Digitized Historical Business Periodicals from the Library's Collection: Pt. 1

By Bogdan Horbal, Curator, Slavic and East European Collections
December 5, 2017
Thomas Yoseloff Business Center

Superintendent Joseph G. Cogswell argued that the “leading object” of the Astor Library (the predecessor to The New York Public Library)  was “to provide a complete ‘Bibliotheque Industrielle’ or collection of books for the special benefit of practical industry”.  (Lydenberg, p. 27). In his report  to the trustees of the Astor Library for years 1852 and 1853 he elaborated further on this subject stressing that the library led by him needed to "(...) enable the scientific enquirer to track the progress of knowledge and discovery to its last step; to furnish to the mechanic arts and practical industry in general, the help and guidance required from books; to make the artist familiar with the history, character and style of the great masters of his art; to call up to the student the past, in all the wide range of imagination and thought, and provide the best and healthiest intellectual food for the minds of all ages and classes.(...)" (Lydenberg, p. 32) 

The practical industry collection developed side by side with those covering humanities and social sciences was first indeed limited mostly to books. Thus in 1897, Dr. John Shaw Billings, the first director of The New York Public Library "enlarged greatly the subscription list of periodicals, adding hundreds of titles in the fields of commerce, finance, trade, industry, technology and other similar lines." He also commenced the systematic indexing of these titles in the library's card catalog. (Lydenberg, 365) For decades to come, the Library continued to develop its research-level resources by “collecting comprehensively in most areas within economics and business administration” (Williams, p. 172). Prolonged cultivation by subject specialists accounts for the collections’ enduring utility.    

Responding to current information delivery practices, the Library has been working with Google to have a portion of its older pre-1923 collections digitized. Among nearly half a million volumes digitized so far (and deposited in  HathiTrust) there is a good number of business, trade, and industry periodicals. They cover all aspects of conducting business, from technology, administration, manufacture,  logistics to marketing, packaging, wholesale and retail. Below is a listing of some of the titles that have been digitized. In addition to their out of copyright status, they were chosen for digitization based on their physical condition and completeness of their runs. Although many of these titles ceased, some are continued under different titles or were absorbed by other titles many of which are in the Science, Industry and Business Library's collection. SIBL has also continued to collect numerous newer business, technology and trade journals in print and these days more and more often in electronic format, but they are not mentioned below.

General Business

American Exchange And Review

"A journal of finance, insurance, manufactures, patents, trade, commerce, mining and railway intelligence, art, joint stock corporation interests, science, general information, etc. etc.; an expositor of social and economic science."

Digitized issues: v. 17 (1870), v. 21 (1872)-v. 27 (1875), -v. 29 (1876)-v. 32 (1878), v. 34 (1880)-v. 35 (1881), v. 38 (1884)-v. 39 (1885), v. 45 (1891)--v. 46 (1892), v. 48 (1894), v. 51 (1897)-v. 59 (1905).

NYPL has in print: v. 17 (1870)-v. 85 (1931).

The Business Philosopher

Digitized issues: v. 2 (1906)-v. 5 (1909), v. 9 (1913)-v. 10 (1914).

NYPL has in print: v. 2 (1906)-v. 10 (1914).

Business, The Magazine For Office, Store and Factory

Digitzed issues: v. 14 (1901/1902) - v. 15 (1902, v. 17 1904), v. 19 (1907) -v. 20 (1908), v. 25 (1910), v. 28 (1912), v. 31 (1913)-v. 35 (-1915).

NYPL has in print: v. 11-(1899)-v. 35 (-1915).

The Business Woman's Magazine

Digitzed issues: v. 1 (1903)-v. 2 (1904),  v. 4 (1905).

NYPL has in print: v. 1 (1903)-v. 6 (1906).

Human Engineering

"A magazine for employers and employees published to provide a means of exchanging experiences on the human side of industry and a forum for the discussion of the conservation of human energy."

Digitzed issues: v. 1 (1911)-v. 2 (1912).

NYPL has in print: v. 1 (1911)-v. 2 (1912).

Merchant's Magazine And Commercial Review

Digitzed issues: v. 2 (1840)-v. 10 (1844), v. 12 (1845), v. 16 (1847)-v. 17 (1847), v. 19 (1848)-v. 22 (1850), v. 24 (1851)-v. 30 (1854), v. 32 (1855)-v. 35 (1856), v. 37 (1857)-v. 42 (1860), v. 45 (1861), v. 49 (1863), v. 52 (1865), v. 55 (1866)-v. 56 (1867), v. 59 (1868)-v. 60 (1869), v. 62 (1870)-v. 63 (1870).

NYPL has in print: v. 1 (1839)-v. 63 (1870).

The Southern Merchant

Digitzed issues: v. 13-14 (1905), v. 17 (1906)-v. 21 (1908).

NYPL has in print: v. 10 (1904)-v. 32 (1919).

Advertising & Marketing

Ad Sense: Devoted To The Interests Of Buyers Of Advertising

Digitized issues: v. 12 (1902)-v. 20 (1906). 

NYPL has in print:  v. 8 (1900)-v. 21 (1906).

Art In Advertising: An Illustrated Monthly For Business Men

Digitized issues: v. 3 (1891)-v. 9 (1895).

NYPL has in print: v. 1 (1890)-v. 9  (1895).

Electrical Merchandising

Digitized issues: v. 13 (1914)-v. 27 (1922).

NYPL has in print: v. 16 (1916)-v. 91 (1959).

Printers' Ink: The Magazine Of Advertising, Management And Sales

Digitized issues: v. 86 (1914), v. 113 (1920), v. 115 (1921), v. 117 (1921)-v. 120 (1922).

NYPL has in print: v. 2 (1888)-v. 295 (1967).

 

 

Packaging & Storage

American Bottler

Digitized issues: v. 23 (1903)-v. 33 (1913), v. 35 (1915), v. 37 (1917), v. 40 (1920), v. 42 (1921).

NYPL has in print: 23 (1903)-v. 44 (1924)

Cold Storage And Produce Review

Digitized issues: v. 14 (1911)-v. 23 (1920), v. 25 (1922).

NYPL has in print:  v. 14 (1911)-v. 42 (1939).

Fibre Containers: Paperboard Mill And Paperboard Box Industries

Digitized issues: v. 1 (1916)-v. 7 (1922).

NYPL has in print:  v. 1 (1916)-v. 36 (1951).

Ice And Cold Storage

Digitized issues: v. 4 (1901)-v. 5 (1902), v. 7 (1904), v. 10 (1907)-v. 11 (1908).

NYPL has in print: v. 4 (1901)-v. 42 (1939).

Ice And Refrigeration

Digitized issues: v. 2 (1892)-v. 9 (1895), v. 13 (1897), v. 15 (1898)-v. 17 (1899), v. 20 (1901)-v. 26 (1904).

NYPL has in print: v. 1, no. 5 (1891), v. 2 (1892)-v. 125 (1953).

The Package Advertiser

Digitized issues: v. 1 (1913)-v. 4 (1916), v. 6 (1918)-v. 10 (1922).

NYPL has in print: v. 1 (1913)-v. 19 (1931). 

The Packages

Digitized issues: v. 6 (1903)-v. 7 (1904), v. 9 (1906)-v. 19 (1916), v. 21 (1918)-v. 25 (1922).

NYPL has in print:  v. 5 (1902)-v. 32 (1929).

The Paper Box And Bag Maker

Digitized issues: v. 39 (1915)-v. 42 (1916), v. 45 (1918)-v. 52 (1921).

NYPL has in print: 1905-1958.

 

 

 

 

Transportation & Shipping

The Express Gazette

Digitized issues: v. 1 (1876)-v. 2 (1877), v. 4 (1879)-v. 5 (1880), v. 9 (1884), v. 17 (1892)-v. 21 (1896), v. 28 (1903), v. 44 (1919)-v. 47 (1922).

NYPL has in print: v. 1 (1876)-v. 89 (1963)

The Highway Magazine

Digitized issues: v. 5 (1914)-v. 8 (1918).

NYPL has in print: v. 5 (1914)-v. 56 (1965).

Pacific Marine Review

Digitized issues: v. 9 (1912), v. 12 (1915), v. 15 ( 1918)-v. 16 (1919), v. 18 (1921).

NYPL has in print: v. 3 (1906)-v. 47 (1950). 

International Railway Journal

Digitized issues: v. 6 (1898/1899)-v. 12 (1904/1905), v. 14 (1906/1907), v. 17 (1909/1910)-v. 18 (1910/1911), v. 26 (1918/1919).

NYPL has in print: v. 6 (1898/1899)-v. 40 (1932).

Marine Review

Digitized issues: v. 19-20 (1899), v. 31 (1905)-v. 40 1910),  v. 42 (1912)- v. 52 (1922).

NYPL has in print: v. 17 (1898)-v. 65 (1935)

The Railway Age

Digitized issues: v. 30 (1900)-v. 32 (1901), v. 38 (1904), v. 43 (1907).

NYPL has in print: v. 29 (1900)-v 45 (1908).

Trade And Transportation

Digitized issues: v. 7 (1907)-v. 14 (1913).

NYPL has in print:  v. 3 (1905), v. 6 (1906)-v. 14 (1913).

Tramway And Railway World/Transport World

Digitized issues: v. 9 (1900), v. 28 (1910)-v. 29 (1911), v. 33 (1913), v. 35 (1914)-v. 41 (1917), v. 47-48 (1920), v. 51 (1922).

NYPL has in print: 1897-1968.

 

 

 

Continued in pt. 2