Research

Scope and Content Note

This series contains records used in the selection of contractors to provide food, equipment, and supplies for Auburn Prison during the years 1930-1932. There is a separate folder for each of the approximately 75 categories of items purchased. These include meats, fish, fruits, dairy products, beds, lockers, rugs, refrigerators, tractors, nails, paint, fertilizer and other items used in the prison, on the prison farm, and in the prison's road camps.

The majority of the records consist of copies of Specifications and Proposal for Supplies for State Agencies. These printed Specifications (bids), issued by the New York State Division of Standards and Purchase, were compiled by contractors bidding to supply individual items to Auburn. The Specifications detail the items to be purchased, the institutions to be supplied and quantity of items required, the contract period, date of the bid opening, and directions for the contractor regarding price, payment, and delivery. The contractor included a detailed description of the item to be supplied with prices and delivery information. A number of the folders include sales catalogs or descriptive brochures included by the contractors with their bids. Folders also include lists prepared by the Division of Standards and Purchase that include the conditions of individual contracts and the names and addresses of bidders who were awarded the contract.