A Brief History of the William Ives Library: The Buffalo Public’s First Branch.

The long serving (and long lived) William Ives in 1916

In the Buffalo Public Library’s annual report for 1901, Superintendent Henry L. Elmendorf described the opening of the BPL’s “first real branch” library at 746 Broadway on the east side of Buffalo. Named for the long serving Chief Librarian of the Buffalo Public, William Ives (1817-1916), it was located a couple of miles from the main location on Lafayette Square. When it opened on August 8th of that year the cost to rent the building was $20 a month and it held a collection of some 3000 volumes, including all of the BPL’s Polish language books to suit needs of the neighborhood. Mr. Elmendorf commented that the creation of more neighborhood outposts like the William Ives “would make a more lasting and beautiful memorial than any marble shaft¹” and encouraged the board of directors to commit to building additional branches throughout the city.

William Ives Branch, located in the Dom Polski building in 1912, image from the B&ECPL’s archive

By 1905 the Ives Branch held almost 4500 books with a circulation of 49,416 — meaning that on average each book in the collection was checked out 11 times that year! Shortly after, an opportunity arose for the Ives branch to take up residence in “the new Polish building²” located just down the road at 1079 Broadway called the Dom Polski, which translates to Polish Home.

Women’s group posed in front of the Ives Branch, perhaps members of a local chapter of the Wanda Society, image from the B&ECPL’s archive

For the next 37 years, from 1906-1943, the Ives Branch served as a library and de facto community center under the auspices of beloved librarian Mary Standbridge. Stanbridge was well-known for her rapport with the Polish community aided by a Mrs. Kudlicka, a library assistant fluent in both English and Polish³.

Interior, William Ives Branch, c. 1912. Mary Standbridge and Josepha Kudlicka are behind desk, from the B&ECPL’s archive

The Ives Branch on Fillmore Ave ca. 1965, from the B&ECPL archive.

The Ives Branch would outgrow its space two more times in the succeeding years; first moving to 617 Fillmore Avenue in 1942, then again in 1965 to a new building across the street from Dom Polski. It was then renamed the Fronczak Library after local Doctor Francis Fronczak, who served as the President of the Central Relief Committee, an American group that brought aid to the people of Poland during WWI. The branch was permanently closed in 2005 due to Library funding difficulties.

These days Dom Polski is known as the Matt Urban Center, and continues to serve as a community center for the Broadway Fillmore neighborhood. Two other locations of the library are also still standing and are listed as a private residence and business.

1. Annual Report of the Buffalo Public Library. (1901). United States: (n.p.). ↩︎
2. Annual Report of the Buffalo Public Library. (1905). United States: (n.p.). ↩︎
3. Drzewieniecki, Walter M., and Joanna E. Drzewieniecki-Abugattas. “Public Library Service to American Ethnics: The Polish Community on the Niagara Frontier, New York.” The Journal of Library History (1974-1987), vol. 9, no. 2, 1974, pp. 120–37. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25540560. Accessed 21 Dec. 2023. ↩︎

“Some Letters of Emil Paur”

Emil Paur in The Century Magazine, article on the Boston Symphony Orchestra, February 1905

Among the manuscript collections in the Rare Book Room are a series of letters by famous composers to Austrian conductor Emil Paur (1855-1932). A talented musician initially trained in music basics by his father, Paur was playing the piano and violin in public by the tender age of eight. He would later achieve an excellent reputation as a conductor, first in cities in Germany, then moving on to conductorial posts for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.

The collection of letters addressed to Paur would first come to light in 1951 through the efforts of Grosvenor music librarian Ellen Kenny who, after the library received photostatic copies from his son, published an article on the collection in the magazine Notes, a journal produced by the Music Library Association.  While conducting the works of some of his contemporaries Paur corresponded with the composers, and occasionally these letters offer some insight into the personalities of these musical talents. Included with the 16 items are letters or cards from Richard Strauss, Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, Jules Massenet, Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler.

Clara Schumann, 1888

Gustav Mahler, 1903

Jules Massenet, 1897

Richard Strauss, 1888

There is also a signed music score from Brahms.

Brahms score with letters, 1886-1888

Eventually, Miss Kenny would purchase the handwritten letters from Kurt Paur, and become Head of the Music Department for the B&ECPL, and after her death, her sister donated them to the Rare Book Room in 1977. Bravo, Miss Kenny for your many contributions to our library’s unique music collections.

Ellen Kenny and staff member Howard Lamm in the Music Department, March 1963