By Vanessa Carney, Archival Intern
Title: Receiving Tomb Records 1853-1965
Extent: 3.0 Boxes
Arrangement:
1. Primary: Index Tabs - Alphabetical by first letter of last name
2. Secondary: Rows - Chronological by year
Entries are presented in rows with column headers as follows: DATE, NAME, NO. OF LOT, NO. OF COFFIN, ADULT, CHILD, WHEN REMOVED, TO WHAT LOT AND GRAVE, REMARKS
The “REMARKS” column usually contains one of the following: a set of initials (“Do”), a name followed by an “undertaker” title, the term “Permanent”, or a name and address. At times, the person listed shares the surname of the interred; thus it can be surmised that this column indicates the person who either requested or gave permission to execute the move.
Subjects: Cemeteries--United States--History--19th Century, Receiving Tomb
The collection includes three books of Receiving Tomb records for The Green-Wood Cemetery spanning roughly 1853-1965, with gaps from 1864-1873 and 1890-1904. Each record indicates when the interred person was transported to and from the Receiving Tomb, and where they were subsequently interred.
Found among the pages of each book are various Green-Wood financial notices and customer inquiries written on letterheads, which may be of interest to design, typography, postage, architectural, linguistic, and vintage machinery researchers. Click each box for more detail.
The overall condition of the collection is poor. The books appear to bound in leather originally; two books sport a cloth cover and one has a brown paper cover. Covers are largely stained, torn, and rotted, particularly around the spine. In some cases, the spine is not longer intact. Page corners and edges are badly stained and curled, and some pages are stuck together. Use caution when handling.
CONDITION: Extremely poor. Cloth cover is largely stained and torn, particularly around the spine. The spine itself is severely damaged and no longer intact. Corners and edges of pages are badly stained and curled. The final pages are stuck together.
CONTENTS: This book appears to be missing several pages of B names. Tab B terminates at 1861 with a note saying “See Letter C"; however, the end of Tab C does not appear to contain any further B names as this note suggests; instead, Tab C contains a two-page insert of L names spanning 1855-1858. Unlike the other boxes in this collection, this book doesn't contain many additional inserts. One small addendum dated March 7, 1859 was included inside the front cover, listing several alphabetized names, dates, lot numbers, and grave numbers.
CONDITION: Very poor. Original leather cover is severely damaged and covered in brown wrapping paper. Spine remains intact but is at risk. Pages are extremely darkened, torn, and curled around the edges.
CONTENTS: There appear to be two sets of covers placed within this book. One is tucked inside the front cover and another was found in the middle of Tab B, suggesting two books were combined. Additionally, various loose papers and addendums are glued onto interior pages throughout. There are occasional references to “Retention Books #2 and #3”, which may be a similar book listing the remains “retained” within the Receiving Tomb.
Several loose pieces of paper are found inside the front cover, as well as tucked in before the title page. They include various status, billing, and change requests, several of which may be of interest to graphic design, typography, postage stamp, architectural, and vintage machinery researchers: Bay Ridge Manufacturing Co.; J.H. Breslin & Bro. Proprietors letterhead featuring a drawing of The Gilsey House, a luxury hotel on the National Register of Historic Places (1887); The Grand Central Hotel (1887); several early official US post cards (1887, 1881); letterhead from The De La Vergne Refrigerating Machine Co. featuring a detailed sketch of an early industrial refrigerator.
CONDITION: Poor. Both cloth and original leather covers are severely damaged and have disappeared around the bottom edge and corners. Spine remains barely intact, held together only at the four cloth binding points. Pages are in decent condition, though they exhibit heavy curling around the tabs. Of all three volumes, the tabs on this book are most legible.
CONTENTS: Similar to Box 2 within the collection, this book contains occasional references to “Retention Books #3 and #4”. There are also two sheets presenting tomb depths by year, though the lots are not specified.This book, however, is the only one of the collection to contain a series of notices outining various Green-Wood financial structures. A memo of Receiving Tomb pricing 1891-1938 appears glued to the title page. A folder tucked inside the book contains the following:
- Pamphlets introducing Green-Wood, its financial structure as an incorporated trust, along with pricing and a detachable burial order form
- Pricing adjustments through 1947
- A memo from Fred Herbst Sons morticians presenting revised costs, with a footer brandishing the emblem of the National Selected Morticians group
- Loose-leaf records of bodies placed in the Receiving Tomb during The Green-Wood Cemetery strike of 1939
- A typewritten page of records, year unknown
