COLLECTIONS & ARCHIVES
The Skyscraper Museum’s research collections, which is stored onsite are small in linear feet but wide in scope. Overall thecollections focus on New York’s commercial architecture and represent the work of real estate professionals, construction companies, architects, engineers, tenants and owners. The general research collection consists of popular culture artifacts such as postcards and guidebooks, artwork, photographs, prints, publications and ephemera documenting skyscrapers and New York City buildings. Specialized collections at the museum are donated by firms, organizations or individuals. These document historic New York City skyscrapers, single buildings, areas or streets of New York City that have a concentration of skyscrapers, objects and images depicting the New York City skyline, records of firms that designed or constructed skyscrapers, an organization representing the New York City real estate business as well as one celebrating the built history of Lower Manhattan.
The collections include a significant digital archive. This archive includes digital records of some of the physical collections, as well as archives that only exist in digital form.
Finding Aids exist for some of the physical and digital collections, which describe the date span, size, provenance, history, scope and content, organization and arrangement, any related collections and a detailed list of objects in the collection.
Related to the collections are The Skyscraper Museum’s online projects focused on specific exhibitions at The Skyscraper Museum, individual skyscrapers, and organizations involved with Lower Manhattan history.
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FINDING AIDS
Guide to the Records of Leslie E. Robertson and Associates (LERA): World Trade Center Construction Images ca. 1969-1973
[Original artifact sizes are listed in the Finding Aid. Uncompressed Archival scans average 20 MB (8 bit color TIFF)]
Guide to the Bankers Trust Company Building Photograph Collection 1902-1933 (Bulk 1931-1933)
Guide to the Records of HRH Construction 1929-1958 (Bulk 1929-1938)
Guide to the Records of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) 1925-1997 (Bulk 1931-1958)
Guide to the Records of Weiskopf & Pickworth Consulting Engineers 1901-1971, 1998 (Bulk 1901-1936)
[Original artifact sizes are listed in the Finding Aid. Uncompressed Archival scans average 70 MB (8 bit color TIFF)]
FEATURED COLLECTIONS
World Trade Center Construction Images ca. 1969-1973
Guide to the Records of Leslie E. Robertson and Associates (LERA)
Empire State Building, Construction Views
Guide to the Erection Views Of Empire State Building. A Photograph Album Compiled by Starrett Brothers and Eken Incorporated ca. 1929-1931
Records of HRH Construction 1929-1958 (Bulk 1929-1938)
This collection includes photographs, job lists, heating and ventilation cost lists, brochures, reprints, press releases and notes from 1929-1958, relating to their various projects from 1897 to 1958. Projects include the Empire State Building, and 40 and 63 Wall Street Buildings.
Records of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) 1925-1997 (Bulk 1931-1958)
These records include competitive office building surveys, office building vacancy and sub-lease surveys, tables of new constructions and additions to office spaces, analysis of operating costs for office buildings, report on gross rents received, and related notes and correspondence from 1925 to 1997.
Records of Weiskopf & Pickworth Consulting Engineers 1901-1971, 1998 (Bulk 1901-1936)
This collection includes photographs, patents, standards, drawings, blueprints, blackline prints, press releases, reprints, manuscripts, advertisements, correspondence, pamphlets, and clippings from 1901-1971 and 1998 relating to Weiskopf & Pickworth's various projects and their research on girders and resultant patents received.
The Banker’s Trust Virtual Archive catalogues 200 vintage construction progress photographs, representing a collection of 213 owned by The Skyscraper Museum, and 27 owned by structural engineers Weiskopf and Pickworth LLP, of 14-16 Wall Street, also known as the Bankers Trust Building.
The collection is organized chronologically, in the order recorded on the images by the photographer; images can also be viewed by category.