—Salutations
—Introduction: name; position; school; & brief project description
—Why I’m here: what led me here; what I’m looking for
—Timetable: when I would like a response by; when I am able to visit
—Open the conversation: “Please let me know if you have any questions!”; ways to contact me; introduce anyone I’ve CC’d
—Thanks!!
—Follow up: don’t be afraid to follow up with your emails! Sometimes they just get lost in busy people’s inboxes.
JEWISH THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY: June 2023
[note: I wound up doing the bulk of my archival research that summer at the JTS library!]
To whom this may concern,
Hello, my name is Janus Yuen and I am an undergraduate student in the Humanities Research Scholars Program (HRSP) at Columbia University working on a project on the religious history of Harlem 1890-1920. Specifically, I am seeking to study the responses of religious institutions (Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish) in that neighborhood to the consumerist revolution in American culture.
While searching the archival collections of the JTS library I identified the Congregation Shaare Zedek Records (Collection Identifier ARC-1000-105) as a collection of prime interest. Since Shaare Zedek was located in Harlem for over two decades (1900-1921), I believe their internal records could be an invaluable resource for understanding Harlem Jewish communal life in this period. As such, I am writing to ask whether I can make an appointment to talk to a librarian about accessing the collection as well as other materials that might be relevant to my project. I should be available just about all week except 3-4pm Thursday, and I can come in person to JTS, or talk over Zoom or phone. My program runs until the end of June, so access before then would be much appreciated.
I have CC’d on this email Professor —————, who is the faculty advisor for HRSP. Please feel free to contact either of us for questions!
Thank you so much for your time, and I look forward to talking with you soon!
Most warmly,
Janus Yuen
Columbia College ’25
MOTHER AME ZION CHURCH: June 2023
[note: The pastor responded to this email saying the church had a plethora of material—but then ghosted me when I followed up to ask for a time to meet 🙁 ]
To whom this may concern,
Hello, my name is Janus Yuen and I am an undergraduate student in the Humanities Research Scholars Program (HRSP) at Columbia University working on a project on the religious history of Harlem during its formative years, 1890-1920.
I became interested in the history of Mother AME Zion when I learned from a number of works on early Harlem history that it was among the first black churches to move to the neighborhood in the 1910s. As such, I am writing to ask whether your church has retained in your files or archives any records dating back to before 1925? If such records do exist, they could be an invaluable resource for understanding religious life in Harlem in this period, and I would be immensely grateful for permission to access them.
I am available by email, phone, or Zoom to discuss my project further. I could also visit in person. Further, I have CC’d on this email ——————, who is the faculty advisor for HRSP. Please feel free to contact her as well for questions!
Thank you so much for your time, and I look forward to talking with you soon!
Most warmly,
Janus Yuen
SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY: July 2024
[note: A staff member at the museum responded that the statue was actually on loan to the Museum of Old Newbury in Newburyport. I managed to visit the museum when I was doing research in Newburyport, and got to see the statue!]
To whom this may concern,
Hello, my name is Janus Yuen and I’m an undergraduate at Columbia University working on a senior thesis in Early U.S. cultural history on the life of Timothy Dexter, the eccentric businessman and celebrity of Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Among many alleged eccentricities he engaged in, such as having himself named a Lord, Timothy Dexter commissioned just shy of 40 larger-than-life sized wooden statues by woodcarver Joseph Wilson of prominent figures from George Washington to Thomas Jefferson and beyond, turning his front yard into a gathering place and tourist attraction famous across the region.
Most of the statues were knocked down by and disposed of following a hurricane in 1812, but I found by searching in secondary reference sources and the Smithsonian Catalogue that one statue survived, of William Pitt, and that it is in the Smithsonian Museum’s possession.
The catalogue link: https://collections.si.edu/search/detail/edanmdm:siris_ari_19192
Is the statue on public display in the Museum, or if it is not, is there a way that I could obtain access to the statue, to view it in person?
I’ve cc’d my thesis advisor, Professor ————— in this email, in case there are questions about the nature of my research.
Best,
Janus Yuen
Department of History
Columbia University ’25
