In the early morning hours of March 29, 1911, a fire broke out in the New York State Capitol at Albany. By sunset, the collection of the New York State Library, then housed in the Capitol, had been reduced to ashes.
Much of the New York State Library's collections were lost in the 1911 fire. Many items that did survive the fire emerged from the destruction with lasting marks of disaster. The Van Rensselaer Manor papers, painstakingly preserved by the family for 250 years, were severely damaged. Even cards in the card catalog were affected! You can find images of the damaged items on our Capitol Fire LibGuide.
Fall River and its industries
Other surviving materials show telltale signs of the fire but remain legible.
Fall river and its industries, pictured below, also survived the Capitol Fire. This 280-page volume was published in 1877, and includes illustrations, a folded map, and genealogical tables, to name a few exciting features. In the photos, the book is undergoing assessment and care in the NYS Library’s Preservation unit. Click on either photo to enlarge it.
Item Details for Further Exploration
Fall River and its industries: an historical and statistical record of village, town, and city, from the date of the original charter of the freemen's purchase in 1656 to the present time. With valuable statistical tables, family genealogies, etc., illustrated by views and portraits on steel. NYS Library call number 974.48 qF191.
In addition, the NYS Library’s Manuscripts and Special Collections (MSC) unit maintains the New York State Library Fire Collection, comprising materials from 1899-1942 that document the 1911 fire and the Library's efforts to rebuild its collections. Are you interested in digging deeper into these items? Ask the MSC librarians!