The Albany Institute of History & Art Library is a non-circulating research library with collections related to the art, history, and culture of the upper Hudson Valley of New York. Collections include manuscript materials, photographs, maps, rare books, and other collections dating from the seventeenth century to the present.
This is a created collection incorporated by the staff of the Albany Institute of History & Art. The collection consists primarily of deeds with some additional legal documents and other materials.
The Schuyler Family was a prominent Dutch family in New York and New Jersey, with Philip Pieterse Schuyler immigrating to New Netherland and settling in Beverwyck before 1650. The family was connected by marriages to many of the other original settlers of New Netherland, and several members played important roles in the development of the new country. This collection contains correspondence, wills, estate records, and other documents.
The Hun family were descendants of 17th century Dutch settlers who became prominent and acquired property in and around the Albany area. This collection includes family papers.
This collection contains Rand’s personal papers including family correspondence, household bills and receipts, certificate of his marriage, and correspondence of Isaac McConihe.
The Pruyn Family Papers contains documents relating to three consecutive generations of the John Pruyn Family, along with genealogies and personal papers of more distant family relations. An autograph collection of presidents, statesmen, and local historic figures is included. The ownership of 43-45 North Pearl Street is documented from the first sale in 1679 to the last in 1968. The estates of Eleanor Erving, Justine Bayard Erving and Van Rensselaer Pruyn are also documented.
When Stephen van Rensselaer inherited the rights to the Manor of Rensselaerswyck in 1785, a survey of the holdings was made. The holdings were divided into two parts: the East Manor and the West Manor. The East Manor consisted of the areas known as Elizabethtown (Brunswick), Phillipstown (Nassau), Roxborough (Grafton), Greenbush, Schodack, Stephentown, Middletown, and Little Hoosick. This collection contains correspondence, financial records, reports, advertisements, troop rosters, property records, inventories, and other related materials.
This collection contains the research files of Florence Christoph. Research notes are on various Albany families such as Winne, Schuyler and the Van Rensselaers. There are no specific dates for when the research was undertaken, but the estimated dates are from the 1960s through the early 2000s. The researched information dates as far back as the late 1600s through the early 1900s.
William Law Learned Peltz (1882-1961) was an avid collector of Albany memorabilia and a philatelist. He had a lifelong interest in postage stamps and postal history and was a founding member of the Fort Orange Stamp Club in 1926. His stamps document postal history from the pre-stamp through stamp periods. This collection includes correspondence, scrapbooks, and stamps.
The subjects of the collection are the letters and communications of Former Mayors of the City of Albany to others. This collection contains receipts, licenses, property deeds, supply queries, and correspondence.