Mechanics Institute (Rochester, N.Y.) -- History

The Anne Payne Mechanics Institute digital files include a photograph of several young women who attended the Mechanics Institute, as well as several newspaper articles relating to the women.

The Dane Gordon papers contain interview notes, typewritten manuscripts, galley proofs, and research material used in the creation of Gordon's book, Rochester Institute of Technology: Industrial Development and Educational Innovation in an American City.

The collection contains Board meeting announcements and invitations, and other documents ranging from 1847-1894 for the Rochester Athenaeum, Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Association, Mechanics Institute, and the Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute. Many of the documents are addressed to George S. Riley.

Mechanics Institute library accession registers consists of 3 volumes listing items added to the Institute library collection, circa 1890-1907.

Collection of 28 program booklets of a lecture series called Saturday Evening Lectures held between 1906 and 1920. The series was sponsored by Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute (RAMI) and most of the lectures covered travel and art.

RAMI historical interviews and radio series scripts consists of correspondence, a list of proposed radio program, scripts of aired presentations, drafts of the scripts prior to the interviews, and notes from radio presentations. The scripts highlight the history of Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute, the 100th Anniversary of the first photograph and the Photographic Technology and other departments.

Original copies of laws and charters related to RIT.

Unpublished manuscript by Mark Ellingson on the history of the Rochester Athenaeum and Mechanics Institute, the objectives of the institute, information on programs and courses offered and institutional policies through 1937.