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The Encyclopedia of New York City is a comprehensive reference work about New York City published in 1995 by the Yale University Press. Produced under the supervision of the New-York Historical Society, it contains over 4300 entries, and there are 1.3 million words contained within this encyclopedic volume. The editor-in-chief is historian Kenneth T. Jackson of Columbia University.
In his preface, Jackson comments: "How does one take the measure of New York City? Even casual visitors can see and feel and sense that it is different from other places. Its buildings are bigger, its pace quicker, its streets noisier, and its sidewalks more crowded..."
The Encyclopedia received its initial funding from The National Endowment for the Humanities, McGraw-Hill, and the Rose family and its Foundation of New York City. In addition, there are 48 other contributing supporters from New York to the encyclopedia. Specifically designed as a secondary source, its self-described goal is to provide basic information and a place to begin research. Bibliograph citations are provided within each reference, for further information on each entry.
Some of the highlights of this work include an array of illustrations and photographs, many of which have never before been published. It contains material that has never been compiled before, such as organizational charts on railroads, tables of newspapers, and a listing of ticker-tape parades. Other unique compendia includes information on public record but that is difficult to access, such as the election table in the entry on goverment and politics, which includes the local vote for all major candidates in presidential elections from 1836 to 1992.
Future editions are planned, in order to keep this lively reference work up to date with the very vastness of the city itself.
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