About the Collection

The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as The American National Red Cross, founded by American nurse Clara Barton, is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the designated US affiliate of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the United States movement to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The organization is subdivided into regional and local chapters throughout the United States which offer services and development programs to their designated territories. The Western New York Chapter of the American Red Cross, headquartered in a former Clement mansion at 786 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, New York, serves the counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming. It is one of the oldest chapters in the country and depends on its many volunteers to provide its emergency services, disaster relief and health education programs to local residents. This collection is formed from the archival holdings of the Robert L. Brown History of Medicine Collection, University at Buffalo Health Sciences Library. It includes mainly photographs from 1910-1990 of Buffalo Red Cross events and personnel (including administrators, workers, nurses and volunteers) as well as images of other activities involving aid and disaster relief, documents, postcards, pamphlets, sheet music, instructional manuals and promotional materials focused on the organization’s mission to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. The Western New York Chapter of the American Red Cross (earlier: the Buffalo Chapter of the American Red Cross) carries out this mission both locally and nationally as well as in cooperation with Red Cross and Red Crescent networks around the world.