Captain Samuel Harris Sims (1828-1864) is but one of many Civil War military officers to make Green-Wood his final resting place. When Sims departed for war, he left behind his fiancé, Carrie Dayton – but he did not forget her while on the field. Between battles, Sims hand carved peach pits into the two small baskets pictured above. He sent these carvings home to her, along with letters and pressed flowers. These items, plus correspondence, official documents and mementos, are part of a diverse collection of Samuel Harris Sims materials belonging to Green-Wood’s Collection. Sadly, Sims never made it home to his fiancé, having suffered fatal injury at the Battle of the Crater, Petersburg, VA in 1864.

Napoleon Sarony (1821-1896) was a revered and highly successful photographer in the second half of the 19th century. His unique compositions featuring dramatic posing, a variety of backgrounds and props, and unusual lighting and shadows elevated photography to a new level. His portraits became fashionable and his portfolio features photographs of some of the most notable theatrical and public figures of his time from Sarah Bernhardt to Oscar Wilde. The Historical Collection contains Sarony photos of many Green-Wood residents, too, like Henry Ward Beecher and Samuel Morse. The self-portrait cabinet card of the photographer show above illustrates that he was quite an eccentric character.

Florence LaBadie (1888-1917), was one of the first major movie stars, appearing in over 180 silent films during her short career. The actress tragically passed away in 1917, at the height of her career, following a car accident near Ossining, New York. Pictured above is a still from the 1917 film, The Woman in White, the last of LaBadie’s films released before her death. LaBadie played dual roles in the film, a surprisingly modern convention for an early silent film. In April 2014 Green-Wood installed the first monument to stand at the grave site of the silent film starlet who, mysteriously, was interred without a headstone.

The Star Safety Razor was designed and patented by the Kampfe Brothers, Frederick (1851-1915), Richard (1853-1906), and Otto F. (1855-1932). The innovative men’s product, shown above, even came complete with a leather case and informational booklet. First manufactured in 1875, the Kampfe Brothers’ product revolutionized shaving, by making it possible for men to safely shave at home. Before their invention, shaving was something only done by trained barbers.

William Surrey Hart (1865-1946), or “Two-Gun Bill,” was a Silent Film actor often considered as the first great Western Movie Star. Known for his unique screen presence, Hart developed a signature persona: the honest, taciturn Cowboy. He insisted on bringing authenticity to his roles, believing that earlier filmmakers had glamourized the West. This lantern slide advertises the 1920 film The Toll Gate, credited as the first of William S. Hart’s own productions. It depicts Hart in his signature two-gun cowboy role.

Green-Wood’s beautiful limestone chapel was designed in the Gothic-Revival style by the architectural firm of Warren and Wetmore, who also designed Grand Central Terminal. The image above is one of a series of photographs taken of Green-Wood’s historic chapel during construction. Dated July 6, 1911, it shows the foundation completed and the side walls erected, but the decorative spires of the top four corners are unfinished and workers have not yet begun building the central dome. The chapel would not be completed in its entirety until later that year.

This white marble memorial is dedicated to Charlotte Canda (1828-1845), a young Victorian socialite who died tragically on the evening of her 17th birthday. Amazingly, Canda had been designing a monument for her recently deceased aunt. After her untimely death, her father adapted the design for Charlotte’s monument, and personalized it by adding her initials, a portrait statue, and various symbols of her interests during life. This stereoview card shows the main section of Charlotte’s grand monument.

Long before pocket-size packs and foil wrappers, chewing gum was marketed in far more ornate packages. Entrepreneur Thomas Adams (1818-1905) and his gum company Adams & Sons were great innovators of the business. Adams was the first to make gum using chicle from South America, and the product, Chiclets, is still popular today. Adams & Sons also pioneered machine production of gum, sold the first flavored gum, and were the first to install chewing gum vending machines in the New York City subways.