Da Costa family collection
Item
Country
US
Name of institution (official language of the state)
Language of name of institution
eng
Contact information: postal address
15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011
Contact information: phone number
001 212 294 8301
Contact information: web address
Contact information: email
RCMiller@cjh.org (archive and library services)
Inquiries@cjh.org (research inquiries)
Inquiries@cjh.org (research inquiries)
Reference number
P-145
Type of reference number
Archival reference number
Title (official language of the state)
Da Costa family collection
Language of title
eng
Creator / accumulator
American Jewish Historical Society
Date(s)
1776/1952
Language(s)
eng
Extent
4 folders
Type of material
Textual Material
Scope and content
This collection comprises records of Sephardic Jews from London and Charleston whose surname was Da Costa. It consists of four items: a draft of a letter from Emanuel Mendes da Costa (1717-91) of London to Richard Hill Waring of Leeswood, Wales, and part of the letter in reply, discussing their mutual interest in conchology (1776); an invitation requesting Baruch Judah's presence at a meeting of the Sublime Grand Lodge of Perfection (Order of Freemasons) of Charleston, signed Joseph da Costa, secretary (1788); and a statement of money received and disbursed for M. da Costa Senior, presumably for the binding of books for Congregation Shearith Israel of New York (1873).
Administrative / Biographical history
The American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS) is the oldest ethnic and cultural archive in the United States. It was established in 1892 by Cyrus Adler and other scholars’ initiative and was initially composed of about 40 members. Oscar Straus was its first president. Since its origins, the AJHS has aimed to foster awareness and appreciation of American Jewish heritage and history. Number one of the Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society, the AJHS’s journal, was launched as soon as 1893 and lasted until today with the title American Jewish History.
Since 2000, AJHS has been one of the five member organisations of the Center for Jewish History in New York. Previously, the Society was located near Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
At present, AJHS provides access to more than 30 million documents and 50,000 books, photographs, art and artefacts that reflect the history of the Jewish presence in the United States, including some treasures, such as the handwritten original of Emma Lazarus’ The New Colossus.
Since 2000, AJHS has been one of the five member organisations of the Center for Jewish History in New York. Previously, the Society was located near Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
At present, AJHS provides access to more than 30 million documents and 50,000 books, photographs, art and artefacts that reflect the history of the Jewish presence in the United States, including some treasures, such as the handwritten original of Emma Lazarus’ The New Colossus.
Sources:
Access points: locations
Access points: persons, families
Access points: corporate bodies
Access points: subject terms
Access points: document types
Access, restrictions
The collection is open to all researchers except items that may be restricted due to their fragility or privacy. A digital copy of folder 1 is available online:
Links to finding aids
Author of the description
Carla Vieira, 2022
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
| American Jewish Historical Society (Center for Jewish History) | Collections (official language of the state) |