Newark New Brunswick/Piscataway  Stratford Camden

University Libraries Special Collections

UMDNJ Libraries -- Special Collections Department
Stanley S. Bergen, Jr., MD University Archives
University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey

Revised April 1999

INTRODUCTION

The papers of the Samuel Berg Collection on Newark City Hospital/Martland Medical Center date from 1882 to 1963, with bulk dates from 1885 to the early 1940s. The records total approximately 4 linear feet. They form Personal Collection PC/2 in the Special Collections' Bergen University Archives. The records are open for research without restriction under the conditions of the Archives' access policy.

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

For several years until 1882, the City of Newark was without its own municipal hospital. Instead, a total of ten beds were maintained at St. Michael's, St. Barnabas and the German Hospitals for the care of the indigent sick and injured. Seeing a need for better facilities, a City Hospital was organized by obtaining the use of the north wing of the Almshouse located on the corner of Elizabeth Avenue and Concord Street. With 25 beds, the hospital was opened to the sick on September 4, 1882 and was incorporated on February 23, 1883. In its first year, the hospital staff cared for 267 patients and only 30 of them died. In its early days, City Hospital treated mostly contagious diseases, but 118 operations were performed in the first eight months of service. In its second year City Hospital was moved to the former Insane Asylum building on Fairmont Avenue.

By the late 1880's the hospital had outgrown its second home, which was torn down in phases, and replaced by a red brick structure. Construction of the new hospital began in 1898; the hospital was occupied in 1890. In 1914 a new five-story residence facility was open for the student nurses on Fairmont Avenue across from the hospital, which was vacated in 1983. It was the first permanent Nurses Home that the students had since the school began in 1885. In 1925, the hospital was enlarged by the addition of the north wing, a four-story structure with a basement. The hospital now consisted of a central building with two wings and adjoining solaria, each four-stories high with a basement, and the north wing.

Between 1930 and 1944 there does not appear to have been any marked changes in either the City Hospital or the School of Nursing. A psychiatric affiliation with Marlboro State Hospital was added in 1950. A communicable disease affiliation with Essex County Isolation Hospital was set up in 1950, then discontinued in 1956. The psychiatric affiliation was changed to Essex County Hospital at Cedar Grove in 1956.

To cope with the rising demands of the large postwar migrations of poverty-stricken people to Newark, construction began in 1954 of a new 17-story hospital with 750 beds. The City of Newark dedicated the new hospital the Harrison S. Martland Medical Center, in honor of the prominent pathologist, Dr. Harrison Stanford Martland (1883-1954),* who had served the city for 28 years as pathologist for the hospital and as Essex County Medical Examiner. The $13 million hospital, located behind the 1900 structure and facing Bergen Street, was completed in May 1958. From 1956 to 1964 total yearly admissions, births and clinic visits almost doubled. In 1962 the hospital's name was changed back to Newark City Hospital. From 1960 through 1967 the hospital had numerous problems including collections, accreditation, poor housekeeping, sanitation, community criticism and work condition protests. On July 1, 1968 the New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry assumed operation of the hospital and renamed the entire complex the Martland Hospital Unit of the NJ College of Medicine and Dentistry. In 1969 the hospital had 773 beds, 1340 employees, cared for 22,000 inpatients and had approximately 150,000 outpatient visits. Martland Hospital served as the primary teaching facility for the College until it was replaced by the CMDNJ-College Hospital in 1979 (now, UMDNJ-University Hospital). The old Newark City Hospital was torn down in 19___; the Nurses Home building was demolished in 1994.

PROVENANCE

The personal papers and photographs collected by Dr. Samuel Berg of the Newark City Hospital and Martland Medical Center were donated to the Bergen University Archives by Dr. Berg on October 3, 1979. The collection has been added to as more materials were donated by Dr. Berg in 1988, 1989, and 1990. Miscellaneous printed material, more photographs, a scrapbook, and one audio tape (Accession 88-09), all relating to the Newark Eye and Ear Infirmary, have been removed and placed into Manuscript Collection MC/31--Newark Charitable Eye and Ear Infirmary, 1880-1982. The audiotape records the 90th Anniversary Celebration (April 22, 1971) of the Infirmary.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Samuel Berg Collection on Newark City Hospital (NCH)/Martland Medical Center spans the years 1882 to 1963, but mainly documents the hospital's early years of service to the Newark community. The collection measures approximately 4 linear feet. The collection consists of over 220 photographs assembled by Samuel Berg, MD on the interns, staff, and facilities of NCH.

The collection contains seven series including Photographs, Annual Reports, Commemorative Programs, Correspondence, Register of Interns, Newspaper Clippings, and Residency Certificates.

For additional material regarding the Newark City Hospital and Martland Medical Center, please see:

Record Group RG/K-Newark City Hospital, Records, 1898-1971.
Personal Collection PC/1-Harrison Stanford Martland, MD (1883-1954), Papers, 1907-1954.

SERIES DESCRIPTION

SERIES I: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1882-1951. [79-02, 90-20, 90-29, 91-147]

This series consists of over 220 photographs, relating to the NCH, assembled by Dr. Samuel Berg. The photographs are arranged alphabetically by subject. The series includes pictures of horse-drawn ambulances, the 1882 Alms House, the hospitals' first X-Ray machine, hospital facilities, and members of the house staff from 1907 through 1951. In addition, there are 14 identified portraits of the NCH Medical Board and Newark Physicians in 1883, which were originally matted in a single frame. On March 3, 1981, the portraits were removed from the frame, cleaned, and placed in acid free folders (Box 6, Folders 1-14). Negatives are available for some prints. Due to the different accessions, photographs can be found in boxes 1-4, 6, and 10.

In 1989, a grant from the New Jersey State Library enabled the UMDNJ Archives to take certain steps towards preserving the historical photographs of the Berg Collection. The photographs were conserved by the Northeast Document Conservation Center in Andover, Massachusetts; conservation measures included the production of copy negatives and archivally processed, fiber based prints.

SERIES II: ANNUAL REPORTS, 1884-1963, w/ gaps. [79-02, 90-20]

This small series contains annual reports of the NCH, its Board of Directors, and Medical Board. There are reports available from 1884 to 1900 w/ gaps, 1937, and 1963.

Due to the different accessions, the reports can be found in boxes 5 and 9; they are arranged chronologically.

SERIES III: COMMEMORATIVE PROGRAMS, 1954-1963. [79-02, 89-05, 90-01, 91-03]

This small series consists of commemorative programs related to the Martland Medical Center. The programs mark events such as the cornerstone laying and dedication ceremonies (1954), and the talks delivered at memorial lectures held in honor of Dr. Martland (1959-1963). Folders are arranged alphabetically. Due to the different accessions, the programs can be found in boxes 5 and 10.

SERIES IV: CORRESPONDENCE, 1883-1988, w/ gaps. [79-02, 89-05, 90-20, 90-29, 91-147]

This series contains correspondence and letters relating to NCH. Topics include the Committee of Graduate Courses, Interns and Reunions, the Isotope Laboratory, and NCH News. Correspondents include Drs. Harrison Martland, Samuel Berg, Robert Franklin Ives, Robert M. Ives, Frank Berry, M. B. Downer, Milton Helpern, John H. Lawrence, David Lilienthal, and the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). Folders are arranged alphabetically. Due to the different accessions, correspondence is located in boxes 5, 9, and 10.

SERIES V: REGISTER OF INTERNS, 1932-1947. [79-02]

The register contains the names of NCH interns. Materials are arranged alphabetically by last name.

SERIES VI: NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, n.d. [79-02, 88-09, 90-10, 91-03]

There are clippings, mostly photocopies, regarding NCH interns, obituaries, and articles. They are arranged alphabetically by last name. Due to the different accessions, clippings are located in boxes 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10.

SERIES VII: RESIDENCY CERTIFICATES, 1894-1895. [79-02]

This series contains two residency certificates. One is for Robert Franklin Ives, MD, 1895 (unframed). The second certifies George A. Rogers, MD, 1894 (removed from frame). Both are oversized -- see Flat File.

BOX LIST

PC/2-1 PHOTOGRAPHS ACCESSION 79-02

REGISTER OF INTERNS, 1932-1947 ACCESSION 79-02

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS ACCESSION 79-02
Interns, Obituaries, and Articles

[The following photographs (box 6) were originally matted in a single frame. On March 3, 1981, they were removed from the frame, cleaned, and placed in acid free folders.]

ADDENDUM ACCESSIONS 88-06, 88-09, 89-05, 90-01

[90-01] ADDENDUM ACCESSIONS 90-01, 91-03, 90-10, 91-147, 90-20, 90-29

SAH 05/99

Page Revised: 9/7/04

For reference service and information contact:

Robert Vietrogoski
Special Collections
vietrora@umdnj.edu
(973) 972-7830
FAX (973) 972-7474

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