Our Mission:
MoRUS was established to preserve the history of the Lower East Side, how it evolved from a derelict neighborhood that was riddled with crime, drugs and other foreboding elements to a now, highly desirable place to anyone seeking the best of New York. This history is unique because there is nothing similar to this transformation that can be found anywhere else in the world. The change is a direct result of people, the activism, the perseverance to oppose the overwhelming forces from the city, developers, even chain-stores.
As the MoRUS Archiving Committee, we aim to ensure the preservation and thoughtful organization of archival material relevant to the museum’s goal of supporting activist memory and strategy. Various documents—posters, zines, leaflets, photos, videos—detailing local community activism have been donated to our collection. This work is done by a dedicated group of volunteers who contribute their time and energy to keeping such history alive. It is our ultimate goal to publish a digital archive accessible to the public as a helpful research tool for those interested in the museum’s mission. Click the images below to access some of the digital initiatives we have been working on.
Contacts: If you have any questions about the archive or its contents feel free to contact the archiving team at archive.morus@gmail.com
Visiting Instructions:
Our archive is free and for the public; we would love to show you around! If you wish to visit the MoRUS Archive, please fill out this form. Please note that visiting hours follow the operating hours of the museum—Wed-Sun 12pm-5pm EST. If you would like to volunteer, please refer to MoRUS’ volunteer page.
Be aware that filling out this form does not solidify your time slot, please wait for the archive committee to reach out to you to confirm your request. Thank you!
Donations:
We are currently accepting donations to our archive. If you have any materials you would like to donate, please email us at archive.morus@gmail.com. Please be aware that you will need to fill out a Deed of Gift form. Once you send us a request to donate, the archive lead will direct you on the donation process. Thank you for your donation!
As we work to digitize our collections and make them accessible online, we will continue to share below. In the past year our Archives Committee has been hard at work processing, cataloguing, and digitizing materials held in our collections. Click the images below to access some of the digital initiatives we have been working on including our virtual MoRUS Zine Library, Green Oasis Community Garden / Gilbert’s Sculpture Garden Records Collection, and Plywood Windows of Soho: an UrbanArchive Tour that we based on our physical exhibition after the Black Lives Matter uprisings in 2020. Additionally, you can learn more about the history of Puerto Rican community group CHARAS / El Bohio through the digital copy of our zine: Viva El Bohio : A brief history of the CHARAS Community Center.
