The first permanent home of the McBurney Branch of the New York YMCA began as the headquarters of the New York association in 1869, a role it played until 1887. The French Renaissance building, designed by notable New York architect James Renwick, Jr., and renamed the 23rd Street YMCA in 1887, was the first purpose-built YMCA building in the US. In 1904 the 23rd Street “Y” moved west to 7th Avenue, into a state-of-the art building with a roof garden, a cork running track, and a marble lined swimming pool; it was thought to be the finest YMCA building in the United States and cost $850,000. In 1943 the branch was renamed in honor of Robert Ross McBurney, an Irish immigrant who rose from librarian of the New York association in 1862 to chief executive in 1883, a post he held until his death in 1898. He is known as the first paid secretary of the YMCA.
The McBurney branch operated or participated in a number of educational efforts, including Chelsea School, Eastern Association School, various night schools, New York Institute of Accountancy, Walter Hervey Junior College and a Trade and Technical School. After the end of World War II, the YMCA in New York City determined that it would focus on the college prep school adjacent to the West Side YMCA, the McBurney School, and most of the other educational efforts were disbanded; the Walter Hervey Junior College closed in 1957.
(Information taken from
The McBurney YMCA photograph collection includes many images created before 1900 when the branch operated from the 1869 building at Fourth Avenue and 23rd Street. Included in the early photos are images of the building exterior and interior, including photographs of the gymnasium, parlor, reading room and library, auditorium and others, including one image labeled, "Early action picture". Later photos include many images of the facade of the 1904 building at 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue that replaced the 1869 structure. In addition, the collection includes photographs illustrating dormitory life and materials related to the YMCA Trade and Technical School and the Walter Hervey Junior College.
These documents are organized into the following sections:
Buildings.
Programs and activities.
Athletics.
Schools.
This collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright, ownership, and to obtain all the necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials.
Processed by: Louise Merriam, March 2009.
Catalog Record ID number: 5410542
The following section contains a detailed list of the materials in the collection. To request materials, please note the corresponding box number.
Includes images of dormitory rooms, counseling, cultural entertainment, lobby scenes, cafeteria staff, groups and meetings, dances, camera club.
Images of the front of the 1904 building.
Includes images of gymnasium, drawing class, French class, Association Hall, McBurney Room, employment bureau, reception room and business office, parlor, reading room, Sunday tea, boys' parlor.
Photographs, trade cards and stereopticons depicting facade of 1869 building at 4th Avenue and 23rd Street.
Includes camp photo, float advertising camps and marathon runner.
Includes images of McBurney 125th birthday cake, barber shop, Buddy Camp boys, YMCA band, singing, playing cards, photo lecture, teen dance, servicemen playing checkers, Hawaiian guitars, Italian dancers, Mexican dancing, arts and crafts.
Includes photos of young adults and teens, posed images of young couple, staff meeting (1942), Board of Managers meeting (1942), and image of boy from the cover of Current Support campaign brochure (1987).
Includes group photos of Old Timers' Reunion Dinner, evening school students and dormitory men. Also includes Annual Report for 1890 with images of bookkeeping class, evening exercises and boys' parlor.
Bible study, art class, business class, Spanish class, debate: "Resolved, that the Government be responsible for the late Indian trouble".
Includes images of trampoline, weightlifting, students, gymnastics, gold-painted swim team, bowling, ping-pong, fencing, jogging and rowing.
Includes photo of swim team (1920s), man and woman in pool, contact sheets of swimmer in pool.
Also includes images of McBurney School and West Side YMCA.
Images of school exterior, auto mechanics, boiler repair, radio repair.
See also the McBurney YMCA Records, separately cataloged in the Kautz
Family YMCA Archives
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.