Conditions Governing Use

Copyright has not been assigned to the California State Railroad Museum. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the CSRM Library & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the CSRM as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research by appointment. Contact Library Staff.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Postcard Collection, MS 906, California State Railroad Museum Library & Archives, Sacramento, California.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

On loan from The Railroad & Locomotive Historical Society.

Biographical / Historical

The Railroad and Locomotive Historical Society (R&LHS) was founded in 1921 by railroad enthusiasts Charles Fisher, Arthur Curran, Warren Jacobs, and Roy Carlson. It is the oldest organization in North America entirely devoted to railroad history and emphasizes the preservation and documentation of business history and industrial technology. The first chapter of the R&LHS was established in New York City in 1934. Originally centered on the East Coast of the United States, the society currently has ten local/regional chapters in the United States, including one in California. While the majority of members are nonprofessional railroading enthusiasts, the society counts amongst its ranks archivists, historians, preservationists, curators, and museum directors.

The Society has received multiple awards for its efforts in writing and photography. It has made its photograph and research collections available to researchers since 1927, when the Harvard Business School made two rooms available in its Baker Library. In 1983, the R&LHS collections were transferred to California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Since then, the National chapter of the R&LHS has partnered with the CSRM to house their extensive collection of corporate documents and locomotive related memorabilia.

Scope and Contents

The Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Postcard Collection contains postcards of railroad stations dating from 1851-1953. Most postcards feature photographs, but there are a few paintings and drawings of railroad stations. There are also some photographs of trains, rolling stock, locomotives, shops, yards and tunnels. The railroads listed operate in the United States and Canada with a focus on the Eastern United States. Railroads that appear promintently include Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe, Boston and Albany, and Boston and Maine. Postcards may include dates, correspondence and annotations.There are also some sketches by Howard L. Fogg, an American artist who specialized in railroad art. These postcards depict the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into three series:

Series 1. Railroad Depots

Series 2. Other Subjects

Series 3. Howard L. Fogg Art

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Railroad photographs
• Railroad stations