Guide to the Brooklyn City and Telephone Directories, BCMS.0064
Table of Contents
Summary Information
Scope and Contents
The Brooklyn City and Telephone Directories provide a wealth of information about individuals, businesses, occupations, advertising, and social class status, as well as practical neighborhood information such as street maps, public services, shopping and restaurant guides, maps of rapid transit systems, and more. The earliest city directories list names, addresses, and occupations of Brooklyn residents, while later directories include telephone numbers for individuals and businesses. The “elite” directories list names and addresses of Brooklyn’s wealthiest residents, and some include separate listings for wealthy residents of the town of Flatbush and Long Island.
Arrangement
The directories are held in three formats: digital, microfilm, and bound volumes. The collection is arranged in series by type and then format. Within each format, the arrangement is chronological.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Brooklyn Public Library - Brooklyn Collection , 2019
10 Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn, NY, 11238
718.230.2762
bcref@bklynlibrary.org
Access
Collection is located in the Brooklyn Collection at the Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza. The collection may only be used in the library and is not available through interlibrary loan. Requests to view the collection must be made at least 48 hours in advance of visit.
Use
While many items in the Brooklyn Collection are unrestricted, we do not own reproduction rights to all materials. Be aware of the several kinds of rights that might apply: copyright, licensing and trademarks. The researcher assumes all responsibility for copyright questions.
Related Materials
Kings County Historic Records Microfilm Collection
Controlled Access Headings
Genre(s)
- Telephone directories
Geographic Name(s)
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
Subject(s)
- New York (N.Y.)--Directories
Collection Inventory
Brooklyn and New York City DirectoriesThe Brooklyn city directories had various publishers and list names, addresses, and occupations of residents of Brooklyn. Most include a list of streets, city charter, public services and a map. Advertising appears in 1822. No directory was published in 1827-1828, 1911, or between 1914 and 1932. The 1933 and 1934 directories listed here are New York City directories that include Brooklyn. | ||||
1856-1858, 1862-1869, 1871, 1875, 1876, 1878-1880, 1883, 1884-1887, 1889, 1897, 1899, 1902-1904, 1906-1908 | ||||
Microfilm Brooklyn: 1796-1910, 1912-1914, 1933-34 The microfilmed Brooklyn directories are stored at the Central Library. New York: 1786-1926, 1931, 1933-1934 The microfilmed New York City directories are stored at the Central Library. | ||||
Bound volumes (original) 1854-1866, 1881, 1883-1887, 1889-1892, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1900-1913 The original bound volumes are stored at the Central Library, shelved outside the Center for Brooklyn History morgue. Note: Only available if the microfilm and digital versions cannot suffice. | ||||
Bound volumes (facsimile) 1856-1888, 1862-1869, 1871, 1874-1880, 1883-1887, 1889, 1897-1899, 1902-1904, 1906-1909 The facsimile bound volumes are shelved in the Center for Brooklyn History morgue. | ||||
Brooklyn Elite DirectoriesThese directories were published by George T. Lain, Lain & Healy, and George Upington and they list the names of Brooklyn's wealthiest householders classified by streets. They also include shopping guides and elite business directories. Flatbush and Long Island are listed separately in some volumes. | ||||
Microfilm 1878-1882, 1885-1890, 1897-1899, 1901, 1905-1908, 1913, 1914 The microfilmed directories are stored at the Central Library. | ||||
New York Telephone Directories, including Brooklyn White PagesThe New York Telephone Directories were published by the New York Telephone Company and they list Brooklyn telephone subscribers by surname. Most include information on business with the phone company, use of the directory, emergency calls, general information, local calls, out-of-town calls, and rates. The 1924-1943 white pages are paired with Classified Yellow Pages books. They include advertisers’ listings arranged by business headings, a how-to-use guide, maps of rapid transit, and postal information. | ||||
1909, 1910, 1914, 1915, 1917, 1920, 1924-1947, 1949-1967 | ||||
Microfilm 1905-1920, 1924-1947, 1949-1950, 1952-1955, 1957-1977 The microfilmed directories are stored at the Central Library. | ||||
Bound volumes 1962-2002, 2004-2012 The bound volumes are stored at the Central Library, shelved outside the Center for Brooklyn History morgue. Note: Only available if the microfilm and digital versions cannot suffice. | ||||
Brooklyn Classified Telephone Directory (Yellow Pages)The Brooklyn Classified Telephone Directories were published by the New York Telephone Company. They include alphabetized classified listings by subject. Most include advertising, maps of rapid transit lines, "Key to Street Numbers in Manhattan," U.S. Postal information, telephone equipment/services, calendar, and restaurant guide. | ||||
Microfilm 1944-1977 The microfilmed directories are stored at the Central Library. | ||||
Bound volumes 1948-1950, 1953-1998, 2000-2013 The bound volumes are stored at the Central Library, shelved outside the Center for Brooklyn History morgue. Note: Only available if the microfilm cannot suffice. | ||||
Brooklyn Address Books ("criss-cross” directories) | ||||
Microfilm 1929-1931, 1933-1961, 1963-1970, 1972-1980, 1986 The microfilmed directories are stored at the Center for Brooklyn History. They were published by the New York Telephone Company and list Brooklyn and Queens subscribers together. Most include telephone information (instructions), toll rates, and lists of public pay stations. | ||||
Bound volumes 1971-1978, 1980-1999, 2001-2017 The bound criss-cross directories are stored at the Central Library, shelved outside the Center for Brooklyn History morgue. They were published by Cole's. | ||||