Scope and arrangement
The Citizens for a Quieter City (CQC) records, dating from 1950 to 1980, document the work of the organization to raise general awareness of noise pollution and advocate for government and industry policies to mitigate it. The records contain Robert Alex Baron's correspondence; his datebooks and notebooks; CQC minutes and by-laws; noise complaints and reports; financial records; noise pollution inquiries; photographs; printed matter; scrapbooks; posters; unsorted papers; and sound and video recordings. The collection also holds the records of the Upper Sixth Avenue Noise Abatement Association and Robert Alex Baron's files regarding his job as general manager of Theatre Tours.
The Correspondence (1966-1974) consists of a subject file and a smaller chronological file. It includes Baron's correspondence with city, state, and federal officials; civic and community organizations; and manufacturers of construction equipment and noise abatement devices. Much of the correspondence relates to Project Quieter City, a program conducted by CQC which sought to survey the urban noise problem in the Lincoln Square area of Manhattan; there are also letters regarding the New York Conference on Urban Noise Control.
Minutes and by-laws document meetings of the CQC board of directors and technical committee, and the structure of the CQC.
The Datebooks and Notebooks (1970-1973) contain four desk diaries reflecting daily appointments of Baron and 10 notebooks of his memoranda.
The Noise Complaint Reports (1969-1972) contain complaints received from the public, organized by type (traffic, aircraft, siren, etc.).
The Financial Records contain invoices, petty cash accounting, balance sheets, audit reports, payroll tax forms, bank statements and cancelled checks.
The Noise Pollution Inquiries contain forms summarizing the nature of correspondence inquiries received.
The Upper Sixth Avenue Noise Abatement Association records (1965-1966) including correspondence, minutes, and reports by Baron.
The Photographs contain images of Baron alone and in groups, mainly at construction sites in New York City.
The Theater Files (circa 1950-1960s) were generated by Baron during his job as general manager of Theatre Tours.
The Sound and Video Recordings (1965-1978) document CQC meetings, conferences on noise pollution, public service announcements, radio and television news broadcasts about noise pollution, and public events in which CQS participated. They also hold recordings of different types of noise pollution in New York City. Some video content was produced by other organizations. Also present is a speech by Mayor John Lindsay on the state of New York City in 1942.