Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, 1890-1983
Scope and Contents
The series of records corresponding to the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences spans from 1889-1983 and is composed of nine series. The series documents the decision making, the financial planning, and the aims the Institute during this time period. The Institute was expressly concerned with providing cultural entertainment, education, and enrichment to the citizens of Brooklyn.
The Building and grounds subseries largely documents the building and additions of/to the Brooklyn Museum. This includes correspondence, notes, and drawings of the McKim, Mead and White architectural firm. In addition, there is small amount of material related to the Children's Museum.
The Departments and Institutions subseries has 21 subseries. This may seem excessive, especially since some subseries only have 1 or 2 items. However, the archive felt that the Institute was largely effective due to its various institutions and departments. The Institutions refer to the larget cultural organizations: The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Brooklyn Children's Museum, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music comprise this distinction. Departments of BIAS operated a slighlty differently in that members of the departments held meetings together, gave lectures, and sponsored small exhibitions. Departments often operated similarly to clubs with the exception of the Department of Education, which organized all of the events given by BIAS. Letterhead from the 1890s often listed all of the departments, which at times numbered at most 25.
The Publications, Exhibition catalogs and Ephemera subseries documents general BIAS publications, exhibit catalogs for the Departments, and ephemera. Brooklyn Museum exhibition catalogs are held within the records of the Museum.
Dates
- 1890-1983
Creator
- Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Trustee Files, Meeting Minutes, Legal, and sections of other series are restricted to staff use only.
Biographical / Historical
Following an incorporation in 1870 and a reincorporation in 1890, the institute shifted its focus slightly and renamed itself to the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences (BIAS). The focus of the BIAS was to provide museums, gardens, and research spaces for both arts and science education as well as appreciation. The Institute acted as an umbrella organization for the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, the Brooklyn Children's Museum, and Biological Laboratory at Cold Spring Harbor in Long Island. In 1936, the Institute let go of control over the Lab and acquired the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Additionally, the Institute had Departments that were subject based that held meetings, gave lectures, and sponsored small exhibitions. The Department of Photography, for example, was founded between 1888 and 1889. Memebers met 1-2 times a month, and if they paid membership dues, they also gained access to dark rooms.
In the 1970s, the Institute's committees began meeting to redefine the role of the Institute for its children organizations. It was decided that BAM, the Children's Museum, and the Botanical Gardens would become seperate entities. In 1980, the Institute changed its name to the Brooklyn Museum.
Extent
95 Linear Feet
Arrangement
This series is arranged into several subseries: Trustee Files; Meeting Minutes; Administrative Files; Building and grounds; Departments and Institutions; Publications, Exhibition catalogs and Ephemera; Finance and Development; Legal; and Employee Relations. Each series description describes its arrangement.
Repository Details
Part of the Brooklyn Museum Archives Repository