Papers and correspondence including letters from leading intellectuals of the United States and Europe. Much of this correspondence pertains to the publication and critical discussion of his two influential works, MANHOOD OF HUMANITY : THE SCIENCE AND ART OF HUMAN ENGINEERING (1921) and SCIENCE AND SANITY : AN INTRODUCTION TO NON-ARISTOTELIAN SYSTEMS AND GENERAL SEMANTICS (1933).
Correspondence, manuscripts of poems, and manuscripts of lectures by Benjamin. The correspondence consists of original letters of Benjamin, typescript and photostatic copies of Benjamin letters in other libraries, and letters to Benjamin from some of his literary contemporaries including Paul Hamilton Hayne, Willis Gaylord Clark, John Lothrop Motley, and Fitz-Greene Halleck. Many of the letters relate to Park Benjamin's lecture tours. There are other family letters and many documents relating to the Benjamin family,and two letterbooks of John Lothrop Motley. Also, a large amount of genealogical material of the Benjamin family, and its related families from the 16th century to the present day. There are also financial records, monographs, clippings, and photographs.
Correspondence, much of which was created or forwarded by Bauman Belden (ANS secretary, 1896-1903, 1905-1916) to Charles Pryer (treasurer, 1889-1915), on matters of ANS business such as bills owed, membership dues, and pledged funds allocated for specific purposes. There are very few copies of correspondence from Pryer. Also contains receipts, including bills and invoices stamped as paid, and canceled checks for materials and services such as printing, journal subscriptions, coal, gas, electricity, cleaning, insurance, carpentry, rent, medal production, office supplies, postage, and, occasionally, materials purchased for ANS collections. There are notable developments that occurred during the period covered by the records that are documented here. Matters relating to the membership of Archer M. Huntington, who joined in 1899, include his declining an invitation to speak at the Society (1898), increasing his membership level to Life Member (1900), his election to the presidency and Belden’s positive feelings about the move (1905), and Huntington’s request for information about the collecting interests of individual members (1905). In 1906 the Society moved into temporary headquarters at the Hispanic Society of America’s building on Manhattan’s Audubon Terrace, and in 1908 it occupied its own newly constructed building next door on land donated by Huntington. Materials relating to the move include letters, bills, and receipts having to do with transporting materials to the site and constructing and furnishing the new building. The ANS during this period also began to employ its first paid staff. Included are monthly receipts for the salary of the Society’s first employee, building maintenance worker Nelson P. Pehrson (for work beginning in 1908). There are numerous letters, bills, and receipts relating to the funding of the Society’s School for Coin and Medal Designing and Die Cutting (in operation from 1901 to 1905), including receipts for payment signed by one of the school’s instructors, Victor David Brenner. Before moving to Audubon Terrace, the Society used rented rooms in various locations for its collections and meetings. Included here are rent receipts the New York Academy of Medicine (rented 1893-1902) and Union Dime Savings Institution (rented 1902-1905), as well as a signed lease for the latter. Also included are receipts for the Society’s new seal designed by Brenner (1907) and for a loving cup presented to Edward Groh (1900), both produced by Tiffany & Co., and for the binding of two volumes of manuscript materials relating to the Society’s Grant’s Tomb medal (1899). The item given the earliest date (1866) is an unsigned manuscript copy of the resolution merging the Society with the New York Numismatic Society.
Correspondence relating to the financial activities of the Building Committee created in 1906 in response to ANS president Archer M. Huntington’s offer to donate land for an ANS headquarters building on Audubon Terrace in upper Manhattan. Topics include disbursement of funds, the recording of donations, committee appointments, and the scheduling of meetings. The records appear to have been kept by Charles Pryer, ANS treasurer from 1889 to 1915. There are numerous letters from Bauman L. Belden (ANS secretary, 1896-1903 and 1905-1916) concerning business transactions. Other correspondents include Archer M. Huntington (president, 1905-1909) and the building’s architect, Charles P. Huntington. There is only one letter from 1905: Pryer to Belden expressing reservations about the establishment of a building fund. By 1908 the building was under construction and the records include receipts (itemized bills marked as paid) for furnishings such as desks, a rug, a scale, and a vault, as well as for construction and electrical work. Also present is a report of the building committee (May 20, 1907).
