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TABLE OF CONTENTSInventory |
Guide to the Joseph Sandor Photographs
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Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator | Sandor, Joseph | |
| Title | Joseph Sandor Photographs, | |
| Dates: | 1940-1983 | |
| Abstract: | The Joseph Sandor Photographs document the various locations within Astoria, East Elmhurst, and Long Island City in the form of prints and negatives. The majority of the photographs were taken in Astoria. The photographs are a combination of 5x7 inch prints, as well as 5 ½ x 12 inch negative and print landscape photographs, and primarily consist of images of buildings and streets. There is also a manuscript (hand-drawn) map of Astoria made by George Henke, which marks where the photographs were taken. | |
| Extent: | 3 boxes, 1.3 cubic feet | |
| Identification: | S-34 | |
| Location: | The material is located in the Archives at Queens Library. | |
Historical/Biographical Note
Joseph Sandor was born on June 18, 1908, and died on January 1984. He was the son of Sophia and Lazlo Sandor, who immigrated to the United States from Hungary. Lazlo was born in Hungary on December 2, 1868, and later came to America on August 27, 1891. It is unclear when Sophia was born and came to America. Sophia and Lazlo resided on 56 East 103rd Street in Manhattan, for at least one year, though it is possible that they had moved from this address.
Joseph Sandor previously resided on 27-28 2nd Street, Long Island City, NY with his wife Edna. This address no longer exists, as the street has since been torn down and replaced by the Astoria Houses. Later on, he may have moved to 83-35 139th Street, Kew Gardens, NY. He worked as a tool maker for a valve shop. Later on, he may have worked at Straus’s Photo Studios during the late 1930s. It is possible that he had positions outside of those listed here, although this cannot be verified.
As a photographer, he specialized in taking pictures of urban landscapes, particularly those within Queens. The photographs in this collection were taken while he was living in Astoria during the 1940s, when he took 100+ photographs of Astoria, as well as the areas of Long Island City and East Elmhurst. Sandor’s photographs are unique in that they are designed to provide a window of Queens during this time period. A number of the photographs depict the Astoria Houses, which were positioned upon the area of Sandor’s former residence, as it was first being constructed. Another noteworthy region in Sandor’s photographs was LaGuardia Airport, which was still in its formative years when Sandor began his venture into photography.
Sources:Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.
Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009.
Ancestry.com. Social Security Death Index [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009.
Ancestry.com. Selected U.S. Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1790-1974 (World Archives Project) [database on-line].
Polk’s New York City (Borough of Queens) Directory 1933-1934. Copyright 1933, by R.L. Polk and Co., Inc.
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Scope and Content Note
The Joseph Sandor Photographs document the various locations within Astoria, East Elmhurst, and Long Island City in the form of prints and negatives. The majority of the photographs were taken in Astoria. The photographs are a combination of 5x7 inch prints, as well as 5 ½ x 12 inch negative and print landscape photographs, and primarily consist of images of buildings and streets. There is also a manuscript (hand-drawn) map of Astoria made by George Henke, which marks where the photographs were taken.
The majority of the photographs in the collection feature photographs of Astoria, NY. They depict such locations as the Astor Hotel, the Sohmer Piano Company, the W.I.N.S. radio antennas, St. George’s Churchyard, Hallet’s Cove, and various other regions. The photographs also feature the Astoria Houses, which were being constructed on the site of Sandor’s former residence.
The East Elmhurst photographs feature LaGuardia Airport from two different locations. One photograph features the areas of Jackson Mill pond, the LaGuardia Terminal, a lagoon and Grand Central Parkway, and another depicts the NYC skyline and Hellgate bridges in the distance.
The Long Island City photographs depict two locations around VanDam Street. The first shows the corner of VanDam Street and 47th Avenue, while the other depicts VanDam Street from the West Side, between 47th Avenue and Queens Boulevard.
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Arrangement
The photographs are arranged in numeric order, and each photograph has been given a JSP code.
The prints and negatives are separated into three boxes. The 5x7 inch prints are contained in a 5x7 inch box, while the landscape negatives and prints are contained in larger boxes. The manuscript map created by George Henke is contained with the prints.
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Creator of item, date of item (if known), identification of item, if a photograph its control number. The Joseph Sandor Photographs, Archives at Queens Library, Queens Borough Public Library.
Provenance
Joseph Sandor gave the photographs to George Henke in 1970. George Henke donated the photographs to the Queens Library in 1983.
Access Restrictions
Open for research without restrictions. Manuscripts are only available in the Archives at Queens Library, please call (718) 990-0770 for hours. Manuscript users will be required to complete the division's Manuscript Usage Form and deposit their photograph identification or Queens Borough Public Library card with a staff member. The identification will be returned to the user after she/he has returned the material. Manuscript users will deposit all their personal items behind the reference desk. Manuscript users must use the division's loose sheets of paper for note taking. To reiterate, no pen of any type is permitted. Paper and a pencil are available upon request. Manuscript users may be required to use special handling procedures depending on the conditions of the material.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
- Archives at Queens Library
- Queens Borough Public Library
- 89-11 Merrick Boulevard
- Jamaica, NY 11432
- Phone: (718) 990-0770.
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Access Points
Subject Names:
- Sandor, Joseph
Subject Places:
- Astoria (New York, N.Y.)
- East Elmhurst (New York, N.Y.)
- Long Island City (New York, N.Y.)
- Queens (New York, N.Y.)
Document Types:
- Maps
- Photographs
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Inventory
[The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.]
