Charles B. Chaney Jr. Railroad Photographic Collection
name: label: Collector
content: Chaney, Charles B.
topic: label: Topic
content: Locomotives
label: Topic
content: Locomotives -- 19th century
label: Topic
content: Locomotive industry
label: Topic
content: Locomotives -- Design and construction
label: Topic
content: Railroad bridges
label: Topic
content: Railroad passenger cars
label: Topic
content: Railroad passenger cars
label: Topic
content: Railroad stations -- United States
label: Topic
content: Railroad yards
label: Topic
content: Tunnels
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The materials were originally collected for the Division of Engineering and Industries (now the Division of Work and  Industry) in 1948.
creator: label: Collector
content: Chaney, Charles B.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Charles B. Chaney Jr. Railroad Photographic Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Approximately 20,000 negatives of railroad related subjects with an emphasis on the eastern lines, especially the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Besides locomotives, other subjects include freight trains, passenger cars, bridges and tracks, stations, yards, tunnels, shops and engine houses, and train wrecks.
accruals: label: Accruals
content: .50 cubic feet of material consisting proimarily of pencil and watercolor drawings by Chaney was added to the collection in 2022.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Charles B. Chaney Jr. was born February 7, 1875 in Baltimore, Maryland.  He was the oldest of seven children born to Charles B. and Mary E. Chaney. At an early age he developed an interest in locomotives while playing in and around local railroad yards. His lifelong passion for locomotives resulted in photographing and collecting materials related to the subject.  As a young man Chaney moved to New York, where he began a career as a draftsman in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Charles B. Chaney Jr. retired in 1942 and returned to Baltimore, where he died on April 5, 1948.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 34 Cubic feet (101 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1850-1947, 1972, undated
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: Transferred from the Division of Work and Industry, Engineering and Industries Collections (now Division of Work and Industry), National Museum of American History, to the Archives Center, National Museum of American History in 2009.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1167
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Black-and-white negatives
label: Type
content: Microfilms
label: Type
content: Photograph albums
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: This collection is arranged into four series. 

Series 1, Negatives, circa 1850-1947, undated

Series 2, Microfilm, 1972

Series 3, Nitrate Negatives, 1850-1947, undated

Series 4, 2022 Addenda, undated
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, 2013.

The original guide to the Charles B. Chaney Jr. Railroad Photographic Collection was authored by the Division of Transportation in 1991.  Revised by Vanessa Broussard- Simmons, archivist, May 2013.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Black-and-white negatives
label: Genre/Form
content: Microfilms
label: Genre/Form
content: Photograph albums
label: Genre/Form
content: Photograph albums -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Photograph albums -- 20th century
otherfindaid: label: Other Finding Aids
content: An inventory for the Charles B. Chaney railroad photographs is available.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: An extensive and detailed guide to this collection was created by the Division of Transportation (now the Division of Work and Industry, National Museum of American History in 1991 and published by the Smithsonian Institution which is available upon request in the Archives Center. The guide provides a name or number of the locomotive or railroad scene, builder, type, date built, negative number and a brief description or caption for each negative. The collection was also scanned to video disc. 

The collection contains approximately 20,000 negatives of railroad-related subjects, with the vast majority of the images being various views of locomotives. Some of the photographs were taken by Mr. Chaney, although a large number are copy negatives made from existing photographs. Many are copies of builders' photographs. The emphasis is on the eastern lines, especially the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Besides locomotives, other subjects include freight trains, passenger cars, bridges and tracks, stations, yards, tunnels, shops and engine houses, and train wrecks. The collection is arranged in three series.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution


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