Mary Flagler Cary photograph collection
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of photographs taken on the Cary Estate in Millbrook, New York and New York City. Most photographs are black and white Polaroids, while there is also a selection of color photographs. Numerous photos have been taken to document the growth of particular trees and shrubs on the property as can be seen in the date and time notations on the photos. Separate, handwritten notes are included but largely indecipherable.
The photographs taken in New York City appear to document the construction of an unidentified building from a vantage point across the street. Many photographs are undated, but appear to have been taken all around the same time from the early 1950s through the 1960s. There is also a small collection of unidentified family photographs.
Dates
- 1954-1963
Biographical / Historical
Mary Flagler, beneficiary of part of the Standard Oil fortune, and her husband Melbert Cary sought respite from New York City at their Millbrook country home. What began as a single estate grew into over 778 hectares (1,924 aces) as the couple purchased 14 farms and properties surrounding the Cannoo Hills west of the village. They built a cottage, named the Tea House, atop one of the two hills and let nature take its course. The surrounding fields and pastures became a refuge for local wildlife. After Mr. Cary died in 1941, Mrs. Cary tended to the property, taking a special interest in the maple trees.
Following her death in 1967, Mary Flagler Cary left her Millbrook estate to a trust. The Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust was formed to ensure the maintenance and preservation of her property and to foster "...scientific, ...educational purposes," by a charitable organization "...engaged in the conservation, maintenance, and preservation of natural resources...". In 1971, The New York Botanical Garden was named the custodian of the property, and in 1993 the Cary Arboretum became the Institute for Ecosystem Studies and operates as an independent institution.
Extent
2.5 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Other Finding Aids
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Kathleene Konkle
- Date
- March 2005
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Processed March 2005 by Kathleene Konkle under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) PA-50678-04.
Repository Details
Part of the New York Botanical Garden, Mertz Archives Repository
New York Botanical Garden, Mertz Library
2900 Southern Boulevard
Bronx NY 10458 United States
ssinon@nybg.org