Research


New York State Conservation Department Photographic Prints and Negatives


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Overview of the Records

Repository:

New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230

Summary:
The series consists of glass plate and film negatives and photographic prints compiled by the Forest, Fish and Game Commission, the Conservation Commission, and the Conservation Department. They illustrate activities of these predecessors of the Department of Environmental Conservation. The images document fish and game control; forest management and conservation; protecting the wilderness; maintaining historic sites and recreational areas; and wide-ranging locations and activities.
Creator:
Title:
Conservation Department photographic prints and negatives
Quantity:

74 cubic feet

5100 glass plate and film negatives; 2,910 photographic prints

Inclusive Dates:
circa 1904-1953
Series Number:
14297

Arrangement

Roughly chronological.

Scope and Content Note

The series consists of over 5,100 glass plate and film negatives and approximately 2,340 photographic prints compiled by the Forest, Fish and Game Commission (1900-1911), the Conservation Commission (1911-1926), and the Conservation Department (1926-1970). They constitute a visual record illustrating the many activities conducted by these predecessors of the Department of Environmental Conservation to preserve and administer New York State's natural resources and environment, and to publicize them through exhibits and publications.

Records include photographs (black and white, and color), negatives (black and white, and color inter-negatives), transparencies (35 mm color, 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 color), and index material. The majority of the series is comprised of 8 x 10 inch glass plate negatives, 5 x 7 inch glass plate negatives, and 5 x 7 inch film negatives.

Images document myriad functions including fish and game control; forest management and conservation; protecting the wilderness; and maintaining historic sites and recreational areas. The images depict wide-ranging locations and activities. Examples include tree nurseries; hatcheries; game preserves; landscapes; historic sites; department educational promotional exhibits; recreational facilities; and Civilian Conservation Corps projects of the 1930s. In addition, there are images of department officials, as well as a few negatives and prints of Kate Smith visiting Lake Placid, and of Franklin D. Roosevelt on a forestry tour.

14297-86: This accretion consists of about 175 black-and-white photographic prints depicting department exhibits and demonstrations at the New York State Fair, various county fairs, sports shows, expositions, and schools. Some prints were apparently used for publication. Most prints are 8 x 10 inches. Dates and locations are noted on the versos of most prints. Some negative numbers are also given.

14297-19: This accretion consists of a scrapbook containing about 460 black-and-white photographic prints. Photos depict game investigation activities conducted by the Bureau of Fish and Wildlife between the years 1945 and 1953. The scrapbook is divided into sections focusing on ecology, species characteristics, management, and research methods and techniques. Most prints measure 2.25 x 2.25 inches. A description of the subject depicted (sometimes including a date) is handwritten on each print's verso.

Alternate Formats Available

Items Online

The bulk of photographic prints and negatives in this series have been digitized and are available in New York State Archives Digital Collections.

New York State Archives Digital Collections

Conservation Department photographic prints and negatives, circa 1904-1953

Related Material

B1786 Index to Department of Environmental Conservation Photographic Prints and Negatives, indexes this series and

B2010 Glass Plate Negatives of Logging and Lumbering, contains related records.

Other Finding Aids

Available at Repository

An original partial card index to the negatives, arranged by negative number and using alpha-numeric subject codes which are not easily deciphered, is available at the repository.

A database indexes prints by locality, subject, date, and alphanumeric code.

An item list of reformatted negatives, giving date, title, and subject, is available at the repository.

Location of Originals

Originals held by New York State Archives.

Acquisition Information

This disposition supersedes records disposition numbers 12557 and 12559.

Processing Information

As part of a project funded by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant, State Archives staff selected 5,206 photographic negatives from the original accession for reformatting. The original partial card index was superseded by a database produced by staff to provide item level access to the resulting contact prints. At the conclusion of the project, long roll interpositive film was sent to the State Records Center for secure storage; duplicate negative film of the 5,206 images (made from the long roll interpositive) was reserved at the State Archives as the series print master; and 5,206 positive contact prints (made from the duplicate negative film), accessioned as series B1786, became the State Archives use copy and graphic index.

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.

Access Terms

Personal Name(s):
Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
Genre(s):
Function(s):

Detailed Description

Dates Contents Box Folder Card File Box

Accretion: 14297-86
1920s-1940s Albany 1 1
1920s-1940s Altamont 1 2
circa 1943 Long Island - Bureau of Marine Fisheries Exhibits 1 3
1940-1942 New York City Sportsmen Show 1 4
1937-1938 Rochester Sportsman's Show 1 5
1939 State Fair - Syracuse 1 6
1926-1937 Local Fairs and Planting Demonstrations 1 7
circa 1928-1930 Forestry and Reforestation Exhibits 1 8
1920s-1940s Exhibit Fabrication 1 9
1920s-1940s Unidentified Exhibits 1 10
1920s-1940s Oversize Prints 21

Accretion: 14297-87
12-Jan 1 1
13-20 1 2
21-28 1 3
29-35 2 4
36-43 2 5
44-51 2 6
52-59 3 7
60-67 3 8
68-75 3 9
79-86 4 10
87-91 4 11
92-99 4 12
100-107 5 13
108-115 5 14
116-123 5 15
124-131 6 16
132-138 6 17
139-146 6 18
147-154 7 19
155-162 7 20
163-170 7 21
171-178 8 22
179-186 8 23
187-192 8 24
193-200 9 25
201-209 9 26
210-217 9 27
218-225 10 28
226-233 10 29
234-241 10 30
242-249 11 31
250-257 11 32
258-265 11 33
266-273 12 34
274-281 12 35
282-289 12 36
290-297 13 37
298-305 13 38
306-313 13 39
314-321 14 40
322-330 14 41
331-338 14 42
339-346 15 43
347-354 15 44
355-362 15 45
363-370 16 46
371-378 16 47
379-382 16 48
383-393 17 49
394-400 17 50
401-405 17 51
406-414 18 52
415-424 18 53
425-432 18 54
433-440 19 55
441-447 19 56
448-454 19 57
455-464 20 58
465-476 20 59
477-486 20 60
487-499 21 61
500-507 21 62
508-515 21 63
516-522 22 64
523-533 22 65
534-544 22 66
545-549 23 67
550-556 23 68
557-564 23 69
565-572 24 70
573-580 24 71
581-588 24 72
589-597 25 73
598-605 25 74
606-613 25 75
614-623 26 76
624-629 26 77
630-638 26 78
639-648 27 79
649-656 27 80
657-665 27 81
666-675 28 82
676-683 28 83
684-691 28 84
692-700 29 85
701-709 29 86
710-717 29 87
718-725 30 88
726-732 30 89
733-739 30 90
740-747 31 91
758-755 31 92
756-763 31 93
764-771 32 94
772-779 32 95
780-787 32 96
788-795 33 97
796-803 33 98
804-811 33 99
812-819 34 100
820-827 34 101
828-835 34 102
836-843 35 103
844-851 35 104
852-859 35 105
860-867 36 106
868-876 36 107
877-885 36 108
886-895 37 109
896-906 37 110
907-914 37 111
915-923 38 112
924-931 38 113
932-939 38 114
940-947 39 115
948-954 39 116
955-962 39 117
963-971 40 118
972-979 40 119
980-986 40 120
987-995 41 121
996-1003 41 122
1004-1011 41 123
1012-1019 42 124
1020-1031 42 125
1032-1044 42 126
1045-1055 43 127
1056-1063 43 128
1064-1070 43 129
Prints - Prints (Duplicates) - Nitrates - Jim Lord Job 44 130
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives - GA 8101B, S8127-S8211 (Box A) 44 131
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives (Box B) 44 132
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives (Box C) 45 133
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives (Box D) 45 134
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives (Box E) 45 135
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives (Box F) 46 136
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives (Box G) 46 137
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives (Box H) 46 138
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives (Box I) 47 139
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives (Box J) 47 140
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives (Box K) 47 141
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives (Box L) 48 142
Broken 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives (Box M) 48 143
8x10 Nitrate Negatives M8124, FBR 8124, M8125 48 245A
1071-1090 49 144
1091-1110 49 145
1111-1130 49 146
1131-1150 49 147
1151-1170 49 148
1171-1190 49 149
1191-1206 50 150
1207-1221 50 151
1222-1240 50 152
1241-1257 50 153
1258-1267 50 154
1268-1277 50 155
1278-1287 51 156
1288-1297 51 157
1298-1307 51 158
1308-1317 51 159
1318-1326 51 160
1327-1337 51 161
1338-1348 52 162
1349-1359 52 163
1360-1369 52 164
1370-1379 52 165
1380-1389 52 166
1390-1399 52 167
1400-1409 53 168
1410-1419 53 169
1420-1429 53 170
1430-1439 53 171
1440-1449 53 172
1450-1459 53 173
1460-1469 54 174
1470-1479 54 175
1480-1489 54 176
1490-1499 54 177
1500-1509 54 178
1510-1519 54 179
1520-1528 55 180
1529-1538 55 181
1539-1548 55 182
1549-1558 55 183
1559-1570 55 184
1571-1585 55 185
1586-1600 56 186
1601-1610 56 187
1611-1620 56 188
1621-1628 56 189
1629-1641 56 190
1642-1656 56 191
1657-1667 57 192
1668-1678 57 193
Original Envelopes to 4x5 Glass Plate Negatives (Box 1) 57 194
1679-1681 57 195
1682-1689 57 196
1690-1701 57 197
1702 57 198
Broken Glass Plate Negatives 5x7 (Box 2) 57 199
Broken Glass Plate Negatives 5x7 (Box 3) 58 200
Broken Miscellaneous Pieces 8x10 Glass Plate Negatives 58 201
Broken Glass Plate Negatives/Pieces from Drawer 6 58 202
Broken Glass Plate Negatives/Pieces from Drawer 6 58 203
Broken Glass Plate Negatives/Pieces from Drawer 12 59 204
Broken Glass Plate Negatives/Pieces from Drawer 2 59 205
1704-1789 60 206
1790-1871 60 207
1872-1935 60 208
1936-2022 60 209
2023-2095 60 210
2096-2156 60 211
2157-2224 61 212
2225-2314 61 213
2315-2381 61 214
2382-2448 61 215
2449-2475 61 216
2476-2532 61 217

Accretion: 1
2845-2591 62 223

Accretion: 14297-87
2533-2585 62 218
2586-2630 62 219
2631-2723 62 220
2724-2755 62 221
2756-2844 62 222
2922-3029 63 224
3030-3127 63 225
3128-3219 63 226
3220-3306 63 227
3307-3387 63 228
3388-3477 63 229
3478-3565 64 230
3566-3632 64 231
3633-3738 64 232
3739-3824 64 233
3825-3883 64 234
3884-3969 64 235
3970-4064 65 236
4065-4152 65 237
4153-4251 65 238
4252-4332 65 239
4333-4427 65 240
4428-4474 65 241
4475-4513 66 242
4514-4565 66 243
4566-4653 66 244
4654-4738 66 245
4739-4753 66 246
4754-5035 66 247
5036-5091 67 248
Missing 67 249
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives ADM, BBD, BBS, BFC, & 57-F 253-307 67 250
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives BFC 57F 310-413, CCC 57L 429-443 67 251
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives CCC 57L 444-475, CEL 67 252
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives C & T 67 253
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives ENF, EXB, FFC 57-L 270-350 67 254
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives FFC 57-L 354-384 68 255
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives F & G, FLS, FPC, FPL 5-302 68 256
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives FPL 304-406, FR, FRT 68 257
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives GME 57-F 474-571 68 258
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives GME 57-F 572-745 68 259
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives HS, HST, LAN 57-L 476-614 68 260
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives LAN, LAQ, MRF, MIS, NRS, 57-L 392-417 69 261
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives OFF, PMC, PMH, PMI, PMP, PRK, RA 1-131 69 262
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives PA 132-179, REF, SB, SPR 69 263
Prints from Glass & Nitrate Negatives ST 1 69 264
Miscellaneous 69 265
Environmental Conservation prints 70 266
Environmental Conservation prints 70 267
Environmental Conservation prints from "Pest Control" miscellaneous 71 268
Memorabilia 72 269
Deteriorating Nitrates 72 270
Environmental Conservation Card File 72 271
Extra & Broken Slides 72 272
Card File topics A-G: Admin, Biological surveys, Civilian Conservation Corps - CCC, Camping and Trails, Enforcement, Exhibits, Forest Fire Control, Pest control, Game management 73 273
Card File topics H-W. Also: Key Prefixes 5x7 Glass Negatives, Film Negatives, also: Cross Index Card File, A-H 73 274
Cross Index Card File, J-Z, plus Campsites, Fire, Fish, Games, Farms and Refuge, Hatcheries, Lakes, Nurseries, Plants and Trees. 73 275