New York City Architecture: How to Research a Building
Researching a New York City building can be daunting and complicated. Based on the handout for the Investigating New York City Architecture Class from the Art & Architecture Collection of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, this guide will introduce you to the vast number of resources relating to the architecture of New York City that are in the collections of the New York Public Library, as well as other institutions.
The reference works in this guide, along with selected reference tools can all be found in the Miriam & Ira D. Wallach Division of Art & Architecture (Room 300) or in the collections of the Milstein Division of United States History, Local History & Genealogy Division and the Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division of the Library.
Compiled by Vincenzo Rutigliano, Art & Architecture Collection, 08/08
Landmark Buildings and Districts
When starting your research, you should verify if the building is a landmark or located in a landmark district. If so you should access the very detailed designation reports by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which “explain the architectural, historical and cultural significance of an individual landmark or historic district”
A quick way to find out if your building is a landmark is by looking at the following guidebooks of New York City:
- Diamonstein, Barbaralee. The Landmarks of New York: an illustrated record of the city's historic buildings. New York: Monacelli Press, 2005.
- Dolkart, Andrew. Guide to New York City Landmarks. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2004.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency that is responsible for identifying and designating landmarks. On their website you may access recent and some historical designation reports for individual landmarks and historic districts
The Neighborhood Preservation Center and the Landmarks Preservation Commission have joined together to provide access to all the designation reports, beginning in 1965 to the present. This is an ongoing project, so reports are still being posted
To learn more about the great undertaking of the preservation of buildings of New York check out the book: Preserving New York: winning the right to protect a city's landmarks by Anthony C. Wood
Guidebooks
A guidebook may provide basic information on the building, its address, architect, area (neighborhood/district), as well as information on buildings that no longer exist or street name changes
- The AIA Guide to New York City is a great place to start your research, along with the following:
- Federal Writers’ Project. New York City Guide. New York: Octagon Books, 1970 [c1939].
- Hart, Harold H. Hart's Guide to New York City. New York: Hart Pub. Co., 1964.
- King, Moses. King's Handbook of New York City. Boston, Mass, 1893.
- Rider, Fremont. Rider's New York City. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1924.
- Silver, Nathan. Lost New York. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1967.
- Stokes, I.N. Phelps. The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498-1909. Mansfield, CT: Martino Fine Books; Union, NJ: Lawbook Exchange, 1998 [c1915-1928].
- White, Norval. AIA Guide to New York City. New York: Crown Pub., 2000.
- WPA Guide to New York City. New York: The New Press, 1992 [c1939].
Architects and Architectural Firms
If the name of the architect or firm is known, the following biographical resources may provide further information:
- American Architects Directory. New York: R.R. Bowker Co., 1956-1970.
- Artist Files. A clippings file of ephemera on microfiche, located in the Art & Architecture Division, Room 300. It provides entries for architects, as well as architectural firms.
- Avery Library. Avery Obituary Index of Architects. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1980.
- Biography and Genealogy Master Index. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1980-.
- Online database available onsite in the HSSL Library
- Contemporary Architects. 3rd Edition. New York: St. James Press, 1994.
- Francis, Dennis Steadman. Architects in Practice, New York City, 1840-1900. New York: The Committee, 1980.
- King, Moses. Notable New Yorkers of 1896-1899. New York: M. King, 1899.
- Macmillan Encyclopedia of Architects. New York: Free Press, 1982.
- Ward, James. Architects in Practice, New York City, 1900-1940. Union, NJ: J & D Associates, 1989.
- Withey, Henry F. Biographical Dictionary of American Architects (Deceased). Los Angeles: New Age Pub. Co., 1956.
New York Architecture
General New York City architectural history books are excellent sources for information on architects and architectural styles. They are heavily illustrated with images of city buildings:
- Andrews, Wayne. Architecture in New York: a photographic history. New York: Atheneum, 1969.
- Architectural Research Materials in New York City: a guide to resources in all five boroughs. New York: The Committee, 1977.
- Balfour, Alan. New York. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Academy, 2001.
- Boyer, M. Christine. Manhattan Manners: architecture and style, 1850-1900. New York: Rizzoli, 1985.
- Breeze, Carla. New York Deco. New York: Rizzoli, 1993.
- Gayle, Margot. Cast-iron Architecture in New York: a photographic survey. New York: Dover Publications, 1974.
- Gillon, Edmund Vincent. Beaux-Arts Architecture in New York: a photographic guide. New York: Dover Publications, 1988.
- Goldstone, Harmon H. History Preserved: a guide to New York City landmarks and historic districts. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1974.
- Gray, Christopher. New York Streetscapes: tales of Manhattan's significant buildings and landmarks. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2003.
- Kathrens, Michael C. Great Houses of New York, 1880-1930. New York: Acanthus Press, 2005.
- Lockwood, Charles. Bricks & Brownstone; the New York row house, 1783-1929. 2nd Edition. New York: Rizzoli, 2003.
- Lowe, David. Art Deco New York. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 2004.
- Marshall, Bruce. Building New York: the rise and rise of the greatest city on Earth. New York: Universe, 2005.
- New York Architecture, 1970-1990. Edited by Heinrich Kolz with Luminita Sabau. New York: Rizzoli, 1989.
- Olenick, Andy. Historic New York: architectural journeys in the Empire State. Rochester, NY: Landmark Society of Western New York , Inc. in conjunction with Preservation League of New York State and New York State Council on the Arts, 2006.
- Reynolds, Donald M. The Architecture of New York City: histories and views of important structures, sites, and symbols. New York: J. Wiley, 1994.
- Silver, Nathan. Lost New York. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1967.
- Stern, Robert A. M. New York 1880: architecture and urbanism in the gilded age. New York: Monacelli Press, 1999.
- Stern, Robert A. M. New York 1900: metropolitan architecture and urbanism, 1890-1915. New York: Rizzoli, 1983.
- Stern, Robert A. M. New York 1930: architecture and urbanism between the two world wars. New York: Rizzoli, 1987.
- Stern, Robert A. M. New York 1960: architecture and urbanism between the Second World War and the Bicentennial. New York: Monacelli Press, 1995.
- Stern, Robert A. M. New York 2000: architecture and urbanism between the Bicentennial and the Millennium. New York: Monacelli Press, 2006.
- Stokes, I. N. Phelps. The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498-1909. Mansfield, CT: Martino Fine Books; Union, N.J.: Lawbook Exchange, 1998.
- Tauranac, John. Elegant New York: the builders and the buildings, 1885-1915. New York: Abbeville Press, 1985.
- Wolfe, Gerard R. New York: a Guide to the Metropolis: walking tours of architecture and history. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994.
- Wood, Anthony C. Preserving New York: winning the right to protect a city's landmarks. New York: Routledge, 2008.
New York History
Books on the history of New York City may provide information on architectural styles or architects working during specific time periods. They are also well illustrated:
- Ashton, Dore. New York. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1972.
- Burrows, Edwin G. and Mike Wallace. Gotham: a history of New York City to 1898. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
- Deak, Gloria-Gilda. Picturing New York: the city from its beginnings to the present. New York: Columbia University Press, 2000.
- Dunshee, Kenneth Holcomb. As You Pass By. New York: Hastings House, 1952.
- Edmiston, Susan. Literary New York: a history and guide. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1976.
- The Encyclopedia of New York City. Edited by Kenneth T. Jackson. New York: New York Historical Society, 1995.
- Kouwenhoven, John Atlee. The Columbia Historical Portrait of New York: an essay in graphic history in honor of the tricentennial of New York City and the bicentennial of Columbia University. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1953.
- Kroessler, Jeffrey A. New York Year by Year: a chronology of the great metropolis. New York: New York University Press, 2002.
- Rock, Howard B. Cityscapes: a history of New York in images. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001.
- Trager, James. The New York Chronology: the ultimate compendium of events, people, and anecdotes from the Dutch to the present. New York: HarperResource, 2003.
- Walsh, Kevin. Forgotten New York: views of a lost metropolis. New York: Collins, 2006.
- Zuba, Jesse. Bloom's Literary Guide to New York. New York: Checkmark Books, 2007.
Apartment Houses
The apartment buildings of New York helped shape the construction of 1920s Manhattan. These books will contain information on the apartments of New York City with photographs and floor plans:
1913 supplement to the World's loose leaf album of apartment houses... New York: World, 1913.
Digitized version available in our Digital Gallery at 1913 Supplement to the World's Loose Leaf Album
Alpern, Andrew. Apartments for the affluent: New York's fabulous luxury apartments. New York: Dover Publications, 1987, c1975.
Alpern, Andrew. Historic Manhattan Apartment Houses. New York: Dover, 1995.
Alpern, Andrew. Luxury Apartment Houses of Manhattan: an illustrated history. New York: Dover, 1992.
Alpern, Andrew. New York's fabulous luxury apartments: with original floor plans from the Dakota, River House, Olympic Tower, and other great building. New York: Dover Publications, 1987, c1975.
Apartment Houses of the Metropolis. New York: G.C. Hesselgren Pub. Co., 1908.
Digitized version available in our Digital Gallery at Apartment Houses of the Metropolis.
"Classic 6": New York City Apartment Building Living, 1880s-1910s.
Views and floor plans for apartment buildings within New York City. A digitized version is available in our Digital Gallery at "Classic 6": New York City Apartment Building Living, 1880s-1910s
Cromley, Elizabeth C. Alone Together: a history of New York's early apartments. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1990.
Douglas Elliman (Firm). The Douglas Elliman Locator: plans of the principal apartment houses east and south of Central Park. New York, 1923.
Esten, John. Manhattan style. Boston: Little, Brown, 1990.
Hawes, Elizabeth. New York, New York: how the apartment house transformed the life of the city (1869-1930). New York: A.A. Knopf, 1993.
Norton, Thomas E. Living it up: a guide to the named apartment houses of New York. New York: Atheneum, 1984.
Pease & Elliman. Pease & Elliman's catalogue of East Side of New York apartment plans. New York, 1925.
Pease & Elliman. Pease & Elliman's catalogue of East Side New York apartment plans. New York, 1929.
Plunz, Richard. A History of Housing in New York City: dwelling type and social change in the American metropolis. New York: Columbia University Press, 1990.
Select Realty Register, Inc. The Select Register of Apartment House Plans, New York City. New York: Select Realty Register, 1957-.
Sexton, Randolph Williams. American Apartment Houses of Today: illustrating plans, details, exteriors and interiors of modern city and suburban apartment houses throughout the United States. New York: Architectural Book Pub. Co., 1926.
Digitized version available in our Digital Gallery at The World's Loose Leaf Album of Apartment Houses
Office Buildings and Skyscrapers
In the 1800s, church spires were the dominant viewpoints. Today, towering office buildings and skyscrapers shape the skyline. The following books describe pertinent architects, buildings, and dimensions:
- Abramson, Daniel M. Skyscraper Rivals: the AIG Building and the architecture of Wall Street. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2001.
- Ballard, Robert F. R. Directory of Manhattan office buildings. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978.
- Bennett, David. Skyscrapers: form & function. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995.
- Brockmann, Jorg. One Thousand New York Buildings. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2002.
- Landau, Sarah Bradford. Rise of the New York Skyscraper, 1865-1913. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996.
- Nash, Eric Peter. Manhattan Skyscrapers. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2005.
Real Estate Books and Periodicals
The real estate industry of New York City is vast and its records may contain information on the property, building, architect with photographs and floor plans:
- A History of Real Estate, building, and architecture in New York City during the last quarter of a century. New York: Arno Press, 1967.
- Real Estate Brochure Collection of the Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy
Images and information for hundreds of large New York City (principally Manhattan) office and apartment buildings in the form of original real estate prospectuses and pamphlets - Real Estate Resources at SIBL
A research guide by the Science, Industry and Business Library (SIBL)
Library Catalogs
Library catalogs maybe used to locate books and materials on a particular building, neighborhood, architect or architectural firm, as well as drawings, papers and archives:
- The online catalog of The New York Public Library
- CLIO
Online catalog for the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library of Columbia University - WorldCat
Online catalog of Libraries throughout the United States and International
Databases
The following resources may be used to locate pamphlets, images, drawings and plans within articles in newspapers, magazines and journals. These are subscription based databases that may only be accessible within the HSSL Library building:
- American Periodical Series
Provides full-text articles for over 1,000 magazines, journals and newspapers published between 1740 and 1940. It contains access to the architectural periodical American Architect and Building News from 1876 to 1908 and its predecessor the American Architect from 1909 to 1921 - America's Historical Newspapers
Full-text access to American newspapers published from 1690-1922 - Art Index Retrospective
Index to articles in major art and architecture magazines and bulletins from 1929-1984. It is preceded by Art Full Text for 1984 to the present - Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
An index to architectural periodicals, which includes archaeology, decorative arts, interior design, furniture, landscape architecture and city planning, as well as architects’ obituaries. The best resource to obtain information, drawings, plans and photographs on a building - Brooklyn Daily Eagle Online 1841-1902
Free online access to the newspaper the Brooklyn Daily Eagle from 1841 to 1902. It is developed by the Brooklyn Public Library - Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
Provides access to three New York City newspapers: The Sun, The Evening World, and The New York Tribune from 1900-1910. Digitized by the New York Public Library - New York Times
Provides complete full-text access to the articles of The New York Times from 1851 to the present. A treasure trove for locating obituaries and Department of Buildings notices for new buildings - New York Tribune
Access to the full-text articles from the New York Tribune, 1900-1910. The database 19th Century Masterfile provides an index to the New York Daily Tribune from 1875-1906 - Proquest Historical Newspapers
Searchable full-text articles from the New York Amsterdam News (1922-1993), New York Times (1851-2004), New York Tribune (1900-1910), Wall Street Journal (1889-1990), and the ProQuest Civil War Era database that includes the New York Herald (1840-1865) and thousands of magazine articles published from 1740 to 1940 - Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature
Indexes general interest magazines published in the United States from 1890 to the present - Wall Street Journal
Archive to the full text pages of the Wall Street Journal from 1889-1990
Digital Images and Maps
The following links are to websites that contain digitized photographs and maps of New York City completely available online:
Architecture and Interior Design for 20th Century America: photographs by Samuel Gottscho and William Schleisner, 1935-1955
Comprised of over 29,000 images of interiors and exteriors of buildings and structures in the United States, especially New York City. The collection located in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress is accessible online
Early Real Estate Atlases of New York
Over 2,000 maps of New York City, including Manhattan and Brooklyn "fire insurance maps" from the 1850s-1860, showing streets, blocks, tax lots, natural and manmade features, and much more
New York City Map Portal
Provides access to maps, data and applications for a building, property or community, as well as neighborhood statistics
NYPL Digital Gallery
Digitized images of the New York Public Library that contains access to the following collection of photographs: 1913 supplement to the World's loose leaf album of apartment houses...; Apartment Houses of the Metropolis; "Classic 6": New York City Apartment Building Living, 1880s-1910s; Photographic Views of New York City, 1870s to 1970s; and The World's Loose Leaf Album of Apartment Houses
Picture Collection Online
A collection of over 30,000 digitized images from the Mid-Manhattan Picture Collection of The New York Public Library
Photographs, Ephemera and Clipping Files
Through the years differing institutions collected all types of ephemeral materials on the neighborhoods and boroughs they served. Here are some of the more richly accessible collections:
The Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History & Genealogy (Room 121)
A vast collection of photographs and clippings of New York City made up of the following:
- Photographic Views of New York City, 1870s to 1970s - over 54,000 photographs arranged by borough and street, now accessible online at http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/
- Collection of Photographs of New York City by the Wurts Brothers
- Lloyd Acker Collection of New York City Photographs 1935-1975
- New York City Clippings Files
- New York CityIllustrations File Card Index
- Scrapbooks, postcards and clippings by street and neighborhoods
- Real Estate Brochure Collection
Municipal Archives
Access to several very important microfilm collections made up of the following:
Department of Taxes Photographs (1939 to 1941) - every building in the five boroughs of New York City were photographed for valuation of real property
WPA-Federal Writers' Project - photographs (1936 to 1943) that were taken to illustrate New York City guidebooks Borough President Collections (Manhattan, Bronx and Queens – photographs (1900s to 1950s) taken to document construction of parks, beaches, highways, public buildings etc…
New York Historical Society
An extensive collection of materials relating to New York City that consists of prints, photographs, architectural drawings, maps, atlases and directories
Museum of the City of New York
Access to the Byron Collection a database that consists of over 22,000 photographs of New York City taken by the Byron Company between 1890 and 1942
Artist Files
A clippings file of ephemera on microfiche, located in the Art & Architecture Division, Room 300. It provides entries for architects, as well as architectural firms
Picture Collection at Mid-Manhattan Library
A collection of images located at the Mid-Manhattan Picture Collection of the New York Public Library
Blueprints, Plans and Maps
In obtaining a floor plan for a building can be a bit of a struggle, but here are some of the best places to go about locating a plan:
Department of Buildings
Maintain files containing construction applications, building permits, architectural drawings, blue prints and plans. Their Building Information System (BIS) provides a property overview, as well as violation and complaint information, actions and inspections. They began keeping records from 1865 onward and the boroughs began in 1898
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
An index to architectural periodicals, which includes archaeology, decorative arts, interior design, furniture, landscape architecture and city planning, as well as architects’ obituaries. The best resource to obtain information, drawings, plans and photographs on a building
Municipal Archives
Microfilm collections of the Department of Buildings docket books, landbooks, and records for new building and alteration applications for Manhattan from 1866 to 1959. Also the Assessed Valuation of Real Estate 1789-1979 collection that contains the name of the owner (or occupant) with a description of the property and its assessed valuation, which is useful for structures built prior to the Department of Buildings in 1866
Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division(Room 117)
Bromley and Sanborn Maps, Fire Insurance Maps, Block and Lot Maps, and Property Atlases, which will provide information on a building from the dimensions, buildings footprint and materials used in construction
Sanborn Maps, 1867-1970
Provides online maps for towns and cities in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. An online database available onsite in the HSSL Library
Books on Architectural Firm or Building
There may be a book or pamphlet on the building, architect or architectural firm. Search the Libraries online catalog, CATNYP by the name of the building (unless known by address) or the name of architect under ‘Subject‘, ‘Author’ or ‘Keyword’
Artist Files
A clippings file of ephemera on microfiche, located in the Art & Architecture Division, Room 300. It provides entries for architects, as well as architectural firms
Art Index Retrospective
Index to articles in major art and architecture periodicals and bulletins from 1929-1984. It is preceded by Art Full Text for 1984 to the present
Ownership: mortgages and deeds
If all places fail in locating information on a building, then perhaps the following resources may be able to shed some light on your address:
Office of the City Register
Access to Conveyance Records (deeds and mortgages), which may include information about: when the building was built, parties to the sale, buildings on the site, material used for construction and the name of the architect
ACRIS
Search property records and view the documents online for Manhattan, Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn from 1966 to the present
Property Shark
A property and real estate website that is searchable by address, borough and block level. Registration is required and a subscription needed for more than four searches per day
Mighty Maps
Online database that is searchable by address, intersection, block and lot, borough or map. Reports on NYC buildings and property including owners, tax liens, auctions, foreclosure sales, zoning, land use, lis pendens, building permits, tax values and comparables. Includes data on building residents and businesses. Professional edition is accessible onsite at SIBL through subscription.
Municipal Archives
Access to the microfilm collection of the Assessed Valuation of Real Estate 1789-1979 which contains the name of the owner (or occupant) with a description of the property and its assessed valuation. Especially useful for structures built prior to the Department of Buildings in 1866
Libraries
Check with local branch libraries, which may contain files or clippings of materials about the neighborhoods they serve:
- NYPL - Miriam & Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs, Art & Architecture Division
- NYPL - Irma and Paul Milstein Division of U.S. History, Local History & Genealogy
- NYPL - Lionel Pincus and Princess Firyal Map Division
- NYPL - Science, Industry & Business Library
- NYPL – Local Branch Libraries
- Brooklyn Public Library
- Queens Public Library
City Agencies
Department of Buildings (DOB)
Maintain files containing construction applications, building permits, architectural drawings, blue prints and plans. Their Building Information System (BIS) provides a property overview, as well as violation and complaint information, actions and inspections. The DOB began keeping records from 1865 onward, the boroughs began in 1898
Municipal Archives
Important microfilm collections that include the Department of Buildings docket books, tax records, land books and records for new building and alteration applications for Manhattan from 1866 to 1959. A wonderful photographic collection of New York City consisting of the Manhattan Borough President's Photograph Collection, the Tax Photographs (every building in the five boroughs was photographed between 1939 and 1941).Also the Assessed Valuation of Real Estate 1789-1979 collections that contains the name of the owner (or occupant) with a description of the property and its assessed valuation, which is useful for structures built prior to the Department of Buildings in 1866
Office of the City Register
Access to Conveyance Records (Deeds and Mortgages), which may include information about: when the building was built, parties to the sale, buildings on the site, material used for construction and the name of the architect
Historical Societies
Bronx County Historical Society
Collects all forms of historical material relating to The Bronx, including photographs, slides, atlases and maps. The archives also maintain documents, manuscripts, books, maps and city directories going back to pre-Civil War days, as well as an enormous collection of 19th and early 20th century photographs, prints and postcards of The Bronx
Brooklyn Historical Society
A significant collection of historic maps and atlases, which include several hundred historic Brooklyn atlases from the 19th and 20th century and copies of the block-by-block Brooklyn land conveyance records (dating back to the late 1600s). A database of 30,000 images and a collection of materials on the history of Brooklyn that includes bound volumes, images and manuscripts. A microfilm collection of Brooklyn and Long Island newspapers from the nineteenth and early twentieth century
New York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society has an extensive collection of materials relating to New York City. They have an excellent collection of prints, photographs, architectural drawings, maps, atlases and New York City Directories
Queens Historical Society
A research center that maintains a library and archive of primary and secondary source materials from maps, atlases, manuscripts, photographs, documents, family papers and ephemera on the history of Queens
Museums, Institutions and Universities
Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, Columbia University
A collection of architectural drawings and archives for New York City architects. They maintain an online Collections List that may be consulted for further information. Appointments must be scheduled to view these materials
Museum of the City of New York
A wonderful collection of photographs and prints of New York City from the nineteenth century to the present
Research Guides
These additional guides may help anyone who is beginning to research a building in New York City:
- Building & Construction: Finding Related Industry And Technologies Resources by the Science, Industry and Business Library of The New York Public Library
- A Guide to Architectural Research at NYHS by the New York Historical Society
- A Guide to Research Resources in New York City by the Landmarks Preservation Commission
- Guide to Researching the History of a New York City Building by Christopher Gray and the New York Society Library
- Hints on Researching New York City Buildings a word document by Andrew S.Dolkart
- How to Research a New York City Building by the Friends of the Upper East Side Historic District
- New York City Buildings: Research Guide by the Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University
- Real Estate Resources at SIBL by the Science, Industry and Business Library of The New York Public Library
- Washington Heights to Battery Park City: Researching Buildings in New York City by the Mid-Manhattan Art Collection of the New York Public Library
Images Online
1913 supplement to the World's loose leaf album of apartment houses...
Digitized version of the “1913 Supplement to the World's Loose Leaf Album” (New York: World, 1913) available in our Digital Gallery
Apartment Houses of the Metropolis
Digitized version available in our Digital Gallery at Apartment Houses of the Metropolis.
Architecture and Interior Design for 20th Century America: photographs by Samuel Gottscho and William Schleisner, 1935-1955
Comprised of over 29,000 images of interiors and exteriors of buildings and structures in the United States, including New York City. The collection located in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress is accessible online
"Classic 6": New York City Apartment Building Living, 1880s-1910s
More than 1,300 digital images depict elevation views and floor plans for middle and upper class apartment buildings from New York City's pre-World War I residential building boom
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)
The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) are collections that document the architecture, engineering and design of structures in the United States from the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. HABS and HAER collections include: measured drawings, photographs, transparencies, written histories and supplemental materials
NYPL Digital Gallery
NYPL Digital Gallery provides access to over 600,000 images digitized from primary sources and printed rarities in the collections of The New York Public Library, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, prints, photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera and much more
Old York Library
Contains books, maps, images, newspapers and memorabilia of New York City. Chronicles the history, geography, architecture, culture, politics and many other aspects that tell the story of New York City
Photographic views of New York City, 1870's-1970's
More than 54,000 New York City archival photographs from the 1870s-1970s, primarily consisting of exterior building views and neighborhood scenes from the 1910s-1940s. Tip: search by street and cross street
Picture Collection Online
A collection of over 30,000 digitized images from The New York Public Library, Mid-Manhattan Picture Collection
World's Loose Leaf Album of Apartment Houses: containing views and ground plans of the principal high class apartment houses in New York City, together with a map showing the situation of these houses, transportation facilities, etc.
Digitized version of “The World's Loose Leaf Album of Apartment Houses” (New York: World, 1910) available in our Digital Gallery
Internet Resources
Building Permits Database, 1900-1986 Digitized access to the building permit applications of New York City (Manhattan) from 1900-1986.It is searchable by address, owner, architect, building type and several other fields
Mighty Maps
Professional edition is accessible onsite at SIBL through subscription. Searchable by address, intersection, block and lot, borough or map. Reports on NYC buildings and property including owners, tax liens, auctions, foreclosure sales, zoning, land use, lis pendens, building permits, tax values and comparables. Includes data on building residents and businesses
New York Architecture Images and Notes
A website that provides information on the architecture, styles and images of New York
New York City Map Portal
Provides access to maps, data and applications for a building, property or community, as well as neighborhood statistics
New York City Property Research/Property Shark
Property and real estate website searchable by address, borough or block level. Registration is required and a subscription needed for more than six searches per day
New York City Skyscrapers
A study of New York City's skyscrapers, which have given the city much honor and prestige
Reed Design Reqistry
Search for architecture firms and businesses in the United States. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has derived it from their complete ProFile database and ProFile, the Architects Sourcebook. In the Web version you can search for firms by name, location, key personnel, special focus, and services.
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
Provides an index to architectural periodicals from 1979 to the present
Classes, Lectures & Tours
Municipal Art Society
A non-profit organization that promotes urban design, planning, contemporary architecture and historic preservation. They provide walking tours and lectures on the architecture of New York City
Gotham Center for New York City History
A public center devoted to the history of New York, the Gotham Center is part of the City University of New York's Graduate Center
Investigating New York City Architecture Class at The New York Public Library
A free class on researching the architecture of a building in New York City. The class introduces print and online resources within the collections of The New York Public Library, as well as resources in other New York City institutions