The Municipal Archives is one of the largest archival repositories in North America, housing more than 225,000 cubic feet of world-class historical records dating back to the 1600s. Kenneth R. Cobb, Assistant Commissioner, NYC Department of Records & Information Services, presents an illustrated review of Municipal Archives holdings including the mayoral collections, records pertaining to the administration of criminal justice, drawings of Central Park and Brooklyn Bridge, as well as records and photographs created by municipal departments such as police, health, parks, finance and education.

Kenneth R. Cobb has been associated with the Department of Records & Information Services (DORIS) for more than 45 years. Cobb served as Director of the Municipal Archives from 1990 to 2005, when he was appointed Assistant Commissioner at DORIS. Cobb received an M.A. in American History at Columbia University in 1978.  In 2018 he received the Archivists Round Table of Metropolitan New York outstanding Archival Achievement award, and in 2023 he won a Sloan Public Service Award.  Cobb is a native of Poughkeepsie, New York.

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