Lester Shanks Collection of Covered Bridge Photographs and Ephemera
name: label: Collector
content: Shanks, Lester
place: label: Place
content: Switzerland
label: Place
content: Baltimore (Md.) -- 19th century
topic: label: Topic
content: Bridges -- Switzerland
label: Topic
content: Covered bridges -- Switzerland
label: Topic
content: Covered bridges -- United States
label: Topic
content: Bridges -- United States
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Donated by Eunice C. Shanks on August 11, 2011.
creator: label: Collector
content: Shanks, Lester
setName: label: See more items in
content: Lester Shanks Collection of Covered Bridge Photographs and Ephemera
abstract: label: Summary
content: The collection is comprised of the results of Shanks's research on covered bridges, mostly in America but also covered bridges in Canada and Switzerland. Included are albums containing color photographs of covered bridges, slides of covered bridges, postcards depicting covered bridges; maps, and guidebooks;  newsletters, magazines, and newspaper clippings on the subject of covered bridges.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Shanks, an employee of Baltimore Gas and Electric for over 40 years, was a covered bridge enthusiast and collector. He set a goal of photographing every covered bridge in America. Lester Shanks died October 10, 2010.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 3 Cubic feet (16 boxes)
phystech: label: Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
content: Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs, negatives, and slides.
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1876-2010
label: Date
content: bulk 1973-2008
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1244
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Maps
label: Type
content: Slides (photographs)
label: Type
content: Photograph albums
label: Type
content: Books
label: Type
content: Picture postcards
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Ephemera
label: Type
content: Travel brochures
label: Type
content: Pamphlets
label: Type
content: Newsletters
label: Type
content: Postcards
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is divided into seven series.

Series 1, Photograph Albums, 1963-2006

Series 2, Slides, 1971-1977

Series 3, Guide Books, 1876-2009

Series 4, Maps, 1850, 1982

Series 5, National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, Inc., 2005-2010

Series 6, News clippings, 2006, 2008

Series 7, Postcards, 1963-1985
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Processed by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2012.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Maps -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Slides (photographs) -- 1950-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Photograph albums -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Books
label: Genre/Form
content: Picture postcards -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Ephemera -- 19th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Travel brochures
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- Color transparencies -- Acetate film -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Ephemera -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Pamphlets -- 1950-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Newsletters -- 2000-2010
label: Genre/Form
content: Postcards
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection is comprised of the results of Shanks's research on covered bridges, mostly in America but also covered bridges in Canada and Switzerland. Included are albums containing color photographs of covered bridges, slides of covered bridges, postcards depicting covered bridges; maps, and guidebooks;  newsletters, magazines, and newspaper clippings on the subject of covered bridges.

Series 1, Photograph Albums, 1963-2006, consists of bound albums of black-and-white and color photographs by Shanks documenting covered bridges in the United States and other countries.  The series is arranged geographically and then alphabetically. Some of the states have documentation preceding the photographs which  lists the counties where the covered bridges he photographed were located. Shanks assigned a number to each state and each county for organization purposes.  The number 35-04-03 means Ohio-Ashtabula County-third photograph in the group. The majority of photographs are identified.

In some instances, correspondence, brochures, fliers for covered bridge activities, invitations to covered bridge events, and copies or portions of Covered Bridge Topics, a quarterly journal published by the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, containing articles and information relating to covered bridges, are also included. Wooden Covered Spans, the newsletter for the Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of Pennsylvania is also present.  The covered bridge photographs from Switzerland were taken by Leonard Reich. 

Series 2, Slides, 1971-1997, consists of color slides taken by Shanks documenting covered bridges in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,  Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec, Canada, and Switzerland.  The slides depict bridge interiors, side elevations, landscape views surrounding the bridge, river views, views of the road leading up to the bridge, and restoration work. Each slide is labeled with the name of the state/country/province, county and/or township, date, name of bridge and in some instances, the name of the river the bridge spans.  Other numbers such as 38-63-22 are also present on the slides and represent a numbering system Shanks applied to his slides, which are keyed to states and counties. Shanks assigned a Roman numeral and Arabic numeral system to some of the slides (e.g. I-1 to I-100) and (13-1 to 13-100). This arrangement has been retained and while there is no key to it, the slides are arranged chronologically. 

Series 3, Guide Books, 1876-2009, consists of bound guide books about covered bridges. The most significant of the guide books is theThe Stranger's Guide in Baltimore and its Environs, 1876.  This small pocket guide book contains sketches of public buildings, monuments, notable localities, resorts, and suburban drives.  The guide book is intended to show strangers where to go and what to see when in Baltimore. 

Series 4, Maps, 1850, 1982, contains two maps for the city of Baltimore and Baltimore County, Maryland.  

Series 5, National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, Inc, 2005-2010, consists of copies of the Covered Bridges Topics, the official magazine for the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges, Inc. (N.S.P.C.B.) and the newsletter for the N.S.P.C.B.

Series 6, Newsclippings, 2006, 2008, consists of two articles fromThe Post Standard, New York about covered bridges. 

Series 7, Postcards, 1963-1985, consists of color postcards of covered bridges from a variety of locations in the United States. The postcards are arranged alphabetically by state.  Some bear cancelled postmarks, but the majority are blank.
relatedmaterial: label: Related Materials
content: Materials in the Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Bridges (series), circa 1818-1940 (AC0060)

Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Bridges: stereographs, circa 1868-1902 (mostly circa 1875-1880) (AC0060)


Beata Drake Covered Bridge Collection, 1954-1981 (AC0998)

Raymond E. Wilson Covered Bridge Collection, 1958-1974 (AC0999)

Samuel E. Reed Bridge Collection, 1947-1964 (AC1001)

Lucinda Rudell Covered Bridge Collection, 1942-1979 (AC1028)


Robert Bagby Stereographs and Lantern Slides, 1919; circa 1940-1960 (AC1185)