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TABLE OF CONTENTSInventory |
Guide to the Twentieth Century Club of Richmond Hill Records
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Descriptive Summary | ||
| Creator | Twentieth Century Club (Richmond Hill, New York, N.Y.) | |
| Title | Twentieth Century Club of Richmond Hill Records, | |
| Dates: | 1899-1987 | |
| Abstract: | The Twentieth Century Club of Richmond Hill was an organization that promoted the beautification and upkeep of the Richmond Hill community in Queens. Founded in 1898 and incorporated in 1903 the organization has held numerous programs and services to help people in the Richmond Hill area. It also encourages co-operation between the community and members with the development of different committees within the club. Many of the events created by the club are documented in scrapbooks and paraphernalia. | |
| Extent: | 7 boxes, 5.5 cubic feet | |
| Identification: | T-8 | |
| Location: | The material is located in the Archives at Queens Library. | |
Historical/Biographical Note
The Twentieth Century Club of Richmond Hill was created in 1898 by women that were already a part of the Red Cross Auxiliary #72 of Richmond Hill. That organization had come together to help soldiers and sailors during the Spanish-American war. The women decided to work together to create a club that worked towards the civic and social improvement of the Richmond Hill community. The Twentieth Century Club was founded on the spirit of co-operation.
The first major accomplishment of the organization was the creation of the Free Public Library of Richmond Hill in 1899. The idea for a Free Public Library originated at the first Twentieth Century Club meeting on January 9th, 1899. It was also at this meeting that the club adopted its constitution and by-laws. The library opened its doors only 11 weeks later on April 8th, 1899. The club then created a Choral Society to benefit the artistic life of the community. Priding itself on its Philanthropic work the club provided clothing and food for underprivileged families with Food drives and also providing access to hospitals for the sick.
The Twentieth Century Club also created various committees to help promote their works and provide activities for people in the Richmond Hill community. One of the committees, the Civic Committee, was instrumental in acquiring funds to help build a fountain that was placed in front of the public library. Some of the other Committees within the club are:
The American Home Department/Home Economics Committee focused on beautifying the homes of members and promoting good housekeeping. This committee took part in the annual Table Setting contest.
The Fine Arts Department/Literary Committee created a Book club to inspire the literary curiosity of the Richmond Hill community.
The Garden Department has annual Flower shows to encourage the upkeep of gardens in the community.
The Junior League focused on creating an atmosphere for younger members to work towards finding new ways to develop and build up the community.
The Sunshine Committee was devoted to helping the poor and the sick.
The members of the various committees held programs and events to encourage community co-operation and promote the works of the Twentieth Century club. Members were able to correspond with different clubs and businesses locally and nationally. This included tours of businesses and visits from prominent people from various industries.
The Scrapbooks series has Newspaper clippings and advertisements from all of the Twentieth Century Club events from 1899-1974.
The Twentieth Century Club was incorporated on January 20, 1903.
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Scope and Content Note
The Twentieth Century Club of Richmond Hill Records (7 boxes, 5.5 cubic feet) is made up of seven series related to the activities of the organization. The series are arranged in alphabetical order by subject and are then arranged chronologically within the folders. The series are:
The series Bonds, Deeds, & Titles (5 folders, 1911-1954) consists of documents related to property owned by the Twentieth Century Club of Richmond Hill. Part of the organizations activities was acquiring property that they would sometimes rent or create to beautify an area. These documents include paper work on the Richmond Hill library fountain, Richmond Hill Masonic Temple, and the construction of a building on Walnut Court. These documents contain deeds to the property and any correspondence related to the areas.
Events, Flyers, & Programs (2 folders, 1905; 1935-1943) series contain advertisements and news clippings related to the activities of the organization. Emphasis is placed on the annual Flower shows that the organization would have at the Masonic Temple. There is also a written history of the group for the years 1935-1936. There are also two invitations for a Table setting contest. There is also a book of recipes that the club put together in 1905 made up of different instructions on cookery from various members. Included in this series is a certificate of membership into the Twentieth Century Club, the Twentieth Century Club Song, and Committee descriptions.
The Handbooks (5 folders, 1899-1944) series includes annual membership handbooks from the years 1899-1944. The handbooks provided members with a listing of the various names and committees that made up the club. There is also a listing of the Twentieth century club constitution and by-laws.
Meeting Minutes (2 boxes & 2 folders; 1899-1987) includes written notebooks that detail the events and decisions made by the organization and its various committees.
This series includes two large leather bound notebooks that contain all of the minutes from 1902-1987. The series also has a Treasurer’s report from the years 1899-1902 and a listing of dues paid from 1922-1927.
Portraits (1 box; 1934) is made up of two suede bound books containing pictures of Twentieth Century Club members from 1934. Each page has a picture of a member with a number that corresponds to a name at the front of the book. If the member is a part of a committee it is also listed next to their name.
The series Scrapbooks (3 boxes, 1899-1974) consists of eight leather bound scrapbooks that contain newspaper clippings and articles about the Twentieth Century Club from 1899-1974. Any mention of the club or of prominent women in the Richmond Hill area is highlighted and collected. The clippings are arranged in alphabetical order.
The Subject Files (2 folders, 1903; 1940-1942) series contain documents about the Twentieth Century Club. The first folder contains annual bulletins from the organization covering the years 1940-1942. The bulletins were presented monthly to Twentieth Century Club members as an update on the upcoming month’s events. The second folder contains the notarized document of the Twentieth Century Club’s incorporation. There is also a large booklet called the “Journal of the Twentieth Century Club” which contains a brief history of the club with poems and short stories contributed by club members.
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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 Twentieth Century Club of Richmond Hill Records, Archives at Queens Library, Queens Borough Public Library.
Provenance
These records were donated to the Queens Library Archives by the Twentieth Century Club of Richmond Hill chapter.
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 Places:
- Richmond Hill (New York, N.Y.)
Subject Organizations:
- Twentieth Century Club (Richmond Hill, New York, N.Y.)
Subject Topics:
- Community development
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Inventory
[The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.]
