New York 1925 - where to look for information

[Odsh]

I'm going to to play the Masks of Nyarlathotep campaign in a near future.

In 1925, looking for information is a bit more complicated than looking it up on the internet. I would like to prepare a list of places in New York where the investigators may end up doing just that: looking for information. To be more precise, I'm not interested in locations specific to that campaign, but rather places in New York City in 1925, known to the general public, that may give access to potentially useful knowledge in any campaign setting.

So far I have:

• The New York Central Library, 5th Av, 42nd St. Described in the campaign.
• The New York University.
• The Bellevue Hospital, 1st Av, 27th St. Described in campaign.
• The New York City Police Department, 240 Centre St. The NY Police is mentioned in the campaign.
• The Sugar Cane, a clandestine bar, 5th Avenue, 135th St. Not the only bar where information can be garnered of course, this one just happens to be somewhat detailed in the campaign.
• Newspapers: Daily Worker, Negro World, New York Times, World, New York Pillar Riposte. I like the idea of restricting clues to press articles of specific newspapers only.
• The Hall of Records, built in 1907 (later renamed to Surrogate's Courthouse in 1962).

The New York Municipal Archives was only founded in 1950.

Any additional idea or suggestion is welcome.

For example, where would one find birth or marriage certificates in 1925? Information regarding real estate and land registration?

 

[Gundamentalist]

4 hours ago, Odsh said:

• The Sugar Cane, a clandestine bar, 5th Avenue, 135th St. Not the only bar where information can be garnered of course, this one just happens to be somewhat detailed in the campaign.

This bar is new to me. Does it feature in a foreign edition of Masks? The only bar I'm aware of detailed in the NY chapter of Masks is Fat Maybelle's.

[Odsh]

16 hours ago, Gundamentalist said:

This bar is new to me. Does it feature in a foreign edition of Masks? The only bar I'm aware of detailed in the NY chapter of Masks is Fat Maybelle's.

It is described under "Points of interest", p.21 of the New York chapter in the french edition "Sans Détour".

[Gundamentalist]

26 minutes ago, Odsh said:

It is described under "Points of interest", p.21 of the New York chapter in the french edition "Sans Détour".

It's not in the English version. From a quick google its a jazz club:

http://harlemjazzshrines.org/venues/

https://gayharlem.wikischolars.columbia.edu/Sugar+Cane+Club

[mvincent]

Have you checked out Chaosium's Secrets of New York? It has most of what you are looking for (including details about the Sugar Cane speakeasy on p.45). The book indicates that the Hall of records is where you would find birth certificates, records and deeds.

Edited January 14, 2017 by mvincent

[Odsh]

7 hours ago, mvincent said:

Have you checked out Chaosium's Secrets of New York? It has most of what you are looking for (including details about the Sugar Cane speakeasy on p.45). The book indicates that the Hall of records is where you would find birth certificates, records and deeds.

No, I haven't. Thanks for the advice !

[Odsh]

Mvincent, your reply made me realize I missed out on several interesting sourcebooks for the Masks of Nyarlathotep:

• Secrets of New York
• The London Guidebook
• The Cairo Guidebook
• Secrets of Kenya
• Terror Australis

Ah well, more reading 

There also seems to be a sourcebook for China, but in german only:

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/104007/CTHULHU-China--Cthulhu-im-Reich-der-Mitte?filters=0_0_44826_0_0

[mvincent]

Here is resource material for 1920's Shanghai (once intended for a  'Secrets of Shanghai' sourcebook that did not materialize)

[Odsh]

On 1/17/2017 at 1:56 AM, mvincent said:

Here is resource material for 1920's Shanghai (once intended for a  'Secrets of Shanghai' sourcebook that did not materialize)

Well, thanks again !

[jajagappa]

City directories are good sources.  Here's one example I noted in another post:

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac of 1921.

https://books.google.com/books?id=KOgCAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

There's a huge range of detail for NYC there from societies to churches to municipal government information to sporting records (even chess!), not to mention advertisements (e.g. p.466: Kings' County Detective Bureau; Expert Detective Service; Confidential Investigations; Dependable Evidence Secured and Reliable Information Obtained. or on p.469 Dr. James P. Campbell's Arsenic Complexion Wafers).  For Libraries, check out pages 101-103.  Or Societies and Associations beginning on p.159 with Educational & Scientific Societies on p.171.