes discussion on imposing ordinances on motion picture theatres, petitions from labor groups and files on city employees under suspicion of corruption. The subject files which refer to the assassination attempt on Mayor Gaynor and the sinking of the Titanic are particularly voluminous.