YWCA Newark Scrapbooks
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of 7 scrapbooks of newspaper clippings related to the YWCA of Newark. Subjects of the clippings include staff, funding and fund-raising, programs, and activities. A small number of articles cover the national YWCA, and women's issues in general. The clippings are primarily from Newark papers (the Newark News, the Newark Sunday Call, the Evening Star), but also include a few from New York papers (New York Herald Tribune and the New York Times).
Scrapbook 1 (October 1907-February 1911): includes articles related to fundraising for and construction of the new YWCA building on Washington Street; announcements regarding various classes and activities; and plans for a junior branch open to girls of all religions between the ages of 8 and 15 (January 1911)
Scrapbook 2 (February 1911-1919): By February 17, 1911, the goal of $250,000 had been reached for construction of the new building. This scrapbook contains some articles regarding fundraising, but the bulk of the articles are related to the construction of the new building and its dedication (October 1913). Also present are items regarding classes in dressmaking, millinery, cooking, housekeeping, and stenography, and other activities
Scrapbook 3 (February 1915-March 1917): includes a few programs for activities, including swimming and gymnasium demonstrations; articles regarding the YWCA's financial difficulties; and articles on programs and staff. Also in this scrapbook are articles regarding the need for a boarding-house for young working women. Several organizations took part in the discussion of the need for a boarding house including the Contemporary and church groups. By Feb 1917, the Y had opened a boarding-house, for women making "meager" wages, at 304 Washington Street.
Scrapbook 4 (October 1925-March 1927): consists primarily of clippings, including photographs of the YWCA hiking club, girls' business club, cooking classes, swim meets, pageants, etc.
Scrapbook 5 (April 1927-September 1936): contains material similar to that of the previous scrapbook, including many newspaper photographs of Camp Unaliye, a Newark YWCA camp at Bear Mountain, and as notice of Mrs. Joseph Riker, chairman of Colored Work of the YWCA, sponsoring a talk on "inter-racial development" (May 10, 1931)
Scrapbook 6 (April 1927-July 1936): consists of material similar to that of the previous scrapbooks, including a series of articles on the plight of homeless women in Newark by Karyl Kanet, a reporter for the Newark Ledger, who went undercover for her reporting (December 1932- January 1933)
NOTE: the scrapbooks are very fragile, consult staff for access.
NOTE: 1 additional scrapbook of YWCA material (1907-1917) can be found in the scrapbook collection MG Nwk YM YWCA; see also MG Nwk YM YWCA HA.
Dates
- 1907 - 1936
Creator
- Young Women's Christian Association (Newark, N.J.) (Organization)
Conditions Governing Use
Photocopying of materials is limited and no materials may be photocopied without permission from library staff. Researchers wishing to publish, reproduce, or reprint materials from this collection must obtain permission.
Biographical / Historical
The Newark branch of the YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) was founded in 1871 during a meeting held at the YMCA on Broad and West Park Sts. Before the year was out, the women had rented a building of their own on East Park St. The first president of Newark's YWCA was Mary Virginia Terhune (writer "Marion Harland"), wife of Edward P. Terhune. In 1872 the organization moved to quarters on 50 Atlantic St., and 23 women were soon receiving room and board there for three dollars a week. In 1873 the organization was officially incorporated, and moved to 315 Mulberry St., where 40 women boarders could be accommodated. Emphasis on Bible study dominated the early years of the YWCA, but the organization gradually added classes in domestic science, including needle-work instruction, millinery, and cooking; business courses in stenography and typing; arts instruction; and classes in physical education, especially swimming, gymnastics, and dance.
In 1911, after many years of occupying a variety of rental or retro-fitted properties, the YWCA began construction of a new building that would include a gymnasium, lunchroom, and library, among other amenities, at 53 Washington Street. At the time of construction, the YWCA had 1,200 members. A committee of 400, headed by Mrs. Addison B. Poland, and Miss Jessie Fairlie, raised over $250,000 for the project. The names of the captains of various fund-raising teams and their weekly totals of new subscribers and amounts raised, were regularly reported in the newspapers.
Extent
7 Volumes
Language of Materials
English
Creator
- Young Women's Christian Association (Newark, N.J.) (Organization)
- Author
- No finding aid, text from catalog and nap.rutgers.edu (Newark Archives Project).
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Charles F. Cummings New Jersey Information Center, Newark Public Library Repository
3rd Floor
Newark Public Library
5 Washington St.
Newark NJ 07102 United States
973-733-7775
njreference@npl.org