Subjects of special interest include:
Examples of noteworthy collections include:
 New! Online images from the BECHS collection of E.B. Green. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Downloads Image Reproduction Rates |
The Library is open to the public Wednesdays-Saturdays 1 -5 p.m. It is located in the Pan-Am Building at 25 Nottingham Court.
Admission Fees and General Policies
- Members are admitted free
- High school students are admitted free with a valid school ID card
- $6.00 for non-members
- Appointments are not necessary
- Children under 9 are not admitted to the library
- Researchers are required to check all bags, briefcases, knapsacks, and purses
- Researchers must use pencils to take notes. Pens are not permitted.
- Materials may not be borrowed or removed from the room.
- Many items are in off-site storage and require 1-2 business days to retrieve
What Resources Are Available Online?
We recently contributed photographs of Crystal Beach and memorabilia from the War of 1812 to WNYLegacy.org. Additonally, everyone can search our undigitized, offline collections of books, manuscripts, maps, and other library materials at WNYLibraries.org.
What Resources Are Available for In-Person Visitors?
- Buffalo city directories, 1828-present.
- Suburban directories, 1949-present.
- Other directories including telephone books, address books, social registers, and business directories.
- Census microfilm, both Federal (1790-1930), and State (1855-1925) for Erie County and the City of Buffalo; few indexes.
- Church and cemetery records on microfilm; mainly for Roman Catholic churches.
- Index to obituaries in Buffalo newspapers, alphabetical by last name. For the 1800s, death notices are included. For the 1900s, only actual obituaries are listed.
- Index of marriage notices in Buffalo newspapers, ca. 1811-1884, arranged alphabetically by the names of both brides and grooms.
- Published genealogies.
- Letters, diaries, and other unpublished personal, business, and organizational records and similar material in the manuscript collection.
- Free wireless internet access
The Historical Society library houses photographic collections containing thousands of images mainly of Buffalo from the 1860s to the 1980s. The general photograph collection is arranged by broad subject headings, including:
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Buildings: Business & Commercial; Factories; Recreation; Religious; Residences, etc.
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Buffalo Harbor
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Buffalo Views
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Indians
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Lake Marine (Great Lakes vessels)
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Parks
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Persons
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Streets (alphabetical by street name , with many house pictures)
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Transportation: Airplanes, Automobiles, Street Cars,Trains
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Weather: Storms, Blizzards, Floods
The Goldome-Roy Nagle Collection is similar in content and arrangement to the general collection. It consists of photographs collected by Roy Nagle throughout his life in his studies of the history of the Niagara Frontier.
Special subject collections include:
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Millard Fillmore
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Grover Cleveland
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William McKinley
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Erie Canal
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Larkin Company
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Niagara Falls
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Wilbur Porterfield collections
Limited photocopy services are available. Library staff makes all copies. We do not copy fragile or oversized items such as city directory volumes, atlases, and scrapbooks. During the occasional busy time when we cannot make copies on demand, we can hold them to be picked up in 24 - 48 hours or mail them to you for an extra charge. Photocopies are 25 cents each for the first 25 copies and 50 cents each thereafter. Copies from microfilm are 50 cents each. Copyright compliance is the responsibility of the user.
Reproductions of photographs (slides, black
& white enlargements, digital scans) may be ordered for educational,
research, and publication purposes. We do not scan photographs for
personal use. Please allow up to two weeks to fill an
order. Please see the following forms:
Image Reproduction Rates
Permission to Publish
- Librarians can look for death notices/obituaries in Buffalo newspapers if you supply an exact date of death. An exact death date means the month, day, and year. The fee is $5.00 per name with a maximum of 3 names per request. Your death notice may already be online. If not, download the form to request obituaries.
- Librarians can search for a newspaper article if you have an exact date or citation. The fee is $5.00 per article with a maximum of 3 articles per request.
- Library staff can search for a specific item from our image collections, but there is a $35/hour research fee for non-specific requests (e.g., photographs of people shopping). This fee applies to mail, email, and telephone requests.
What Services Are You Unable to Offer?
- We are unable to establish the value of your old books, papers, photographs, heirlooms, collectibles, or other artifacts. Professional appraisers can be found in your yellow pages under "Appraisers."
- We are not qualified to draw genealogical conclusions and cannot do extensive family history research or identify your ancestors. Our Researcher List has names and addresses of researchers for hire.
- We do not collect vital records such as birth, marriage, and death certificates. These are government records, available from town and city clerks, or from the state Bureau of Vital Statistics. New York State did not require that such records be kept until 1880.
- We are unable to make or return long distance telephone calls.
- We do not scan photographs for personal use.
Surface Mail: Research Library, Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, 25 Nottingham Court, Buffalo, NY 14216-3119 Please include a stamped, addressed envelope with all postal correspondence.
Telephone: (716) 873-9644, ext. 306. Telephone service available Wednesdays through Saturdays, 1-5 p.m.
FAX: (716) 873-8754
Map & Directions to the Library (Pan-Am Building)