The archive consists of 250 + letters, drawings, invoices, leases, mortgages, bonds, and deeds related to the 516 Broadway, New York, NY, which was owned then by Edward Livingston and his partner. The bulk of the material consists of correspondence from the architects, Hugh Lamb and Charles Rich, who were hired to convert a portion of the building into stores. They worked with Cornell Iron Works, Otis Elevator etc. and approved all work and payment of bills.

Alan Burnham (1913–1984) was an American architect and architectural historian who served as the Executive Director of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission from 1965 to 1973 as well as the Commission's Director of Research. This collection consists mainly of reference materials related to architectural history and New York City architectural history, as well as professional papers and papers relating to Richard Morris Hunt and the history of New York City apartment buildings.