Records of the School of Kindergarten Training

Collection

Identifier: PI-009

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Records of the School of Kindergarten Training contain letters, indexes and paper ephemera dating from 1892 to 1930 –the bulk of these materials having been produced between 1893 and 1912. Series 1 contains alumnae records, though they could be more accurately described as newsletters. Six individual newsletters remain in their original condition, while the rest are bound together chronologically in a green library binding. This series contains several duplicates. Series 2 is composed of a single bound volume of letters, reports and similar materials chronologically documenting the partnership between Pratt and the Brooklyn Free Kindergarten Society. This book is in delicate condition and exhibits a significant amount of bleeding on most pages, often obscuring the writing. Series 3 combines various types of memorabilia arranged chronologically, with the exception of two undated items – an index card and bookplate.

Dates

1892 - 1930
Majority of material found within 1893 - 1912

Creator

Pratt Institute. School of Kindergarten Training (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to the public.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, contact the Archivist, Pratt Institute Library.

Biographical / Historical

The Department of Kindergartens at Pratt Institute opened in 1892 under the direction of Hannah D. Mowry. As the kindergarten movement in the United States had been gaining in popularity, Pratt chose to host several lecture series on the subject in the winter of 1890. In June of 1891, the Brooklyn Kindergarten Association was organized and met regularly on the Institute’s campus. Pratt’s continued involvement with the association led to the formation of the Kindergarten Training School in 1892, which was intended to further the kindergarten movement in Brooklyn and the U.S. by instructing aspiring teachers (once referred to as “kindergarteners”) in the field of early childhood education. Required courses of study included the visual arts, athletics, childhood psychology, music, plant and animal life, games and other topics with a direct and practical application in the kindergarten classroom.

In 1894, Instructor Alice E. Fitts took on the role of Associate Director and became a notable advocate for the free kindergarten movement. The school’s name was changed to the School of Kindergarten Training in 1909, and remained as such until its closing in 1916.

Extent

0.35 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The School of Kindergarten Training was founded in 1892 in response to the growing kindergarten movement in the United States. The Records of the School of Kindergarten Training contain letters, indexes and paper ephemera dating from 1892 to 1930 –the bulk of these materials having been produced between 1893 and 1912.

Arrangement

The records are arranged in three series, and the arrangement of the records is as follows:

Series 1: Alumnae Records, 1892-1930

Series 2: Letters of the Brooklyn Free Kindergarten Society, 1895-1909

Series 3: Memorabilia, 1893-1905

Related Materials

Alice E. Fitts Papers (Collection No. 021)

Pratt Institute Photograph Collection (Kindergarten-KI)

Pratt Institute Photograph Collection (Kindergarten Training-KIT)

Harmful Language Statement

If you encounter any pejorative language (i.e. racist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic) or content in the finding aids or within the content of the collection, please send an email to archives.library@pratt.edu with the relevant details. For more information about how the Pratt Institute Libraries are addressing offensive language and content across its catalogs and databases, please see the Libraries' Harmful Language Statement: https://library.pratt.edu/statement/2022/05/27/harmful-language.html.